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Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Spain proposes bans on concert ticket scalping, fuel advertising
Spanish Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda Pablo Bustinduy addresses a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting held at Moncloa Presidential Palace in Madrid, Spain, July 1, 2025. PHOTO: EPA MADRID - Spain's government on July 1 unveiled a draft bill aimed at promoting sustainable consumption and reducing prices, which would ban practices such as reselling concert tickets for profit and advertising fossil fuels, or cars powered by them. 'This government's objective is to encourage industry's transition towards more accessible and sustainable models, thereby lowering prices for consumers and also making decisive progress in environmental protection,' Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told reporters. The bill would also ban 'advertising based on fear' of crime or natural disasters, and would stop companies from making false or misleading claims about their environmental credentials, a practice known as greenwashing. Ads for most domestic flights will also be prohibited as the government pushes for travellers to use electric-powered trains. The bill will need approval from parliament, where the government of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is in a minority since winning another term in a vote in late 2023. The government has struggled to get enough parliamentary support in the lower house to pass a series of bills and has not yet presented a budget for this year and next. Bustinduy, who belongs to the far-left junior coalition partner Sumar, has launched campaigns against businesses such as budget airlines and tourism summer rentals, with mixed results. A court last week suspended fines of 179 million euros (S$268.7 million) imposed by his ministry on low-cost carriers for charging for cabin baggage. Some of the rental listings his ministry had ordered to be withdrawn from platforms such as Airbnb in May are still being advertised. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Spain proposes bans on concert ticket scalping, fuel advertising
MADRID, July 1 (Reuters) - Spain's government on Tuesday unveiled a draft bill aimed at promoting sustainable consumption and reducing prices, which would ban practices such as reselling concert tickets for profit and advertising fossil fuels, or cars powered by them. "This government's objective is to encourage industry's transition towards more accessible and sustainable models, thereby lowering prices for consumers and also making decisive progress in environmental protection," Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told reporters. The bill would also ban "advertising based on fear" of crime or natural disasters, and would stop companies from making false or misleading claims about their environmental credentials, a practice known as greenwashing. Ads for most domestic flights will also be prohibited as the government pushes for travellers to use electric-powered trains. The bill will need approval from parliament, where the government of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is in a minority since winning another term in a vote in late 2023. The government has struggled to get enough parliamentary support in the lower house to pass a series of bills and has not yet presented a budget for this year and next. Bustinduy, who belongs to the far-left junior coalition partner Sumar, has launched campaigns against businesses such as budget airlines and tourism summer rentals, with mixed results. A court last week suspended fines of 179 million euros ($211.13 million) imposed by his ministry on low-cost carriers for charging for cabin baggage. Some of the rental listings his ministry had ordered to be withdrawn from platforms such as Airbnb (ABNB.O), opens new tab in May are still being advertised. ($1 = 0.8478 euros)
DW
24-06-2025
- Business
- DW
NATO members agree to 5% defense spending increase
NATO members agreed on Sunday to increase defense spending to 5% of their countries' GDP, a benchmark long sought by President Donald Trump, who had complained more vocally than other US presidents that his country had shouldered much of Europe's security for too long. Spain had sought to block the measure, but ultimately dropped its opposition after a deal was reached for it to be exempt. It is expected that NATO members will vote in favor of ramping up defense spending to 5% during the upcoming two-day NATO meeting set to start Tuesday in The Hague. Once adopted, all member nations except Spain will have until 2035 to reach the goal of 5%. The agreement calls for at least 3.5% of national GDP to be spent on core military needs, while an additional 1.5% can be allocated for related expenditures. Spain claims exemption Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez fought the deal. In a blistering letter to NATO chief Mark Rutte, Sanchez said the 5% figure "would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive." Sanchez went further during a national address on Spanish television. "A 5% spending would be disproportionate and unnecessary," he said. "We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, but we are not going to do it," he said, adding that Spain could meet all its commitments to NATO, in terms of staff or equipment, by spending only 2.1% of its GDP. Of all of NATO's members, Spain has been one of the lowest-spending on defense in relative terms. Sanchez has also been facing political pressure at home, where a corruption scandal threatens his government. Sanchez's junior coalition partner, the far-left alliance Sumar, is openly hostile to increasing military spending.
The Sun
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Spain publishes NATO letter to back spending exemption claim
MADRID: Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has insisted Madrid will not have to ramp up defence spending at the same rate as other NATO countries, publishing a letter from the alliance chief ostensibly confirming as much. Sanchez said Sunday that Spain would not need to hit the headline figure of five percent of GDP demanded by US President Donald Trump, setting up a potential clash at a two-day NATO summit starting on Tuesday in The Hague. NATO diplomats have disputed Madrid's view that it was granted an exception. But Sanchez backed up his claim by posting on X a letter from NATO chief Mark Rutte dated June 22. 'I can hereby confirm that the agreement at the upcoming NATO Summit will give Spain the flexibility to determine its own sovereign path for reaching the Capability Target goal and the annual resources necessary as a share of GDP, and to submit its own annual plans,' the text read. 'In addition, the trajectory and balance of spending under this plan will be reviewed in 2029'. Under a deal greenlit by NATO's 32 countries Sunday, allies promise to reach 3.5 percent on core military needs over the next decade, and spend 1.5 percent on a looser category of 'defence-related' expenditures such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. The pledge is seen as key both to satisfying Trump -- who has threatened not to protect allies spending too little -- and helping NATO build up the forces it needs to deter Russia. A NATO diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity Monday said there was 'no opt-out for any ally', Spain included. Rutte's letter only underscored that NATO members have the right to determine how they'll deliver on their pledge, the diplomat told AFP. 'It affirms that Allies chart their own course for making good on their commitments,' the diplomat added. Sanchez posted Rutte's letter online on Sunday in response to a post by centre-right opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who had accused him of 'propaganda'. 'Here you go, Alberto. Ask someone to translate it for you. See if that clears up your doubts', Sanchez wrote. According to the centre-left leader, each NATO member needed to invest different sums to meet their military capability targets, with the military estimating that 2.1 percent would suffice for Spain. Spain has been one of the lowest-spending NATO countries on defence in relative terms. The country is only set to hit the alliance's current target of two percent this year after a 10-billion-euro ($11.5 billion) injection. Sanchez is facing a difficult balancing act of aligning with NATO allies and cajoling his junior coalition partner, the far-left alliance Sumar, which is hostile to increasing military spending.
Daily Tribune
23-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Spain Claims Exemption After NATO Agrees 5% Spending Deal
NATO yesterday signed off on a pledge to ramp up defence spending ahead of its summit next week, but Spanish Premier Pedro Sánchez insisted Madrid would not need to hit the headline figure of five percent of GDP. US President Donald Trump has been pressuring allies to commit to that target when they meet for the two-day summit starting on Tuesday in The Hague. Spain had been the last holdout on a compromise deal that sees allies promise to reach 3.5 percent on core military needs over the next decade, and spend 1.5 percent on a looser category of 'defence-related' expenditures such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. Multiple diplomats at NATO said the agreement had gone through with the approval of all 32 nations, and that there was no exemption for Madrid. But within minutes, Sánchez came out saying he had struck an accord with NATO that would see his country keep respecting its commitments ' without having to raise our defence spending to five percent of gross domestic product.' The claim from Madrid came after Sánchez on Thursday threw a last-minute grenade into preparations for the gathering in the Netherlands by taking a strong stand against the agreement. In a blistering letter to NATO chief Mark Rutte, Sánchez said that committing to a headline figure of five percent of GDP ' would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive.' The outburst from Madrid's centre-left leader sparked fury from other NATO members, who feared it could derail the carefully crafted compromise. The pledge is seen as key to satisfying Trump, who has long accused allies of not spending enough, and central to helping NATO build up the forces it needs to deter Russia. After several days of wrangling involving Sánchez and Rutte, officials said Spain on Sunday signed off on the pledge. Diplomats said that language around the spending pledge in the summit's final declaration had been slightly softened from 'we commit' to 'allies commit'. But they said the fundamentals of the deal remained intact. Spain has been one of the lowest-spending NATO countries on defence in relative terms. The country is only set to hit the alliance's current target of two percent this year after a 10-billion-euro ($11.5 billion) injection. Sánchez is facing a difficult balancing act of aligning with NATO allies while cajoling his junior coalition partner, the far-left alliance Sumar, which is hostile to increasing military spending.
