Vathelp

SPAIN has approved an etension to a raft of measures that were put in place to help combat the cost-of-living crisis. A reduction in VAT (iva) on food and discounts on public transport, for example, were due to come to an end on June 30. But these will now continue to be applied in the second half of the year at a cost of €3.8 billion.

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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

Flags of shame

SPAIN’S natural beauty is legendary. Just take a look at our special travel article on the Costa de la Luz this edition.

The historic Cadiz coast gives a unique glimpse into an older way of life while the laid-back lifestyle is a draw for those who want to escape the hordes of northern Europeans this summer.

But - and this is a message the Olive Press has long hammered home through our ‘Hands off our Costas’ campaign - the authorities should be careful not to ruin the very surroundings that attract people in the first place. It’s all well and good trumpeting our beaches with Blue Flags in a bid to woo the tourists.

The honours handed out by the European Union are a good way to galvanise our town halls into cleaning up their act and being rewarded for success.

But we believe it is far more important to pick up on the far more shocking cases that still shame Spain.

So hats off to green group, Ecologistas en Accion for handing out their 48 unwelcome Black Flag awards each year.

The plight of the Mar Menor is infamous around the world, although not many know that Javea’s emblematic Arenal beach has been a continual black spot for some years now.

The dreaded black flags are designed to shame politicians into cleaning up pollution, protecting the environment and curbing further development.

Many of us expect it in the big resorts, but when this excellent pressure group highlights the final unspoiled stretches of our coastline, such as around Tarifa or in Orihuela, it’s time to really take note.

The Olive Press has long stood shoulder to shoulder with the ecologists in opposing the plans at Cala Mosca (and long called out Javea town hall over Arenal)... and we say this again:

Enough is enough - protect our last stretches of virgin coastline from overdevelopment before they are all lost under a sea of concrete!

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Alberto Lejarraga alberto@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN Victoria Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 273 575 admin@theolivepress.es

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