About: Spain
Spanish PM: If Europe protects us, we need to protect Europe
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stood up for a more social, feminist, greener and united Europe, in his speech on the future of the EU before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (16 January).
EU climate plan no-shows submit excuses instead
EU nations that missed an end-of-2018 deadline to submit their draft energy and climate plans to the European Commission have started to offer up their excuses for their lateness.
Catalan republicanism and European federalism
Republicanism in Catalonia is inseparable from both Catalanism and European federalism, writes Oriol Junqueras, who argues that Europe faces a crucial crossroads: on the one hand, an increasingly extreme right, and on the other, a modern European federalist left.
2019 LOOKAHEAD: New brand of social upheaval takes shape ahead of EU elections
The yellow vests in France and Belgium may be only the tip of the iceberg of a major social upheaval ahead of the European elections, with a common denominator: people protesting their worsening living standards do not want to be represented by the existing political forces.
Spanish producers go digital to shorten food supply chains
Spanish producers are increasingly taking advantage of the booming Internet and digital commerce in order to shorten the supply chain and therefore improve their profitability.
Spanish PM hardens Catalonia stance with eye on election
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Wednesday (12 December) he would stand firm against what he called "inflammatory" Catalan separatist rhetoric, hardening his stance towards the region and upping the stakes in a broader political game.
Post-Brexit Gibraltar border could become pawn between UK and Spain, says MEP Girling
Despite Theresa May's efforts to salvage her "more than imperfect Brexit deal", any serious business or government should now consider a no-deal exit as a real possibility and prepare for it, British MEP Julie Girling told EURACTIV.com.
Germany, France to add Spain to European jet fighter programme
Germany and France will welcome Spain as a full partner in their programme to develop a next-generation air combat system, and expect to sign an agreement finalising the move at the Paris Air Show in June, German government sources said on Wednesday (5 December).
China seeks allies in Spain and Portugal despite EU reservations
China, currently engaged in a trade war with the United States, is seeking to strengthen its ties with Spain and Portugal as other European Union members are trying to restrict Chinese investments.
Spain strikes last-minute deal on Gibraltar and unlocks Brexit deal
The Brexit deal is good to go. The Spanish government announced on Saturday (24 November) that it would back the deal after striking a last-minute agreement to ensure any agreement for the future relationship with the UK will not automatically apply to Gibraltar.
Katainen on Brexit: We have to take Spain’s concerns very seriously
Member states share Spain's concerns over the future relationship with Gibraltar after Brexit, Vice-President of the European Commission for Jobs, Growth, Investment & Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen told EURACTIV.com in a long interview where he addressed all the pressing challenges the EU is currently facing.
Gibraltar still a rock in the Brexit deal shoe
European Union negotiators meet on Friday (23 November) to try to clear the last Brexit hurdle before a Sunday summit is due to endorse the withdrawal deal and future ties agreement, but Spain's eleventh-hour objections over Gibraltar mean the final text could not be ready until the last minute.
Theresa May to return to Brussels before summit in bid to seal Brexit deal
Prime Minister Theresa May said she would be returning to Brussels on Saturday (24 November) to hammer out an outline of Britain's future ties with the EU after her meeting with the head of the bloc's executive on Wednesday failed to bridge the gaps.
Brexit: Gibraltar article came ‘out of nowhere,’ Spain says
Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell voiced frustration with the UK's EU withdrawal agreement on Monday (19 November), complaining that the Spanish authorities had not been briefed on the details of Article 184 of the agreement.
Spain to nix nuclear and coal power by 2030
Spain will close the last of its nuclear reactors and coal power plants before 2030, according to State Secretary for Energy José Dominguez, who made the announcement shortly after Madrid pledged to work towards a completely renewable electricity system.
Spain targets 100% renewable power by 2050
Spain’s government has published a new climate plan that targets a 100% renewable energy electricity system by 2050, with goals that outstrip those adopted by the EU and a ban on new gas and oil exploration.
Spain’s trade chief: China’s commitment to open its economy is ‘unquestionable’
Spain and China celebrate this year the 45th anniversary of their bilateral relations. In order to continue strengthening this bond, Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Madrid in the coming weeks. “We are already seeing that China is opening its markets,” Spain’s Trade chief Xiana Margarida Méndez told EURACTIV.com.
Former IMF chief to serve four years in prison over ‘black cards’ case
Former managing director of the International Monetary Fund and ex-Finance minister of Spain Rodrigo Rato entered into prison on Thursday (25 October) to serve four-and-a-half-years term over ‘black cards’ case.
Spain returns migrants to Morocco after storming of Melilla enclave
Spain sent 55 migrants back to Morocco on Monday (22 October), a day after they forced their way into the Spanish territory of Melilla during an assault on the border in which two migrants died and 19 were injured.
Brexit uncertainties haunt UK expats living in Spain
A lack of clarity in the Brexit negotiations has left many British expatriates living in Spain uncertain about just how the UK's withdrawal from the EU will affect their lives in the future, the head of the group 'Brexpats in Spain' told EURACTIV's media partner EFE in an interview Saturday (20 October).
Symbol of Barcelona hit with €36 million fine over non-existent permits
La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s most recognisable landmark and the best example of unfinished architecture in Europe has agreed to pay a hefty fine after operating without a building permit for well over a century.
Diplomatic tensions flare between Spain and Belgium over Catalan crisis
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel sought to defuse bilateral tensions at an EU summit yesterday (17 October) after Flemish and Spanish authorities traded accusations over Spain's handling of Catalonia's illegal declaration of independence and imprisonment of separatists.
Eurozone faces critical budget issue as Italy defies the rules
For the first time since post-crisis rules entered into force, all eurozone countries are to submit their draft budget plans to the European Commission, but the Commission could also make an unprecedented move itself: sending one of budgets back to where it came from, most likely, Rome.