In our Spanish news on this Wednesday, 2.5-million-euro embezzlement trial scheduled to begin, Spanish imports of fruits and vegetables have grown by 64% in the last decade, and workplace data protection complaints increase by 35%. Plus, we will have IVA figures and details about beer sales!

Spanish News Headlines

The Seville Court has scheduled the trial to begin from today for the alleged embezzlement of some 2.5 million euro in the compensation board of Sector F of Almensilla, a case in which the former treasurer of the entity Julio Mateos Palacios, the former socialist councillor and former president of the compensation board Ismael Antonio Perea, the attorney of a law firm and the manager of a company have alleged involvement. It was in the spring of 2021, when the Investigative Court number one of Coria del Río agreed to open an oral trial against the former treasurer of the compensation board of Sector F, Julio Mateos Palacios; Ismael Perea as former president of the entity; Juan Carlos Navarro as representative of the law firm in charge of legal advice to the compensation board and Manuel López Sequera as manager of a company that supplies the entity. The Spanish import of fresh fruits and vegetables has registered strong growth in the last decade. Specifically, it has gone from 2.5 million tons to 4.1 million tons, 64% more. This increase has occurred both in the purchase of products from outside Europe, with 110% more, totalling 2.13 million tons, and that from European countries, which grew by 33% to reach 1.98 million of tons. In the case of non-EU imports, it has gone from 1.01 million tons in 2014 to 2.13 million tons in 2023, while imports from Europe, focused mainly on EU countries, have gone from 1.48 million tons to 1.98 million tons. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has published its 2023 Annual Report, which shows a significant increase in sanctions against businesses for failing to comply with the regulations. Especially in Commerce, Hospitality and Transportation. Inspection procedures and penalties for businesses for breaching data protection grew significantly last year. This was shown in the 2023 Annual Report recently published by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), which shows a notable increase in cases of non-compliance in the workplace. And, especially, in the Commerce, Hospitality and Transportation sectors. To read these articles in full, visit SpainToday.news

Business, Markets and Statistics

On Wednesday, we will know the Ifo survey in April in Germany, whose data will reflect the business confidence of the leading European power, in a context in which activity seems to show the first signs of recovery. The Annual stats on Freedom of Information Act requests are published in the UK, and we will also have the quarterly housebuilding data. The UN Security Council is due to be briefed the UN’s coordinator for humanitarian aid to Gaza today. Back in Spain, we will see IVA figures published, and information about beer sales and consumption, not that the two are necessarily related.