Spain is one of the leading European countries on the production of fruits and vegetables. Spain ranks as the first country for the production of pumpkins, growing 115,000 tonnes a year. Those who want to open a company in Spain in the agricultural industry should know that the country was the first European country on the production of fruits at the level of 2016, providing 33% of the total European production. Our team of Spanish lawyers can assist with legal advice on the business permits required for this business activity. 

The Spanish government has signed a new legislation concerning the tax system applicable to natural persons who work as self-employed, which will protect the interests of this category of businessmen. The regulations are presented in the General State Budget 2019 and they aim at creating a fairer system concerning the contributions of self-employed persons to the tax system in Spain.  

The field of automation of industrial production is highly developed in Spain, which is one of the leading European destinations regarding this business activity. More importantly, the country has one of the highest rates in terms of using robots in the manufacturing sector, as stated by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and our team of Spanish lawyers can provide in-depth legal assistance on the requirements for operating in this industry. 

The region of Andalucia will benefit from a new investment project carried out in the field of tourism, which aims at developing its less visited areas. The investment project has a total value of EUR 10 million, allocated in two tranches with a value of EUR 4.75 million. The municipalities located in the inland Andalucia will also receive grants of EUR 60,000, provided that they have less than 10,000 residents. Our team of lawyers in Spain can assist businessmen with advice on the grants available for businesses operating in this industry. 

The tourism industry in Spain became the largest employer of the country, accounting for 2.65 million employees. Out of the total employment market in the tourism sector, 2.17 million are represented by waged employees, while the rest are represented by private contractors. Our team of Spanish lawyers can offer in-depth assistance on the main employment regulations and the employment contracts available in this country to businessmen who want to start a company here. 

Businesses in Spain operating as small and medium sized companies (SMEs) can benefit from a wide range of programs designed by the National Innovation Enterprise (ENISA). Such financing programs are created to sustain different types of corporate needs, in order to assist businesses in expanding their activities on the local market. Our team of lawyers in Spain can offer legal advice on the applications required for each of the programs mentioned below. 

Spain is one of the countries with the highest rate of development in the field of renewable energy. The sector is sustained by the local government through several programs, addressed to both local and foreign investors. The programs are available under the Renewable Energies Action Plan (PANER) for 2011-2020, the latest plan to sustain the growth of renewable energy activities in Spain. Our team of Spanish lawyers can provide in-depth information on the programs that are designed for foreign investors. 

As Spain was affected by the economic crisis that hit European countries a few years ago, the local government created a set of policies to sustain the development of the employment market. In the last two years, the Spanish employment market marked a relevant expansion and there was observed an increase in the number of full-time contacts. Amongst the numerous employment policies available in Spain, one addresses to the employment of vocational employees, under the Royal Decree 395/2007. Our team of Spanish lawyers can advise on the incentives available under this program, as well as on other incentives, mentioned below. 

Businessmen who are seeking to invest in Spain in the renewable energy sector have to know that the country stands out as the most important market in Europe for this activity. From the energy market in Spain, the most developed sub-sector is represented by the renewable sources of energy, an industry in which the country is a world leader. Our team of lawyers in Spain can offer legal assistance on the main rules of law that regulate the activity of businesses providing renewable sources of energy. 

Spain is the world’s leading economy for the production of olive oil, as it has the largest crop of olive trees. From the total crop of olive trees (more than 750 million trees), 95% are located in the Mediterranean region. Out of these, more than 350 million can be found in Spain, which is the main country for the production of olive oil (approximately half of the entire production derives from this country). 

Following the beginning of the economic crisis that hit the European countries, Spain struggled with high levels of unemployment. However, in the last years, the policies on this matter have provided solid results, and the employment rate is increasing at a steady rate. More importantly, certain Spanish regions, such as Mallorca, hit record employment levels. In this particular case, the employment rate is higher than the rate registered before the economic crisis, reaching a historic number of employees, a situation that has not been yet achieved by other regions of the country. 

Starting with 1st of July 2018, carrier bags will be charged by all shops operating in Spain. Prior to the new regulation, supermarkets registered in Spain already imposed the payment of a small fee per each bag, but not all retailers had to do so. As a general rule, the carrier bags are usually imposed with a fee of approximately 2 eurocents for small bags, while a charge of approximately 10 cents is imposed in the case of larger bags. Our team of Spanish lawyers can advise businessmen on the environmental regulations that are available for all types of retailers performing business activities in this country. 

A new investment project, with a total value of EUR 8 billion, is currently discussed by the Spanish authorities, who are verifying the feasibility of the project. The investment, which refers to the construction of an underwater tunnel, will connect Spain and Africa through the Strait of Gibraltar. The project will be the first of this kind, being the first underwater tunnel that will connect the two continents and, if the authorities will find a suitable construction method to buit this tunnel, it will have a lenght of 38 km. Our team of Spanish lawyers can advise businessmen on the regulations referring to the construction sector in Spain. 

All traders in Spain will soon be required to provide card payment solutions for any purchase concluded in Spain which has a value of more than EUR 30. This will be imposed under a new rule of law created by the Spanish authorities, following a European directive on this matter – PSD2, which refers to payment services. Our team of lawyers in Spain can advise on the new proposed rule of law.  

A new ferry route was established between Spain and Ireland, connecting the cities of Cork (in Ireland) and Santander (in Spain). The ferry that will deliver the services has a capacity of 500 passengers and it can also transport approximately 200 vehicles. One of the main advantages deriving from this new transportation activity refers to the fact that haulage companies can directly transport goods between Ireland and Spain. Our team of Spanish lawyers can assist foreign investors on the regulations concerning the transport of goods by sea. 

The Spanish luxury products market will double its value by 2025, when it is expected to have a total value of EUR 20 billion. More importantly, this segment is growing in Spain twice as fast compared to the global average and businesses operating in this sector can increase their activities by entering the Spanish market.

The Spanish Tax Agency released its 2018 tax compliance and customs control plan. It includes the main tax control and enforcement measures for the current year and it focuses on key issues such as campaigns for tax compliance information and assistance and the investigation of high-risk taxpayers. Our team of attorneys in Spain can provide complete information about the requirements set forth by the Tax Agency.

The investments in digital startups registered in Spain increased by 45% at the level of 2017, with Barcelona and Madrid standing out as some of the top locations at a European level for digital talent. The total amount of investments in this sector reached EUR 779,3 billion and, compared to 2016, Spain registered 3,258 startup companies, which represented an increase of 20%. Our team of Spanish lawyers can advise local and foreign businessmen on the incentives available for companies registered in this industry and may also advise on the registration procedures available in this case. 

The Spanish economy has been increasing in the last years and more and more macroeconomic indicators are yielding positive results. The market is more stable and the international credit rating agency Standard&Poor’s (S&P) has recently modified the country’s credit rating, from “BBB+” to “A-” on account of economic and budgetary performance. Those who want to set up a business in Spain should know that the recent issues concerning the Catalan region did not have a negative impact on the country’s overall economic growth. Our team of Spanish lawyers can advise foreign businessmen on a suitable region in which they can invest, depending on the operations they want to set up here.

The ICT and automotive are highly developed fields of activity in Spain and also important contributors to the Spanish gross domestic product (GDP). The automotive sector in Spain accounts for 10% of the GDP, while the ICT represented at the level of 2016, 4.2% of the total GDP. Those who want to set up a company in Spain in one of these business sector should know that the country represents an attractive market for both industries. For instance, Spain is the second largest automotive manufacturer at a European level and the 8th at a global level. Our team of lawyers in Spain can offer advice on the regulations addressing to the ICT and automotive sectors. 

As bitcoin activities are increasing across the world, Spain, as well as other top investment destinations for cryptocurrency investments, is preparing a legal framework that can protect the interests of all the parties involved in this activity. The Spanish authorities are currently creating a legal framework that will provide advantageous tax regulations for the investors operating in the cryptocurrency sector, and the legislation may completed during 2018. Our team of lawyers in Spain can advise on how to start a business operating in the cryptocurrency sector and may assist investors in launching initial coin offerings in this country. 

Spain’s economy grew by 0.7% in the final quarter of 2017, compared to the previous one. The data was released by the Spanish Statistical Office and it confirms that the overall economic situation in the country is one that has a positive evolution. Our team of lawyers in Spain can help foreign investors interested in entering the Spanish market who want to leverage on the economic boost. 

The property market recovery began in Spain in 2012-2013. Since then, the prices for real estate properties started to increase and, beginning with March 2014, the National Institute of Statistics in Spain (INE) registered steady increases for each month up until this moment. Businessmen interested in investing in the real estate sector must know that the highest rate of purchases was recorded in the regions of Balearics and Almeria. 

According to a recently released ruling, the Spanish Supreme Court changed the traditional requirements for physical presence and intention of the resident for personal income tax purposes. Our team of lawyers in Spain discusses these changes and can help you in all tax residency related matters.