News in Spain
February issue 2012
Hundreds turn out for Manuel Raga's Funeral: More than 200 bagpipe players played the Galician hymn.
Hundreds of people said goodbye to Manuel Fraga at the funeral for the Partido Popular veteran in the Plaza del Obradoiro and the Santiago de Compostela cathedral on Saturday.
The ex President of Galicia was honoured at the place where he took possession of the regional government four times. The Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and several of his ministers attended the ceremony along with the current Galician President, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
The Archbishop of Santiago, Julián Barrio, definded Fraga as a ‘good man’ and he called for the mercy of Christ for his memory and persona. Photos were shown on the TV coverage of Fraga with different personalities including the King and Fidel Castro.
Hundreds followed the service on a screen outside the Cathedral and some 200 bagpipe players from the Real Banda de Gaitas from the Ourense and Pontevedra Diputaciones, played a version of the Galician hymn.
Mother faces 20 years for drowning her nine year old son on Menorca: His remains were found in an abandoned suitcase two years after he died. A mother who drowned her nine year old son in the bath and then dumped his body inside a suitcase faces a possible 20 years in prison when her case comes up for trial.
Mónica Juanatey, from A Coruña in Galicia, has been on remand since her arrest in November 2010 for the murder of her son, César, after human remains found in a suitcase that month near a river in Mahón, Menorca, were identified as her son’s.
His mother confessed after her arrest that she had killed him in 2008.
Her defence is arguing for acquittal on the grounds of temporary diminished responsibility and has asked that Juanatey undergo a new examination by a forensic psychologist and a social worker.
King Melchor dies in Three Kings parade in Valencia
It happened during the parade in Pobla de Farnais
The man, who was in his 50’s and a great fan of the local fiestas and traditions is reported to have told people to carry on with the procession, although he was not feeling well. Finally witnesses reported that J.M. Martínez fainted and fell unconscious from his chair.
Prison for father and son in connection with Barcelona Senegalese killing
Two other sons have been granted conditional release.
Two of the four people arrested in connection with the death of a Senegalese man, Ibrahima Dyey in Barcelona last Tuesday have been sent to prison on remand, while the other two have been granted provisional release by the judge in Instruction Court 12 in Barcelona.
The father of a gypsy clan, Antonio F.P., is one of those being held in custody, along with one of his sons, 28 year old Antonio F.G who is believed to have actually carried out the killing. The tragedy has caused serious friction between local gypsy residents and the Africans in the Besòs district of the city.
The judge ordered that the other two sons face charges of making threats and causing injury and they have to report every day to the court. Their passports have been removed and they are not allowed to leave Barcelona, or be closer than 500m to any of the witnesses called to the court.
Two Camorra Mafia members arrested in Marbella
A Frenchman has also been arrested in Torremolinos.
Two members of the Italian mafia have been arrested in a Marbella villa. The two Italians are from the Mazzarella clan of the Camorra mafia and were arrested last Wednesday morning by UDYCO police on the Costa del Sol working with Italian police.
They face charges of belonging to a criminal organisation dedicated to the traffic of drugs into Europe from Morocco. They have been named as Clemente Amodio and Pasquale Mazzarella.
European arrest warrants are in place and the two men have been taken to Madrid where the National Court will handle the extradition.
The Italian anti-mafia prosecutor has said that these arrests are more confirmation that the south of Spain in general, and the Costa del Sol in particular, has become one of the favourite refuges for members of the Camorra.
Meanwhile in a separate incident, police have arrested a 24 year old Frenchman, named with the initials Y.K. in Torremolinos. He’s wanted in France on charges of attempted homicide and drugs offences, and was seized on December 28 after being stopped at a routine control. Police noted that his driving licence photo looked nothing like him.
50 year old buildings in Spain to get an ITE inspection
The new requirements come into effect in July.
The ITE Inspección Técnica de Edificios has been in existence for some time, but only from July 7 2012 will it become obligatory. The buildings will be subjected to a complete technical inspection by a competent architect or engineer who will draw up a report on the state of the building, indicating any deficiencies detected and whether they are serious or not.
In the case that work needs to be done, a further inspection is needed when the work is completed. Fines of 1,000 – 6,000 € are envisaged for those who don’t comply.
The process will have to be repeated every ten years.
The British Consular Network, Spain -
Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team
THINKING AHEAD
On 6th April 2010, the rules surrounding the UK State Pension changed. You may know that the UK State Pension Age for women has started to gradually increase since the Pension Reform Act came into force last year. However, did you know that there are also other changes that could affect you and your UK pension? If you have not yet reached UK State Pension age, you should be aware of the following:
- Men and women now only need 30 qualifying years of UK National Insurance contributions to get a full basic UK State Pension - Men and women now only need 1 qualifying year of National Insurance contributions to get some UK State Pension - Parents and carers, past and present, may be given new National Insurance credits that will count towards a UK State Pension. For full details on all the changes, and how they could affect you, see www.direct.gov.uk.
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
Although the PBHT can help customers in many ways, Martyn, PBHT Officer in Alicante, pointed out last month that there are some questions we cannot answer as we do not have the expertise to do so. One such topic is tax. However, our website of the month for October, www.hmrc.gov.uk, might be able to help where PBHT can't. And it's not just tax that is covered. National Insurance numbers, National Insurance contribution records, paying voluntary contributions… It's all there, so why not take a look.
CONSULAR BIRTH REGISTRATIONS
Did you know that if a British child is born in Spain, the parents can choose to register the birth of the child in the
Consular Birth Register in Madrid? It's important to be aware that, although you must register the birth with the Spanish authorities, there is no obligation to register it in the Consulate, and it won't affect the child's eligibility for a British passport which you, as parents, can apply for at any time. However, many do choose to register. Benefits include the possibility of purchasing a British-style Consular registration certificate and having a permanent record of the birth held at the General Register Office in the UK. Full details on how to apply, documents required and fees can be found at: http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-forbritish-nationals/living-in-spain/births-deaths-marriages/birth-registration
ACCEPTANCE OF THE EHIC
As we have highlighted previously, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is designed to cover a person for necessary treatment in a public hospital whilst they are on a temporary stay in another country.
Unfortunately, there have been cases in Spain in which a person has been asked to pay a deposit and/or sign a payment agreement at a public hospital despite producing a valid EHIC. In these cases the hospital wished to charge the cost of treatment back to the persons travel insurance, rather than accepting the EHIC.
While taking out travel insurance is important, private medical insurance should not take precedence over the EHIC, providing the card is valid and being used in the correct way. If you, or someone you know, has had their EHIC refused at a public Spanish hospital, it may be possible to apply for a refund of any costs incurred via the Overseas Healthcare Team who can be contacted on 0044 191 218 1999.
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/index_en.htm
Our website of the month for September really has something for everyone. The Your Europe section of the European Commission (EC) website is specifically for those who are working, living and travelling within the EU. For example, if you want to know more about social security and tax matters as a worker in another EU country, or are looking for a job abroad, see the "Work‟ section. Or perhaps you want to know more about accessing healthcare whilst living or travelling in Europe? There's a great healthcare section too! And while you‟re on the internet, why not also browse the rest of the EC website – the amount of useful information, including specific information for Spain, may surprise you!
KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR PASSPORT
Do you know where your passport is right now? For the majority, the answer is probably yes. But if the question was 'Do you know when your passport expires?' The positive responses would probably drop rapidly.
'Being aware of when your passport expires is becoming increasingly important', says Andy Hamilton, Head of the Regional Passport Centre in Madrid. 'If you don't have a valid passport, and need to travel urgently, you'll have to pay for an emergency passport, which is an expense most of us could do without. We understand that it's not always easy or convenient to send your passport in to be renewed at the exact point it expires, which is why people can send in their renewal application any time in the 9 months before without losing any validity'.
'Over the next couple of years, customers will see some changes to the current passport service. We're working toward a single system where all persons can apply directly to the UK, something our customers tell us they want.
During this period of transition, keeping an eye on when your passport expires will be really important to ensure you're not unduly inconvenienced'. More information on the upcoming changes can be found on our website, http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk.
T
he Plataforma en Defensa de l'Ebre (PDE)
We would like to offer you news stories relating to our struggle to protect the river Ebro and its eco-systems. The first is in English but the other news items are in Catalan or Spanish so we offer a brief summary.
1. The European Comission will take the Spanish state to court regarding the more-than-two-delay in publishing the River Basin Plan for the Ebro. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/729&type=HTML
EU Press Release Brussels, 16 June - The European Commission is referring Spain to the EU Court of Justice for breaching two pieces of EU environment legislation.
The EU Water Framework Directive requires Member States to publish a management plan for each river district by 22 December 2009 at the latest. Spain is required to adopt 25 plans in total, but has so far only adopted and communicated one (the Plan de gestión del Distrito de Cuenca Fluvial de Cataluña).
Despite earlier warnings (see IP/11/91), as the plans have still not been adopted almost a year and a half after the deadline, the Commission has decided to refer Spain to the EU Court of Justice.
2. The lack of flow in the Ebro (closely related to the delay in publishing the Basin Plan, and hence a "minimum environmental flow") is causing serious problems. An excessive growth of river algae, for example, has led to serious health and social problems for the local population due to the massive expansion of the "black fly" (Simuliidae). Another potentially more serious problem occurred recently when river algae blocking the water pipes of the cooling pumps at the nuclear power plant in Asco, led to a 40% drop in power.
The Plataforma en Defensa de l'Ebre (PDE) is a group of volunteers campaigning to protect the river Ebro, its eco-systems and, consequently, the livelihood of many people who live on and around the river. Please Contact the Platform for the Defense of River Ebro : briansilvia@hotmail.com for more information.
Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team CALLING ALL PENSIONERS!! The International Pension Centre (IPC) recently started a "life certificate" campaign and will soon be sending forms to many of you in Spain. As we´ve mentioned before, the life certificate is a form you must complete, within a certain time period, to demonstrate you continue to have the right to a pension. It is important the letter reaches you as soon as possible. We would therefore like to ask you to ensure the IPC hold your up to date contact details. Although you will have provided them with your Spanish address when you first moved over, if you have since moved house, or your address has changed due to increasing urbanisation in your town, inform the Pension Service on 0044 191 218 7777. Remember, you should inform the IPC of any changes in your circumstances, such as changes in address, within 28 days as you could receive correspondence from them at any time throughout the year. If "updating your details with IPC" is a resolution you keep all the way through to 2012, you´ll save yourself trouble regarding your pension in the year ahead!
A message from the British Consulate. We know that the withdrawal of the old "Residencia" ID cards has caused inconvenience to many British citizens living in Spain. However, ultimately this is a matter for the Spanish Government in the same way that not going ahead with the UK ID card project is a decision taken by the British Government. As you may know, Spain withdrew the Residents Card for EU citizens in order to comply with the EU Directive 2004/38/EC on the freedom of movement within the European Union which prevents a member state from issuing compulsory ID/residence cards to citizens of another EU country. Nevertheless, we will continue talking to the Spanish authorities in order to find an alternative solution that can help British and other European residents. In the meantime, the only legitimate form of ID for British citizens that is recognised by the Spanish authorities is the British passport, although you may find that a photo driving licence, a photo credit card or a certified copy of your passport is accepted in some shops and stores.
January 2011 ISSUE
LATEST NEWS: CEDULA CERTIFICATE
If you cannot get a cedula for your house, there is now a certificate you can get from an architect which states that the building does not conform to the cedula law, i.e it doesn´t qualify. ( This only applies to properties registered as viviendas)
If you sell your house with this certificate the status of it will not change. In the new escritura it will still say "vivienda", but with a small amendment? (I don´t know if that´s the right word) that says it does not conform to the law of the cedula. It basically means you don´t have the right to mains water and electric.
If it says in your nota simple "vivienda" that is what will go in to the new deeds, and it will get registered at the land registry as such.
To obtain this certificate you need to take your escritura and N.I.E to an architect. He does not need to come to the house and there is no time limit on it.
That´s all there is to it really, only took them a year to come up with it!!!
Perelló Properties Direct S.L
Tel: (0034) 977 490605
Fax:(0034) 977 490865
E-Mail: ppdsl@ppdsl.com
Web: www.ppdsl.com
FREE HEALTH CARE IN CATALUNYA
Provided by the Pension, Benefit & Healthcare Team here at the British Consulate.
I can confirm that those who are 'empadronado' (registered at the town hall) in the region of Catalunya and have no access to healthcare by any other means (either from Spain or the UK) can now access healthcare in Spain free of charge. This means that the Catalunya pay monthly scheme (87€ per month) or the means-tested route into healthcare are no longer in existence.
This change is due to a new law (Ley 21/2010, de 7 de julio, de acceso a la asistencia sanitaria de coberatura pública a cargo del Servicio Catalán de la Salud) which came into effect in Catalunya on 01 October 2010, further details of which can be found here: http://www.gencat.cat/diari_c/5672/10189023.htm
To apply for a health card in this way (Tarjeta Sanitaria Individual) applicants should go to their local 'Centro de Atencion Primaria' (CAP) where they will have to fill in an application form: http://www10.gencat.net/catsalut/archivos/240z214sol_cast.pdf and present photocopies of their NIE/DNI, passport and padrón certificate with an issue date of less than 3 months.
UK nationals will also need to present proof of no entitlement to healthcare from the UK which can be obtained by contacting the Overseas Healthcare Team in Newcastle on 0044 191 218 1999. Applicants under 18 will also need to present a copy of the 'Libro de Familia'. The health card, once issued, will be sent by post to their home address
Proof of Social Security number only needs to be presented if the person applying is the dependent of a contributor to the Social Security system.
I hope this answers your query however if you do have any further questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us again.
Kind regards,
Laura Leeman | Officer | British Consulate | Plaza Calvo Sotelo 1,2, 03001 Alicante
Tel.: +34 965 216022 | fax: +34 965 140528 | FTN: 8361 2004
Catalunya Data Portal Launched! The government of Catalunya has launched an open government data portal. The Catalan regional government has launched an open government data portal, adding to a growing list of international, national, regional and even local open data catalogues, where citizens can find public data for re-use. This is not just an important step for Catalunya, offering citizens a great resource, but also an important step and very good news for PSI and PSI re-use in Spain and Europe in general. The portal can be found at Dades Obertes Gencat (open data generality of Catalunya) http://dadesobertes.gencat.cat/
The SUPER SLICK new AVE train
This S103 model has a 200 metre long aluminium chassis carrying up to 404 passengers, it even has reclining seats that swivel to face the direction of travel, and these seats even have video and music players.
The aim of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is to have 10,000km of high- speed track in Spain by 2020, meaning that 90% of the population will be no more than 30 miles from a station through which the train passes.
December saw the opening of lines connecting Madrid to Valladolid and to Malaga, which have slashed journey times and proved hugely popular. Carrillo describes the success of these two lines as “unprecedented and well ahead of what we expected. Traffic has doubled on the Malaga line, and grown by 75% on the Valladolid line.”
What the AVE offers is unavailable in the rest of Europe in terms of comfort, speed and punctuality. Do not read on if you are a British commuter used to delays, if an Ave train arrives more than five minutes late, passengers are reimbursed the full price of their ticket, the main problem for those hoping to get their money back is that the trains are almost 98% reliable.
New Rail Link Between Seville and Barcelona Announced
Plans were announced last week for a new high speed train route for Andalucia, to connect Seville with Barcelona and also Malaga with Barcelona without having to go to Madrid. A date has not been set, but the plan is to provide a link south of Madrid which connect the existing AVE lines from Barcelona and Andalucia.
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