https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spain's budget deficit fell below the European Union's limit of 3.0 percent of economic output last year for the first time in over a decade, the government said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20190330/spains-public-deficit-meets-eu-limit-for-first-time-in-over-a-decade Sat, 30 Mar 2019 13:24:52 +0100 spains-public-deficit-meets-eu-limit-for-first-time-in-over-a-decade The European Commission said Tuesday that Spain's 2017 budget was "broadly" in line with EU deficit rules but the government should be ready to take more remedial action if needed. https://www.thelocal.es/20170118/spain-broadly-passes-budget-test-eu-says-but-could-do-better Wed, 18 Jan 2017 12:47:48 +0100 spain-broadly-passes-budget-test-eu-says-but-could-do-better The International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised up its prediction for Spanish growth on Tuesday but warned "structural weaknesses persist," particularly in the form of sky-high unemployment. https://www.thelocal.es/20161214/imf-urges-spain-to-raise-vat-cut-spending-and-push-labour-reform Wed, 14 Dec 2016 10:14:04 +0100 imf-urges-spain-to-raise-vat-cut-spending-and-push-labour-reform Spain has laid out its budget plans, pledging to drop its deficit below a EU-stipulated three-percent limit after several failed attempts while also tackling unemployment. https://www.thelocal.es/20161205/spain-raises-tax-on-fags-booze-and-sugar-drinks-in-pledge-to-meet-eu-deficit-target Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:19:57 +0100 spain-raises-tax-on-fags-booze-and-sugar-drinks-in-pledge-to-meet-eu-deficit-target Spain's economy minister on Wednesday upped growth forecasts for this year and the next, in a sign that a 10-month political impasse had limited effect on the economy. https://www.thelocal.es/20161117/no-government-was-no-problem-spains-economy-still-on-the-up Thu, 17 Nov 2016 10:38:24 +0100 no-government-was-no-problem-spains-economy-still-on-the-up Spain's two biggest unions said on Thursday that they "firmly opposed" measures demanded by Brussels to reduce the public deficit and demanded a hike in the minimum wage. https://www.thelocal.es/20161110/spanish-unions-reject-budget-adjustment-demanded-by-eu Thu, 10 Nov 2016 15:57:14 +0100 spanish-unions-reject-budget-adjustment-demanded-by-eu Spanish lawmakers approved on Thursday measures to reduce the public deficit and keep it under the target agreed with the European Union. https://www.thelocal.es/20161021/spain-approves-deficit-reduction-measures Fri, 21 Oct 2016 11:50:32 +0200 spain-approves-deficit-reduction-measures The finance ministry said it informed the European Commission that it provisionally forecast its budget deficit at 3.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from a previous 3.1 percent target. https://www.thelocal.es/20161017/spain-admits-it-will-miss-budget-deficit-targets Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:15:53 +0200 spain-admits-it-will-miss-budget-deficit-targets EU member states let Spain and Portugal off the hook on Tuesday, deciding against fines for their repeated breach of budget deficit rules meant to bolster growth and the public finances. https://www.thelocal.es/20160809/spain-is-officially-off-the-hook-over-eu-budget-deficit-breach Tue, 09 Aug 2016 13:54:29 +0200 spain-is-officially-off-the-hook-over-eu-budget-deficit-breach The European Commission on Wednesday backed away from slapping fines on Spain and Portugal for running high deficits, in what would have been a landmark move by the EU to impose tough budget rules. https://www.thelocal.es/20160727/spain-escapes-fine-from-eu-over-excessive-deficit Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:30:12 +0200 spain-escapes-fine-from-eu-over-excessive-deficit Spain's acting Economy Minister Luis de Guindos on Tuesday proposed hiking corporate taxes to avoid a fine from the European Commission for repeatedly failing to bring government deficits into line. https://www.thelocal.es/20160713/spain-proposes-tax-hike-to-dodge-eu-deficit-fine Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:47:17 +0200 spain-proposes-tax-hike-to-dodge-eu-deficit-fine Eurozone finance ministers agreed Tuesday to officially begin a sanctions procedure against Spain and Portugal for doing too little to fix their rule-breaking deficits. https://www.thelocal.es/20160712/eurozone-slams-spain-on-excessive-deficits Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:24:29 +0200 eurozone-slams-spain-on-excessive-deficits The European Commission on Thursday officially declared Spain and Portugal in violation of the EU rules on government overspending, the first step towards unprecedented penalties against members of the 28-country bloc. https://www.thelocal.es/20160707/its-official-spain-broke-eu-spending-rules-in-2015 Thu, 07 Jul 2016 18:14:26 +0200 its-official-spain-broke-eu-spending-rules-in-2015 Germany's EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said in a newspaper interview on Monday that Spain and Portugal should be fined by Brussels for missing their 2015 deficit targets. https://www.thelocal.es/20160704/spain-should-be-fined-over-deficit-says-eu-commissioner Mon, 04 Jul 2016 14:45:56 +0200 spain-should-be-fined-over-deficit-says-eu-commissioner Spain's public debt rose above 100 percent in the first quarter to its highest level in 20 years, the central bank said Wednesday as Madrid faces an EU sanctions threat for public overspending. https://www.thelocal.es/20160615/spains-public-debt-surpasses-100-in-20-year-high Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:26:26 +0200 spains-public-debt-surpasses-100-in-20-year-high Spain and Portugal, in the EU's spotlight for failing to meet deficit targets, won a reprieve on Wednesday as Brussels delayed a decision to slap fines on the rule-breakers until July. https://www.thelocal.es/20160519/spain-and-portugal-win-eu-reprieve-on-deficits Thu, 19 May 2016 11:05:44 +0200 spain-and-portugal-win-eu-reprieve-on-deficits Spain has raised its public deficit target this year from 2.8 percent of GDP to 3.6 percent, the economy ministry said Tuesday, meaning it will once again overshoot the limit demanded by Brussels. https://www.thelocal.es/20160419/spain-to-overshoot-public-deficit-target-again Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:50:50 +0200 spain-to-overshoot-public-deficit-target-again Spain's acting Budget Minister Cristobal Montoro on Thursday revised the country's 2015 public deficit down slightly to take into account new technical criteria. https://www.thelocal.es/20160407/spains-budget-deficit-isnt-as-bad-as-we-thought Thu, 07 Apr 2016 17:10:33 +0200 spains-budget-deficit-isnt-as-bad-as-we-thought Spain posted a public deficit of 5.16 percent of economic output in 2015, Budget Minister Cristobal Montoro said on Thursday, the eighth consecutive year the country has overshot its fiscal target. https://www.thelocal.es/20160331/spain-overshoots-public-deficit-target-for-2015 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:17:13 +0200 spain-overshoots-public-deficit-target-for-2015 Spain's government on Tuesday vowed the country would meet its targets for lowering the deficit of its recovering public finances, in the face of scepticism from EU authorities. https://www.thelocal.es/20151013/spain-confident-it-can-meet-deficit-targets-in-face-of-eu-doubts Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:21:00 +0200 spain-confident-it-can-meet-deficit-targets-in-face-of-eu-doubts