This summer we have good reasons to be optimistic about the future of our sector. Last month we received the news that Balearic Islands continues at the top of the national ranking of boat registrations. On top of that, the charter companies are getting busier despite being disadvantaged compared to the mainland, due to bureaucratic obstacles. Also recently the final text of the Law of the Maritime Navigation was approved in the Congress. Furthermore, AENIB proposed in a recent meeting of the Organizing Committee of the Palma Boat Show to create an area in the show dedicated to the nautical tradition of our islands, a legacy that deserves all possible support.
During the first half of the year, 367 recreational vessels have been registered on our islands, 87 more than in the same period last year. In percentages, this means an increase by 31% in year to year numbers. The Balearic Islands continues to be the region with most registrations of this type of boats, ahead of Barcelona and Cádiz. This is a tendency that will carry on in the future, as it is closely related to a national and international economic recovery with resulting benefits to the nautical sector (although – truth to be known – the recovery is slower in Spain than around us). We have to keep in mind also that the growth we are witnessing is partially due to the different legal and administrative changes we have achieved, thanks to a great effort by ANEN.
An increase of recreational nautical charter has been registered on our islands, although Alicante is the region where the largest number of charter yachts have been registered. That is no coincidence at all. Our islands are disadvantaged in a sense that companies that are dedicated to charter have to apply for a license to be able to carry out the activity. The license procedure has a cost which means that our companies are not competitive compared to the companies from the mainland. The vessels are registered in Alicante, a port closest to our islands, and afterwards used here by the clients. We believe our region would benefit if this license was eliminated, and the income would stay with our companies rather than elsewhere in Spain.
The law that will eventually become one of our main tools to drive the fiscal and administrative modernization of the recreational nautical sector – the Law of Maritime Navigation – was finally approved a few weeks ago. The law recognizes for the first time in history our sector as legally independent from the Merchant Marine. This is a success that has required an enormous effort (both human and economic) by all of us who are part of ANEN. But we can´t relax just yet though, there is still a lot to do to achieve fiscal and legal harmonization with the rest of Europe. With this in mind, we continue to fight to get rid of the Matriculation Tax for all the vessels, as we consider it counterproductive.
Referring to the matriculation tax, a reply from the Directorate General of Taxation to a binding consultation prepared by ANEN in collaboration with Miguel Angel from Garrigues Lawyers deserves a special mention. This reply clarifies a series of questions that were not clearly defined in the legislation. Thanks to this reply, which you can find further ahead in this newsletter, our sector can count on better legal certainty, for which we would like to thank the efforts of both ANEN and Mr Serra.
Few days ago we participated in another meeting of the Organizing Committee of the Palma Boat Show. In the meeting we insisted again how important it would be to dedicate a specific space in the show for the nautical tradition on our islands. This proposal figured already in the project we presented two years ago and we believe not another year should pass without realizing this plan. At AENIB we believe that the nautical sector of our islands should show solidarity towards our artisans, who in these difficult times surely can not access the show under the same conditions as we do. We should not forget either that the show is not a business as such, but a platform and the benefits it generates should be reinvested in improving it. It would be a great improvement to give an opportunity for the traditional nautical crafts to showcase their work among the visitors of the show. Our region has always been closely involved with the sea, as is fitting for an archipelago. The consecutive economic crisis´, the surge of new materials and the technological progress are endangering our old professions like for example the “mestres d´aixa”. We will continue working on this proposal so that hopefully next year we can enjoy in one space all the nautical wealth of our islands, from llaüts to superyachts.
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