At the 20th January meeting in Seville, Ramón Contreras Ramos, who is the director of international relations from Andalusia’s most widely represented business organisation the Andalusian Confederation of Businessmen and Women CEA, gave the Estonian business delegation an overview of the economy in Spain's 2nd biggest region and CEA’s successful activity as social partner resulting in several agreements that have improved the economic growth and employment in the region.
Newsletter The Factory will give you a summary of Ramón Contreras Ramose’s speech about the autonomous region of Andalusia and the organisation of local entrepreneurs CEA.
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Spanish theatre system unique in Europe
The Factory interviews Kristiina Reidolv, managing director of the Association of Performing Arts Institutions
What could Estonia learn from Spain?
The biggest plus is Spain’s differentiated VAT system which puts culture in a favourable position. Estonia abandoned its VAT incentives to performing arts institutions raising it from 5% to 20%, regardless of the protest from numerous institutions, and we are already experiencing the consequences. The Ministry of Culture promised VAT compensation, which was available in 2009 at about 50%, but there are no compensation figures written into 2010 state budget.
There is also a very successful system of private and project-based theatres in Spain, which are less developed in Estonia. It must be said though that in these times of economic depression many Estonian performers who are either freelancing or unemployed are organising themselves and creating new initiatives in the form of project theatres.
Over and above our sector it would be useful for Estonia to study the pros and cons of transferring to the euro, which is something that Spain could definitely help us with. For instance, in performing arts it transpired that adopting the euro in Spain was very beneficial for signing contracts with foreign performers.
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Special thanks to organisers and supporters!
The Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organisations (CEOE) with its regional member associations in Andalusia (CEA) and Catalonia (Foment) were of great help preparing and hosting the trip. The Employers’ Confederation would like to thank the CEOE’s representative in Brussels
José Isaias Rodriguez and his most helpful colleagues in Madrid head quarters, in regional member associations in Seville, Andalusia (CEA) and in Barcelona, Catalonia (Foment), who all contributed to the success of the visit. We are also grateful for the opportunity to meet the industry and trade chambers in these regions.
The Confederation would also like to thank the Estonian ambassador in the Kingdom of Spain
Toomas Kahur, economic adviser
Kirsti Anipai-Peinar and the embassy’s secretary Pille Rojo, whose professional efforts resulted in a fruitful trip. Our thanks go also to the Estonian honorary consuls
Fernando Franco Fernandez in Seville, Andalusia and
Josep Lluis Roveira in Barcelona, Catalonia.
Many thanks to the Spanish ambassador in Estonia,
Eduardo Ibáñez López-Dóriga, who met the delegation shortly before the trip and gave them an overview of Spain’s economy and its priorities as one of the EU's presiding countries.
See press release of the meeting >>The field trip delegation would in turn like to thank all the organisers and background facilitators!
