The tax office wants to cash on the supeyachts

In the Balearic nautical sector one fright is followed by another. After the setback earlier this year with the increase of the lighthouse tax (also known as T0), which could easily add up to five million euros on the islands only, the tax office has now set the sights on the megayachts. The Balearic Islands figure as an international benchmark in this sector, but is now at risk of losing competitiveness and productivity in short term because of the latest interventions by the department lead by Cristóbal Montoro.

Little does it matter to be rid of the matriculation tax for the charter yachts, as the sector is now facing a new obstacle. The legal uncertainty provoked by the attempts to "cash on the megayachts" by the Palma Customs, as informed by the president of the Nautical Trade Association in the Balearic Islands (AENIB), Margarita Dahlberg:According to the complaint by AENIB, the Customs is charging a VAT of 21% of the value of a megayacht with a non-European flag that arrive in Palma from a non-European country of departure.

The Customs considers these arrivals as "irregular import, as their departure from or entrance to EU is not documented", and attempts to charge the VAT of 21% on the import of the vessel, warns Miguel Angel Serra, a member of the Garrigues law firm and an expert in fiscal issues, whose help the nautical sector has enlisted in trying to solve the problem.

The complete article in El Mundo.

The Port Authority plans to invest 27,8 million euros in 2015

The administrative council of the Balearic Port Authority (APB) has approved the budget for the year 2015, which includes an investment of 27,8 million euros in the five ports of general interest it manages on the islands (Palma, Alcudia, Ibiza, Mahon and La Sabina in Formentera).

The port of Ibiza will receive the biggest investment with a planned 12,5 million euros, APB has informed in a statement.

The most prominent intervention will be the adaptation and improvement of the southern docks, with a planned investment of 7 million, followed by the reform of the commercial docks with 4,4 million euros. Another 2,5 million euros are destined for the extension of the Botafoc docks for large cruise liners.

The port of Palma will receive 9,3 million, destined mainly for the improvement of the facilities for cruise traffic, as well as for the extension of the terminal 6, continuation of the docking space and reorganisation of the arrival areas for large yachts.

Read the complete article in Finanzas.com

Seatec - show of technology and design in February

The 13th edition of Seatec Carrara will take place from 4th to 6th of February 2015. It is one of the most important shows for anybody working in the sectors of components, mechanics and motors, propulsion systems, electronics, domotics, raw materials, finished products, design and engineering of ships, boats and yachts in general.

The nautical sector in Italy is one of the few areas in this country where the chain from production to subcontracting, services and design manages to showcase the knowledge, excellence and competitiveness of the small and large companies. The vicinity to the areas representing the best luxury yacht production in the country make SEATEC the ideal location for a specialist exhibition. The event takes place in the Marina di Carrara (in the CarraraFiere exhibition centre), half way between Livorno and Génova. This area encompasses the districts of Viareggio and Pisa, where some of the worlds most prestigious shipyards, the undisputed leaders in production of superyachts and areas synonymous with internationally recognized quality are located.

Read the complete article in Panorama Náutico.

New proposal to "modernize" the port of Palma fast

The Association of Naval Architects (COINBAL) has indicated that constructing new docks doesn´t figure in their plans for the future of the Port of Palma.

According to the studies carried out by the technicians of the Association regarding the current commercial traffic, no excessive and sustainable growth is expected in the coming years to merit construction of new docks in Palma. "The current situation requires economically viable short term solutions", state the representatives of the institution.

According to the Association, the port activities are intermingled and scattered in different locations, which causes operational problems, non-optimization of resources, and congestion of traffic in the principal access routes, as well as in the Paseo Maritimo.

These experts call for a rapid solution for the scattered ferry terminals, as many of them lack adequate installations, as do the regular passenger ferries.

Read the complete article in Nauta 360.

METS with the biggest Spanish representation in its history comes to an end

Recently finished METS, the biggest exhibition in Europe of equipment, materials and systems for the recreational yachting, which took place from 18th to 20th of November, had ANEN coordinating the participation of the Spanish nautical industries. ANEN returned satisfied from the show, as this year the largest number of Spanish companies exhibited since  2007, when Spain participated for the first time.Apart from that, it is worth mentioning that this year the repercussion of some of the companies in the Spanish delegation, like DR SAILS, which received a special mention in the prestigious DAME Awards of design and innovation for  equipment and accessories in the nautical sector, and BAITRA, nominated also for these awards for the propeller THURSTOR that they represent.During METS 2014, the Spanish companies extended their presence in the show area, and apart from exhibiting in the Spanish hall, they were present in other halls, including the one dedicated exclusively to superyachts. The efforts of ANEN in METS were concentrated in coordination and assistance to Spanish exhibitors, as well as to other companies in need of attention; management of bilateral meetings between Spanish and foreign companies (with an objective to open new markets and to extend business opportunities), etc.ANEN participated in the Council meeting of EBIThe ANEN team traveled to Amsterdam because of METS, and participated at the same time in the Council meeting of EBI (European Boating Industry), as well as in various committees of ICOMIA that took place during the show, representing the Spanish nautical sector as a member of both institutions.Read the complete article in ANEN.

Negotiations set up for the Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector

Continuing with the plan initiated and coordinated by ANEN to develop a Collective Agreement for the nautical sector, a negotiating working group was set up last week. This group will continue developing the framework for  the document that will become a base of the said collective agreement.

In their meeting last week, the group established a schedule of actions to follow from now on, as well as strategic lines for the negotiations with the representatives of the workers, the main unions.

The commission, presided by ANEN, is planned to have a meeting with the principal unions in the coming weeks.

We will keep you updated about the evolution of the collective agreement. Achievement of an agreement will be a major milestone in securing yachting the status of an industrial and business sector.  

The recreational boat market maintains an average growth of around 10% so far this year

The recreational boat market in Spain, between January and November this year, has registered a total of 4.165 new registrations, which means an increase by 10,33 compared to the same period last year. 

During the month of November, the number of registrations was 172, almost identical to the situation in 2013, when 171 recreational vessels were registered.

This information is extracted from the "Recreational Market Report, January-November 2014", edited and analysed by ANEN on the basis of the information from the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy.

Nationwide information

By length, the segment of vessels above 16 m continues with a higher than average growth. In the period January-November 2014, 41 vessels above 16 m were registered, compared to the 29 registered up until November 2013, resulting in a growth of 41%.

The vessels between 12 and 16 m grow by 27,8%, with 92 registrations against the 72 in the same period last year.

The segment of 8 to 12 m, with 283 registrations up until November 2014 - compared to the 259 in the same period in 2013 - grows by 9,3%.

Lastly, the segment up to 8 m has 3.749 registrations in this period, a 9,8% more than in the same period in 2013 (3.415 registrations), being the most demanded size in Spain with a market share of 90%.

By provinces - the Balearic Islands, Barcelona and Cadiz are at the top of the recreational boat market, in this order.

The Balearic Islands, with the biggest market share (13,78%) grows by 26,7% with 574 registration up until November this year compared to the 453 in the same period last year.

Read the complete article by ANEN.

Letter from the President - December 2014

The end of the year is looming, but we are still hard at work. As you can see in the agenda, November was fully booked with meetings at all levels, for example the presentation to PSIB-PSOE of our proposal  to boost the nautical sector (the same we presented to PP last month). This past month we have also seen how some important initiatives of ANEN on a national level have started to materialize, like the creation of a job exchange for our sector, and specially the progress with the Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector. On the other hand, the increased fiscal pressure on our sector is on the headlines again. The local government has created new taxes and modified some old ones that affect both the nautical businesses and the users.

A few weeks ago we could read in El Mundo an article that illustrates the increasing fiscal pressure on the nautical sector. According to the article, the local government lead by Bauzá will create new taxes and modify some old ones that will have an effect on both our companies and the end users. To give an example: the tax on the general registration services for users of moorings in ports and marinas. With these measures the Administration is hoping to collect 92.000 € more than this year, a ridiculous amount compared to what they could collect if they centered they efforts in boosting the recreational yachting. We believe it is very counterproductive to hamper the activity in a sector as important as ours with these new taxes. If they were really interested in collecting more money, they should implement measures that favor the growth of the sector rather than the opposite.

We never wear out of praising the work done by ANEN, which have not slowed down since the Barcelona Boat Show. On one hand they have started the new job exchange – Nautical Jobs – for the companies in the nautical sector. Further down, in the section of the news, you will find more information about it. We believe it is a great initiative by ANEN and we encourage everybody to take part. On the other hand -  still on the issue om employment - some weeks ago ANEN called the most important trade unions to a meeting to discuss the future Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector. The meeting, when it takes place, will be useful to outline the meeting strategy and to specify different proposals. It is worth remembering that the preliminary report (which is planned to be the backbone of the new agreement) was produced on the basis of a survey directed to the associates of ANEN, including the members of AENIB.

At AENIB we carry on with the pre-election meetings with the different political parties in the Balearic Islands. In October we had a meeting with PP, and in the beginning of November we did the same with PSIB-PSOE. We want to make our proposals for strengthening the nautical sector as widespread as possible. We handed over to the parties a detailed report that backs up our conclusions and which we ask them to include in their election programmes. They are serious and realistic measures, for example carrying out a Strategic Plan for the Nautical Sector and increasing the representation of the sector in the different administrative institutions. We also believe it is necessary to progress with the fiscal and administrative harmonization between the different regions and with our neighboring countries and, needless to say, put more effort into international marketing of the Balearic Islands as a nautical destination. These are among our proposals, which we will communicate also to the other parliamentary groups  in the coming months. We believe raising awareness is of great importance, and we are in the position to give first hand information about the day-to-day reality of the sector and the obstacles that prohibit us from being competitive and generating more wellbeing.

The Balearic Islands is the leader in recreational boat registrations, with 13,7% market share by the end of November

The Balearic Islands is at the top of the recreational boat market in Spain, having by the end of November a 13,78% share of the total, with 574 registrations. This is 26,7 percent more than in the same period in 2013,  according to the information by the Spanish Nautical Trade Association, based on the data collected by the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy.

Barcelona occupies the second place, with a 11,96% market share and a growth of registrations by 30,37%, with 498 registrations by the end of November.

Cadiz comes third with a 7,25% market share and a growth of registrations by 24,28%, to 302 from the 243 registered in the same period last year.

These are followed by Madrid (6,67% market share), with 278 registrations and a growth by 3,35%, and Malaga (6,22% market share), with 259 registrations and an increase by 10,68%.

In total, 4.165 recreational vessels were registered in Spain by the end of November, which supposes an increase by 10,33% and 390 registration more than in the same period in 2013.

Read the complete article in  La Información.

Interviews with our associates - Fairline North Mallorca

Fairline North Mallorca is one of the last companies that have joined the AENIB. They are members of an important international franchise, as well as taking the image of the Balearic Islands to the main international nautical venues through their catalogues and promotional videos. We have had the pleasure to speak to them, so that they can talk about their professional work and their impressions about the present of the yacht sector in our islands.

First of all, I would like you to introduce me your company, make a summary of your trajectory and the services you offer here in our islands.

For nearly two decades, Fairline North Mallorca has been the main dealer for Fairline boats in the region. Built on our motto "It´s all about service", with its headquarters in Port de Pollensa, Fairline North Mallorca has a wealth of experience in sales and service. The team are fully trained, bi-lingual and resident locally, some staff were even born in Pollensa. Fairline North Mallorca has become famous for hosting some of the most enjoyable events both on and off the water. This dedication to our loyal customers culminates in receiving the allocade of "Worldwide Dealer of the Year". We also have a dedicated charter division specialising in Charters on the island and run a Wake School.

For a company like yours, the exemption of the matriculation tax in the charter boats will be a blessing. How do you forecast that this measure will affect the following seasons?

The exemption of the matriculation tax will positively affect our type of business in many ways, so will definitely be a joy. The fact that the exemption will create more boats available for charters and therefore more charter business will firstly have a direct impact be generating a greater revenue for the island and all businesses connected. Secondly, the indirect benefit for an increased movement in the charter business is that it introduces people into the island in a very lovely way, then if the charter is done well they will look into repeat business, boat sales, property sales and a general healthy spending on the islands.

Having a look at the catalogue and the promotional videos of Fairline, one can see a clear commitment for the Balearic Islands. How important are our islands in the global strategy of the company?

The islands are the biggest single market for Fairline worldwide distribution. There are 5 individual Fairline dealers on the island compared to 2 Fairline dealers for the whole of United States. The quality of the dealerships on the islands are recognised worldwide. Fairline North Mallorca was awarded the Worldwide Dealership of the Year.

Under your point of view: What is really necessary for the Balearic islands to be able to attract more nautical turism?

Having an institution like AENIB gives us an opportunity to get our thoughts forward. The nautical business and its importance to the communities economic welfare needs to be fully understood by those with political power then they can improve the attraction of nautical business. We think that the individual nautical businesses are doing a great job but need more support.

Changing a bit the topic, what do you value most about being a member of AENIB?

Being part of a group of like minded business men and women in the nautical industry. It gives a great sense of belonging and the opportunity to share thoughts and opportunities.ec

Anen Informs: Job offers for the new job exchange “Nautical Jobs”

As we announced during the ANEN Convention, which took place during the last edition of the Barcelona Boat Show, the Association is creating an online platform for management of a job exchange for the nautical sector, which will complement the work done by the Association for the future Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector.

This platform will be incorporated in the website of ANEN, and once operative, you can add yourselves the job offers you wish to publicize. At the same time there will be a section “jobs wanted”, where the job seekers can upload their curriculum.

To start adding content to the job exchange, we request companies that currently have vacancies, to send us an e-mail (mar.lucena@thebestofpr.es), so we can upload the offers on the platform, which we plan to have operational in 2 to 3 weeks.

We need the following details:

Regarding the job offers:
* Position
* Location
* Type of job
* Job description

Regarding the company offering the job:
* Name of the company
* Company logo
* E-mail
* Website (optional)
* Slogan of the company (optional)
* Video (optional)
* Twitter account (optional)

in the following links you can see some drafts for the new ‘Nautical Jobs’ – platform:
http://www.anen.es/anadir-demanda-de-trabajo/
http://www.anen.es/ofertas-de-trabajo/

Port Authority awards the management of the berths in the port of Savina to Marina de Formentera

The Council of Administration of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands decided to give the concession to run the berths on the eastern dock  in the port of Savina  to the company Marina de Formentera SA, as their proposal was deemed to be the best among the ones presented in the public tender.

Marina de Formentera proposed an annual fee of nine hundred and thirty thousand euros, an investment  of more than half a million euros and a concession period of seven years, five years less than projected in the specifications.

The project contemplates an operation of a public port area in Formentera, total area being 17.235 square meters, out of which 5.410 square meter correspond to land with various buildings, currently used for different commercial enterprises like car rental, chandleries, restaurants and a fuel depot for recreational vessels.

Source: APB.

Cala Figuera, new destination for the megayachts

The area of Cala Figuera is about to turn into the luxury nautical destination of Menorca and Port of Mahon, where it is located. As announced last April, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands continues with the plans to create a new marina in the area that once belonged to the company CLH, with 150 moorings for luxury megayachts, a shopping complex, parking and other services required by this type of clientele.

The State Ports acquired the grounds located in the north of Port of Mahon with the idea of a megayacht marina, a plan that not only exists on paper but seems to be gaining force. The president of the Balearic Port Authority, Alberto Pons, declared that in a time frame of maximum three months, a public tender for a project to construct a marina capable of converting the Port of Mahon into a reference in luxury nautical tourism, will be announced.

Although the details of the future town planning of the area are not known, it seems like the agreement  with the Club Marítimo of Mahon (CMM) will not be affected. According to the agreement CMM can manage around 66 berths in the same bay.

The new marina is planned to have a capacity for 150 vessels, in parallel with the type of services required by the superyacht client.

Read the complete article in Nauta 360.

Restructuring of the Palma Port is necessary, but in agreement with all involved, according to the refit sector

The remodelling of the Port of Palma de Mallorca is one of the keys that the boat repair sector sees to increased production capacity, although the changes in the Bay of Palma should be done by consensus "between all involved, the city, other organisms and entities".

This is how the director of Servicios Técnicos Portuarios (STP), Joan Rosselló, explained it in an interview with Europa Press. He emphasized that the minimum that the sector requires from the reform planned by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) in the Port of Palma is to have "the same installations as currently and some more". Were they given "more space and more capacity", also keeping in mind that "location is an important factor, the repair sector could improve considerably".

Rosselló explained that if these factors are kept in mind, and seeing how the demand in the sector has increased in the recent years, the sector has to grow in order to maintain the quality".

For example, if the boatyard areas were extended, it would be possible to create the necessary installations for repair and maintenance of yachts between 100 and 120 m of length (the current capacity is only up to 60 m), explained the director of STP.

"THE DIMENSION OF THE EXPANSION IS DEBATABLE"

Regarding this, the director of the Astilleros de Mallorca, Diego Colón, affirms that "in any case, remodelling on the port is necessary", although he added that "the dimension of the expansion is debatable", as according to him, this reform "has to be done in mutual agreement for the benefit of all".

When it comes to the environmental impact of the reform, which consists of an extension of 340.000 square meters of new areas gained from the sea according to the plan by APB, Colon assured that "they will continue with their good environmental practices" recognized by the Confederation of the Balearic Trade Associations (CAEB) in 2012 for their Environmental Management System.

For Rossello, the legislation in the sector has experienced a change in the past year and a half with the elimination of the matriculation tax for charter yachts and the Law of Ports, which, according to Rossello "increases the concession times" and "opens the door to investments in new installations and machinery". 

Complete article: Yahoo.

YARE, refit and aftersales show for super- and megayachts

The YARE (Yachting Aftersales & Refit Experience), is one of the few international shows dedicated to refit and aftersales in the super- and megayacht sector. The show will take place in Viareggio in Marina di Carrara, from 2nd to 6th of February, parallel to the 13th edition of Seatec (International Exposition of Technologies, Subcontracting and Design of Boats, Megayachts and Ships).

Large number of captains and yacht managers from various international and Italian companies, specialised in services for this type of large vessels will participate in the show. Additionally, various forums and conferences, expert meetings and visits to nautical districts of Toscana are in the planning.

Like any other show, the YARE attempts to strengthen the contact between the companies that provide products and services and the end users and those in charge of making decisions: superyacht captains, brokers, yacht management companies, international registry officials etc. In other words, the target public in this show is highly qualified and professional, with high purchasing power.

Read the complete article in Panorama Náutico.

ANEN survey about the participation in the 53rd edition of the Barcelona Boat Show

As the 53rd edition of the Barcelona Boat Show is past us, ANEN thinks it is the right moment to reflect over organization, activities, visitors etc. in order to gain more information about how the exhibitors and visitors alike experienced their participation, and thus make improvements in the future.

You can participate in the survey through this link.

Next edition of METS is approaching with increased Spanish participation

The next edition of METS will take place from 18th to 20th of November. METS is the biggest exhibition of equipment, materials and systems for recreational yachting in Europe, and will have an increased Spanish presence.

The following  Spanish companies will present their wares at the show: AUTONAUTIC INSTRUMENTAL, TERMOMETROS ANVI, ECO-SISTEMS WATERMAKERS, REMOLCS CORTÉS, IMPORTACIONES NÁUTICAS, INDUSTRIAS PLÁSTICAS CASTRO, MARINE BUSINESS, SADIRA DE CARLOS FUSTÉ, SOLÉ DIESEL, TOSCANO, RECAMBIOS MARINOS, JOTUN, TEAK SOLUTIONS, NAUTI PAINTS, E-TECH MARITIM,  STAR MAR CABOS REGATTA, TALLERES LUIS PIÑEIRO, FUTURE FIBRES, SEMPRE ABRIL, OSSIAN FASTENERS  and  S. FOLCH.

The companies MARINE INSTRUMENTS, 2MPRO, QUER, CALYPSO MARINE INSTRUMENTS  and DALMAU & HOLMAN GROUP participate for the first time in this event that congregates over 1.500 exhibitors from all over the world.

In METS 2014 the nominees for the DAME awards for nautical innovation are the flexible adhesive that doesn´t require curing in dry conditions, called DR. SAILS, developed by the Spanish company SAILING TECHNOLOGIES, as well the propeller protector THURSTOR, which is sold in Europe by BAITRA. Both products are among the 45 most relevant nautical innovations according to the jury of these prestigious awards that are going to be published on the 18th of November.

The ANEN team, formed by José Luis Fayos, the technical consultant and responsible for internalization, and Lara Hidalgo from the legal department, coordinate the mission and participate in METS until its closure on the 20th of November, helping out the Spanish exhibitors and representing the Association in various events and celebrations. All the associates are welcome to use the stand of ANEN for their meetings or any other things they may need. As in previous years, the stand is located in the Spanish hall, the exact direction being 01.181.

Once the exhibition is closed, we will publish the degree of satisfaction by the Spanish participants of METS 2014.

Source: ANEN.

The ports in Ibiza had a good season and already receive bookings for 2015

Nautical tourism was booming this past season in Ibiza, confirmed by the positive balance sheets of the main ports and marinas. After a "slightly difficult" start, marinas like Ibiza Magna, Marina Ibiza and Marina Botafoch closed a "satisfactory" season after having managed to extend it due to good weather. "September was almost like August, we had nearly full occupation and only a few empty moorings. The last week of August and in the beginning of September it slowed down a bit, but afterwards the bookings bounced back. We thought that with the closing of the discotheques (first week of October), it would go down again as is normal, but October was good as well", assures Andrea Arabi, who is in charge of Ibiza Magna, as well as of the new megayacht marina Port Ibiza Town in the vicinity. According to Arabi, this season "was better than last year, which already was good". He reminds that in marinas of this type the waiting lists are habitual during the peak season. "We can end up having a waiting list of 15 to 20 yachts on a daily basis in August", he specifies.

Growth

In the case of Marina Ibiza, the director Daniel Mari explains that "the results of July and August are difficult to improve, as there is a lot demand for moorings, but we have registered an increased activity in June, September and even in October. We had a slightly better result than last year, I calculate that we had a growth of occupation about 10% in June and September, bearing in mind that they are the only months allowing growth as July and August are always fully booked". According to Mari, the result is "satisfactory, considering the economic situation".

Read the whole article in Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera.

The sailing club Fanautic opens a branch in the port of Marina del Cantábrico de Raos

The company Fanautic Club is going to open an operation in the port of Marina del Cantábrico de Raos with both sailing and motor boats. In charge of welcoming the club to Santander this Wednesday were the president of the Port Authority, José Joaquin Martinez Sieso; the Mayor of Santander, Iñigo de la Serna and Fernando Echavarri as the sailors´representative.

According to the press release by Fanautic, the port of Marina de Cantábrico is the first port in the Cantabrian Sea to have a permanent base of the club.

The statement goes further to explain that the "great nautical tradition", the "incomparable conditions" for sailing in the Bay of Santander, and the "recent success" of the World Championships of Sailing have propelled the move to the Cantabrian capital.

Popularizing yachting

In their own words, the Fanautic Club has as its main objective to "popularize" yachting among the population and to help to "boost" the economy of the companies of the sector. They go on to explain that business formula has been adapted from the Anglo-Saxon economies.

The associates can sail whenever they want to

In the welcome reception, the representative of Fanautic Club, Diego Orallo, explained that for less money than what a mooring costs, each associate can enjoy a number of voyages per month, according to their subscription. "Just as you don´t need to own a golf course to play golf, you don´t need to own a boat to go sailing", says Orallo, who explained that the associates "can sail whenever they want to without having to worry about a mooring, an insurance or maintenance".

Access to the boats is managed through a modern online reservation system. Additionally, the management tool 'iClub' will serve as a support to form a national network of correspondence between different ports in Spain, and this will enable the associates to sail in different destinations "in the near future".

The club already has bases in Mallorca, Barcelona, Costa Brava, Valencia, Marbella, and the next opening will take place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. According to Orallo, this will help to boost the nautical tourism between regions, as already happens with other activities like golf. "A circle of tourism different from the rest is going to be created", says Orallo.

This outlook is shared by De la Serna, who pointed out that there is a niche in the market for this kind of activity. "For a city like ours which wants to grow and to continue developing the sailing activities in the bay, it is an additional attraction", he added.

Read the original article in 20 minutos.

ANEN invites the biggest trade unions to the negotiations over the Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector

According to the plans ANEN revealed during the recent Barcelona Boat Show, and now that the negotiations have been set up for the nautical sector, ANEN has invited  the largest trade unions (UGT and CCOO) to initiate the negotiations for a nationwide Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector.

Ahead of this, the representatives of the participating companies and the general secretary of ANEN, Carlos Sanlorenzo will meet - during the month of November - with the consultancy that the Asociation habitually collaborates with and which will be in charge of the technical part of the negotiation. The reason for this preparatory meeting is to form the proposals and to define the strategy for the negotiation.

In this context it is worth mentioning the report that the above mentioned consultancy has prepared, based on a questionnaire directed to all the associates. The report presents an in-depth analysis of the current employment situation of the sector, including the weaknesses and needs in this area. The report is available to all associates upon request to ANEN.

Source: ANEN.

Letter from the president - November 2014

The Royal Decree of the reform of the nautical qualifications was published in the Official State Bulletin last month. Adapting the qualifications to the reality of the sector is a necessary improvement in order to have a level playing field with the rest of Europe. The reality of the sector was plain to see during the Barcelona Boat Show - despite some positive signs, the show still has a long way to go in order to recover its place among the top shows. In this month´s letter we speak also about the modification of the lighthouse tax for the transient yachts and about the meetings we have initiated with the various political parties ahead of the municipal elections next year.

Just few weeks ago the Royal Decree of the reform of the nautical qualifications was published in the Official State Bulletin (BOE). It means an important step forward for the sector, as it updates our legislation to the day to day reality of yachting and puts us at the same level as the rest of the EU countries. Some of the novelties introduced in the RD are the extension of the scope of the qualifications, simplification of the training and disappearance of the “titulin”. On behalf of AENIB we want to praise the work carried out by ANEN, as the text approved by the Council of Ministers is practically the same as prepared and presented by ANEN at the II Nautical Congress. We also want to express our gratitude to Direction General of the Merchant Navy for their efforts in making the reform happen. Having said that, we do think it has taken too long and the reform should have been approved before the summer. ANEN deserves congratulations also for the work carried out with the comments and suggestions to the Law of Maritime Navigation, and for letting AENIB to participate in the process. It is worth remembering that this law, amongst many other things, will facilitate the economic transactions of the operations in our sector.

PP meets with the representatives of the nautical sector in order to collect proposals for the 2015 election programme

The general secretary of the People´s Party (PP) of the Balearic Islands, Miquel Vidal, and the coordinator of the election programme, Mabel Cabrer, had this afternoon the sixth of the meetings with different collectives and associations, with an aim to gather proposals for the upcoming elections in May 2015. Today´s meeting took place with the representatives of the nautical sector. In the meeting the proposals from the campaign in 2011 were discussed one by one - which have been complied with and the reason why some have not. 

Afterwards, the representatives of the sector had a chance to evaluate the work done so far, and to propose new initiatives for the future. 

In the meeting participated also the coordinator of the sector meetings of the party, Maribel Crespi; the director general of the Ports and Airports, Toni Deudero, and the director of IB Ports, David Gómez.

Prospective oil drilling rejected at the II Tourist Forum in Ibiza

Rejection towards any prospective oil drilling in the Balearic waters was palpable at the II Tourist Forum in Ibiza today. The forum aims, among other things, to evaluate the past season and to analyse the role of the public administration in the tourist promotion.The Mayor of Santa Eulària des Riu, Vicent Mari, emphasised in his inaugural speech how the future of Ibiza as a tourist destination depends on stopping the oil prospections."The environmental values are very important when attracting visitors, which leaves us no other option than to say very clearly "no" to the prospections", stated Marí in his opening speech at the forum, which takes places at the Congress Palace of Ibiza, informed the Town Hall of Santa Eulària.

Marí emphasized also the need to convince the tourists that "they can have unique and unrepeatable experiences here", and underlined that Ibiza, as a tourist brand, should not compete "in quantity, but in quality".

The island councillor of Tourism, Carmen Ferrer, used a similar line of argument when she assured that "activities that are not environmentally sustainable, constitute a danger for the island", and warned that threats like the prospective oil drilling and bad every-day practices spoil the environment on the island.

The president of the ferry terminal, Antoni Guasch, mentioned additionally the need to "join forces" for marketing purposes, and encouraged "the companies and all sectors related to services to join in cooperations like ours".

The most participative edition of the Boat Show drawing to a close

The Barcelona International Boat Show closed its doors last Sunday in Port Vell, confirming the trend towards a recovery of the sector.

During 5 days the show, which exhibited over 650 vessels out of which 120 new products, registered an important volume of business and a great flow of visitors, who were able to participate in the more than 100 programmed activities.

For the chairman of the Show, Luis Conde, "this edition has oozed more optimism, the exhibitors have received more visitors, given more interviews, prepared more estimates and registered more contacts and sales than in previous editions".

Furthermore, he assured that "it is obvious once again how the show reflects what is going on in the sector, as for the first time in six years the vessel registrations are growing, with an increase of 12,8% from the beginning of the year until September".

For his part, the director of the Boat Show, Jordi Freixas, remarked that "it was one of the liveliest editions in the recent years", pointing out a certain change in the visitor profile: "this edition has not only drawn the buyers interested in acquiring a vessel in the coming months, but we have also managed to attract a younger public and families to come and try the multiple activities and proposals we had designed for enjoying the sea".
One of the most successful was the generator of waves in a pool installed in the port, a groundbreaking initiative in Europe and where over 400 people dared to try surfing. This edition had as one of its principal objectives to attract the public to recreational sailing and water sports, and apart from the many activities on offer, a new guide book about towable yachting was distributed among the visitors. This form of yachting and water sports will benefit greatly from the reform of the nautical qualifications approved by the Council of Ministers on the 10 of October.

The show, organised by the Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Spanish Nautical Trade Association (ANEN), registered more than 54.000 national and international visitors, the international ones coming mainly from France, Germany, UK and Russia.

Being an annual show, the next edition of the Barcelona International Boat Show will take place from 14th to 18th of October 2015.

Source: Expreso.

ANADE is satisfied with the new normative regarding the nautical qualifications

The Association of Marinas and Nautical Installations of the Balearic Islands (ANADE), is of the opinion that the scope of the nautical qualifications in the royal decree approved by the central Government recently “will contribute to a renovation of the fleet and which will benefit the whole sector”.

The president of the association, Antoni Zaforteza, gives a very positive evaluation of the novelties included in the new normative, specially the ones that concern the qualification of the recreational boat skipper (PER), the most popular qualification in Spain.

From now on the holders of this qualification can maneuver vessels up to 24 m of length, while they were previously limited to 15 m. Besides, with complementary practical training, they are allowed to do crossings between the mainland and the Balearic Islands.

"Many people will get encouraged to upgrade to a bigger boat, with a subsequent boost to ports, charter, boat yards and the rest of the sector”, assures Zaforteza.

The president of ANADE emphasizes also other measures included in the new text regulating the nautical qualifications for the recreational craft, which enable a larger segment of the population to have access to yachting.

As an example, the exemption from nautical qualification to maneuver motor boats up to 5 m and sailing boats up to 6 m, always when the power of these boats´ engines doesn´t exceed  11,26 kW (15CV), and as long as the navigation takes place daytime and not further  than 2 miles from shelter.

ANADE considers that the combination of all these measures is a significant step forward in making the sector more competitive.

Complete article in  ABC.

The Balearic Islands invoice 428 million euros from the nautical sector

The Balearic Islands received ca. 444.000 nautical tourists in 2013, which represents a 20% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, these visitors spent  more than 428.000 euros and 90% of them evaluated their experience as very satisfactory, as informed by the Balearic Ministry of Tourism and Sports in conjunction with their presence at the Barcelona Boat Show, where they will stay until the 19^th of October to promote the islands as a nautical destination.

The Balearic Islands are on display for the visiting public in a stand of the community, shared  between ATB, the Tourist Foundation of Ibiza, Ports IB and IDI.

The Barcelona Boat Show attracts thousands of visitors every year, which makes it a perfect opportunity to showcase a tourist destination like the Balearics, and also the companies of the islands.

In fact, in order to promote the islands as a destination for nautical tourism, the Balearic Tourism Agency, together with the Ports IB and the Institute for  Industrial Development (IDI), which organizes the Palma Boat Show,  will be participating with their own stand at the current edition of the Barcelona Boat Show, offering various information about the Balearic Islands as a nautical destination.

Source: Diario de Náutica.

Nautical tourism up by 20% in 2013 in the Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands received ca. 444.000 nautical tourists in 2013, representing an increase by 20% compared to the previous year, informed the Balearic Tourism Agency (ATB), an entity that will be present at the Barcelona Boat Show until the 19th of October.

The nautical tourists spent in excess of 428 million euros in 2013 in the Balearic Islands and 90% of them evaluated their experience as very positive (8 or more in a scale from 0 to 10), informed the local Ministry of Tourism in their statement to the press.

ATB will participate in the Barcelona Boat Show with an aim to market the Balearic Islands as a destination for nautical tourism. They have set up their own stand, where they share space with the Tourism Foundation of Ibiza, Ports IB and IDI.

The Barcelona Boat Show attracts thousands of visitors every year and is considered an excellent opportunity for the sector to showcase their products and services.

Source: Finanzas.com

The nautical sector needs a nationwide marketing plan

To develop a nationwide marketing plan for the nautical sector with involvement of all the components of the sector: companies, professional sailors, institutions, media, administration.... is fundamental in order to create a "culture of the sea" that is so far inexistent in Spain. This is the principal conclusion drawn from a debate "The sea welcomes you", organized by ANEN during the Barcelona Boat Show, reuniting prominent figures from olympic sailing, professional sailors, journalists, entrepreneurs and representatives of the Administration.

Amongst the activities organised by the Spanish Nautical Trade Association during the 53rd Barcelona Boat Show, the debate "The sea welcomes you" marked a start of a closer cooperation between the various segments of the nautical sector to seek and support real alternatives to promote collectivisation of the sector.

"Sailing is fun" pointed out Theresa Zabell, the chairwoman of the Ecomar Foundation, in her contribution to the debate. With this message as a focal point of the communication, junior sailing programmes as much as various other activities at sailing clubs and other entities need to be developed. "This is the way to correct the perception many people in Spain have of sailing as something very expensive and complicated", stated the double olympic sailing champion.

ANEN starts to work on a future Collective Agreement for the nautical sector

A future Collective Agreement will be an essential tool for the collective bargaining and for the relationship between the employees and the employers in the nautical sector, up until now regulated by various, separate collective agreements for professionals.

In tandem with the development of the collective agreement, ANEN will also create a job exchange for the nautical sector, with an aim to promote the job offers of its associates and to help the workers of the sector find employment.

The creation of a specific collective agreement for the nautical sector in Spain is one of the pending tasks that ANEN, in its role as employers´ association, started to work on a few months ago.

Up until now, the professionals who work in the nautical sector have their relationships with the companies in the sector regulated through various non-specific collective agreements, according to the occupation they are specialized in. This results in more complicated collective bargaining than in other professional sectors, both for the employees as for the employers.

To find a solution for this situation and to progress in establishing a more professional and competitive nautical sector both in our country and in Europe, ANEN will first prepare a basic document for the negotiations between the companies and the representatives of the workers, which will  eventually get developed into the Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector.

“The most representative industrial and business sectors of the Spanish economy have their own collective agreements as necessary tool for demonstrating their professionalization and their day-to-day reality for the society and for the administration. The nautical sector should also respond to this necessity”, states Carlos Sanlorenzo, the general secretary of ANEN.

Job exchange for the nautical sector

As has happened with the collective agreement, ANEN has detected another need in the sector, and will go on to create a job exchange, so that companies and workers of the nautical sector  can have access to a platform of supply and demand of jobs, dedicated exclusively to the nautical sector.

The job exchange under development will, to begin with, contain job offers from the associate companies of ANEN, as well as applications of people looking for work or wishing to change jobs.

The new platform will be located on the website of ANEN (www.anen.es).

Source: ANEN.

The Barcelona Boat Show opens with the number of stands up 17% from last year

The Barcelona Boat Show opened the gates today with 17% more stands than last year, explained the mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, and pointed out that "the nautical activity is recovering".

Trias thanked the Fira de Barcelona for the important effort of keeping the show afloat during the hard years of crisis and for investing in it with determination.

The Barcelona Boat Show will have around 250 exhibitors presenting  650 vessels in total, 70 of which new models, 50 novelties in electronic accessories  and motors of the last generation, as well as other products and must-haves.

The show, which will remain open from today until the 19th of October, is organised by the Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Spanish Nautical Trade Association (ANEN), concentrates the exhibition and activities on the "España" and "Fusta del Port Vell" docks in Barcelona.

The president of the show, Luis Conde, highlighted the tangible optimism this year, as a result of the recreational craft registrations being up by 12,8% in Spain during the first three quarters of the year, compared to the same period last year.

Speaking with the press, Conde explained about the plans to talk with the Minister of Taxation, Cristóbal Montoro, about eliminating the matriculation tax altogether, because "it doesn´t make any sense having to pay 12% tax for buying a boat in Spain when you don´t need to do it in France or Italy".

Among the novelties presented on the show this year,  a motor cruiser Rodman Muse 44 stands out, as well as the Sunseeker 75, a superyacht that combines the design experience of the British yard with the use of new technologies.

Source: Yahoo noticias.

The nautical qualifications and the competitiveness of the sector

The fundamental objective of this new regulation is to foster the competitiveness of the nautical segment, above all when it comes to training for obtaining the qualifications, or the scope of the qualifications as such. It involves also a considerable reduction of bureaucratic procedures.

The majority of the associations have given their consent to the Royal Decree, although they regret the delay of almost a year since the announcement of the reform. Additionally, it should be taken into account that the BOE states that the new regulation comes into force in the beginning of next year, three months after the publication  (read the attached BOE).

The delay is due, amongst other issues, to a series of developments, basically of technical nature (debated between the representatives of the sector), related to the characteristics of the boats and their equipment on board, and which have led to a need to simplify the theoretical content of the training to access the recreational qualifications and to adapt them to the current situation, as well as to introduce various changes in the scope of them.

As an example, a qualification as a recreational yacht skipper (PER, the most popular nautical qualification in Spain, will allow longer distances of navigation, taking into account the acquired practical training of the skipper of each boat.

Read the complete article in Naucher Global.

Boat show in tail wind

The International Boat Show of Barcelona will be the chosen stage for the Spanish and international firms to launch their new models related to the nautical world.

Around 250 exhibitors will participate in the show, exhibiting for the first time over 70  new models among the 650 vessels in total, and presenting more than 50 electronic accessories and motors of the latest generation. The 53rd edition of the show, in a context of a recovery of the sector, will also host a variety of activities and conferences for the professionals and nautical enthusiasts.

Third year in Port Vell

Organized by the Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Spanish Nautical Trade Association (ANEN), the boat show concentrates the commercial exhibition and activities on the docks “España” and “Fusta del Port Vell”. The boats above 8 m are exhibited in the water – an initiative carried out for a third consecutive year, which without doubt has contributed to make the show more visible and spectacular, while on land the visitors can find all types of products and nautical services, apart from small boats and inflatables.

Among the novelties presented this year in Barcelona, standing out are the Rodman Muse 44, a Spanish built motor cruiser of global reference, and the Sunseeker 75, a superyacht that combines the design experience of the British yard with the use of new technologies.

The Lagoon 630 MY, a spectacular catamaran, directed to long distance sailors without sacrificing the comforts of a motor yacht, or the sailing yachts Oceanis 60, Beneteau and Dufour 560 GL which will also be a delight for the sailing enthusiasts.

The central government eases the 'lighthouse tax', benefiting the tourist but not the resident

Dashed hopes again as the Balearic nautical sector has to continue waiting to get rid  of the Tax for Aid for Navigation - commonly known as T0 or the lighthouse tax, despite demanding its elimination for years, specially after the the government increased this tax by more than 100% last year, raising the volume of protests to record high. This tax is paid by all recreational craft with a mooring in the Balearic islands, as well as by visiting yachts.

Little has it helped to have the backing of the president of the Balearic government, José Ramón Bauzá, who in the beginning of the year declared his support for the cause and who even promised to protest in Madrid. Now, eight months later, it is obvious that his complaints served for nothing, and that despite a modification of the tax in the 2015 state budget, the more than 25.000 vessels permanently moored in the Balearic Island won´t benefit from it.

The tax, which until this year was insignificant, serves a purpose in financing the loss-making Sea Rescue and Safety at Sea (SASEMAR), and the modification of which is included in the Project for the General State Budget, presented last week by the Tax Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, in the Lower House of the Parliament. More specifically in the part dedicated to the Ministry of Development of Infrastructures, although the contents of the modification are not specified.

The changes benefit above all the tourists who moor their yachts in the archipelago during their vacations, but not the residents who will not be affected by the modification. From 2015 onwards the transiting yachts pay only for the days they are moored, while up until now they had to pay for a whole month even if they stayed a shorter time, the intention being to stimulate more visiting yachts to the islands and to boost nautical tourism.

In the meantime, the residents will have to pay the tax for the whole of 2015, which means they will not benefit from the changes, according to the confirmation from the State Ports (which  functions under the Ministry of Development of Infrastructures). This has angered the Balearic nautical sector, which collectively feels that it has been ignored once again. However, the same official sources point out that until the budget has been approved, nothing is confirmed. We have to wait and see if some of the presented amendments will be successful.

Read the complete article in El Mundo.

The Royal Decree regulating the nautical qualification published in the Official State Bulletin (11.10.2014)

Last Saturday, on the 11th of October, Royal Decree 875/2014 regulating the recreational nautical qualifications was published in the Official State Bulletin (BOE). As we have been informing in the recent days from ANEN, the reform of the nautical qualifications is now a reality.

The speeding up of the application of the new regulations is also proceeding satisfactorily, as the category “exempt from qualifications” is valid immediately, and the Navigation License is valid in 20 days.

You can read the complete text published in the BOE, by clicking here.

Source: ANEN.

Royal Decree over the nautical qualifications is approved at the Council of Ministers

The beginners to yachting are to benefit greatly from the reform of the nautical qualifications. Boosting and promoting the nautical activity has been of utmost importance when developing the new normative.

There will be no need to have a qualification to maneuver motor boats up to 5 meters of length, and sailing boats up to 6 meters. This rule will be valid straight after the publication of the Royal Decree in the Official State Bulletin, which will happen in the next few days.

The Navigation License, which replaces the current license popularly known as Titulín, will be valid within 20 days from the publication of the RD in the Official State Bulletin. The other modifications that broaden the scope of the rest of the nautical qualifications and simplify the training, will be valid in three months after the publication of the RD in the Official State Bulletin, a time period required for the Royal Decree to become a Law.

According to the information ANEN has received from the Administration, apart from minimal changes the RD respects the draft presented during the II Nautical Congress. The draft text was agreed between the industry associations, the companies, the yacht clubs and marinas, nautical schools and the aficionados within the sector.

The Marina will host the third edition of the Valencia Boat show

Valencia Boat Show starts marketing the 2015 edition with the sights set on improving on the results of the edition of 2014, which had 80 exhibitors, 130 boats in total on show and 40.000 visitors.

The boat show will take place in The Marina from 16th to 19th of April 2015, organised by the Nautical Trade Union with the collaboration of the Municipal Sports Foundation and the Consortium Valencia 2007. The dates were agreed after a debate  with those involved in the sector, not only in Valencia but also in the rest of the country.

The marketing of the show is about to start with very competitive prices and a discount of 25% to those exhibitors who register before the 31st of January 2015.

Also, with an aim to attract new products to the show, the still unregistered boats in the water or less than 12 months of age can be exhibited without charge.

After only two editions, the show in Valencia has established itself in the Spanish boat show scene, becoming also a focal point of entertainment and activity for the Valencians. The show looks forward to the new edition with optimism, buoyed by the recent good results in the sector: according to the information published by the Spanish Nautical Trade Association (ANEN), the number of vessel registrations has grown by 12,80% during the first nine months of the year, while the summer season was very positive with a 16% increase in the registration during the months of June, July and August.

Additionally, new measures like the Law of Maritime Navigation, a Royal Decree concerning vessels above 24 m of length, recently approved by the Council of Ministers and the new normative for the nautical qualifications, which integrates us to the legislation in the rest of the European countries, will without doubt simulate the sector.

Read the complete article in El Periòdic.