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.