MADRID WEEKLY ECON/AG/COMMERCIAL UPDATE REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MADRID 000246 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/WE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID EAIR ECON EFIN ENRG ETRD TBIO SP EINV, UK SUBJECT: MADRID WEEKLY ECON/AG/COMMERCIAL UPDATE REPORT MADRID 00000246 001.2 OF 003 EFIN: Economic forecast EAGR, BEXP:Help for U.S. citrus market EAID: Spain Puts its Foreign Assistance Money Where its Mouth Is ECON: Unemployment at an all time low EIND: Spanish companies make it to the top 20 list EIND: Spain top 5 destination for tourists ETRD: Fruit basket reviews with new fruit and vegetable reform ECIN: DCM GOS State Secretary for Infrastructure and Planning meeting ENRG: Gas Natural Withdraws Takeover Bid for Endesa Finance Minister sees Spanish Economy through rose colored glasses ¶1. (U) Finance Minister Solbes lays out a mostly rosy scenario for Spanish economy and says Spain does not share the same economic vulnerabilities as the U.S.: While speaking to a packed 1/24/07 Europa Press event, Solbes was mostly upbeat but acknowledged that Spain needs to improve its productivity in the medium-term, i.e. especially after the March 2008 elections (Note: elections would have to be called by then. There is speculation that elections will be earlier. End note.). He asserted that Spain was doing that through structural reforms and investments in R&D, education and infrastructure. In response to a question, the Minister was emphatic in positing that Spain is not taking the same economic risks as the U.S. despite Spain's running a current account deficit of about 9 percent of GDP. Why? First, Spain is running a budget surplus of almost 1.5 percent of GDP. Second, Spain is part of a monetary union, i.e. the value of the euro is only minimally affected by Spanish economic performance whereas the value of the dollar is very much affected by the twin deficits the U.S. is running. Third, Spain is investing about 30 percent of GDP, which will improve Spanish productivity. Solbes noted that Spanish saving accounts for about 22 percent of this investment the current account deficit is a reflection of borrowing to cover the rest. (Comment: Solbes enjoys great credibility, and he has presided over a period of expansion. He can take pride in several legislative accomplishments, although many analysts believe their cumulative impact on the economy will be only modestly beneficial. A 1/24/07 editorial in the government leaning El Pais commenting on a recent OECD report reiterates that Spain needs to improve productivity by selective and efficient investments in R&D, education and infrastructure within an overall context of fiscal restraint. Solbes would say he is doing just that. The question is whether he is doing enough of this and whether there will be timely positive results.) Clementine export may rescue California Citrus market ¶2. (U) While California citrus producers just experienced one of the worst freezes in history, possibly destroying up to 70 percent of their citrus production, Spanish citrus producers are threatening to leave 400,000 tons of citrus fruit un-harvested this year, because it will cost them more to harvest the fruit than they can expect to realize on the local market. ¶3. (U) Is there a market-bridge between the two opposing situations? Exceptionally warm winter weather in Spain may be partially to blame for the current low Clementine prices, because the crop has ripened at a quicker-than normal pace forcing a glut onto the market. Because Clementines, in an advanced stage of maturation, are too delicate to export, it is next to impossible that any of the remaining crop could be exported to the United States to help overcome the apparent U.S. shortage. However, in the case of oranges, which are a later (than Clementines) maturing fruit, Spain does have the potential to increase exports to the United States. Spain and the United States have an agreed pre-clearance inspection program, so the basis for increased exports is in place. Spain Puts its Foreign Assistance Money Where its Mouth Is ¶4. (U) The Spanish cabinet announced January 26 that Spanish official development assistance in 2007 would total 4.29 billion euros, which will equal 0.42 percent of Spain's GNP. 3.7 billion euros of the 4.29 will come from central government funds, with the remaining to be provided by Spain's regions (468 million euros) and cities/municipalities (119 million euros). The cabinet said that Spain's official development assistance had three main objectives: (1) increase funding to provide basic social services; (2) MADRID 00000246 002.2 OF 003 increase coordination between Spain and other donors; and, (3) increase Spain's cooperation with multilateral assistance organizations. Regarding the first objective, Spanish funds would be targeted on the following types of programs: anti-hunger, clean water, basic education, basic health, reproductive and sexual health, and marginalized and/or vulnerable communities. The second objective is designed to implement the Paris Declaration's call for greater coordination among donors. The third objective is part of Spain's Millenium Development Goals commitment to increase funding of multilateral assistance organizations. As a result of the third objective, Spanish assistance to multilateral organizations will increase by 30.5 percent (2007 over 2006). Part of this 2007 commitment is the 528 million euros that Spain recently promised to UNDP for Millenium Development Goals implementation. According to the cabinet, the Zapatero Government's substantial increases in Spanish foreign assistance budgets will mean that Spain will provide more development assistance in the three year period of 2005-07 than the previous government provided in the seven year period of 1997-2003. Zapatero is also on record committing Spain to provide 0.5 percent of GNP in foreign assistance by the 2008 end of the current legislature. Unemployment at an all time low ¶5. (U) Employment at Historic High: The "Active Population Survey" released numbers on 1/27/07 showing that over 20 million Spaniards are gainfully employed and unemployment, at 8.3%, is at a historic low. About a third of Spaniards work with short-term contracts, which in Spain is considered negative. The government introduced reforms last year to encourage more long-term contracts (which makes it harder to fire),but so far the results have been modest. By U.S. standards, 8.3% is high, but for Spain this is a good number as it represents a downward trend. Women and immigrants have been the main takers of new jobs. The employment numbers are particularly noteworthy given the high amount of immigration to Spain in recent years. The survey authors do not think the unemployment rate can go down much more, presumably because of Spain's rigid labor laws for those with long-term contracts. (El Pais, 1/27/07) Spanish companies make it to the top 20 list ¶6. (U) Seven Spanish Companies among the top 20 Infrastructure Operators in the World: They are ACS Dragados (2),Ferrovial Cintra (3),Sacyr Vallehermosa (4),FCC (5), Abertis (6),OHL (9),Acciona (12),Caja Madrid (19). There is only one American firm in the top 20: Bechtel in position ¶20. This reflects Spanish firms enormous success in taking advantage of Spain's construction boom and then competing overseas. The Spanish firms are especially good at building and operating toll roads. Airport management is also a specialty. (El Pais, 1/28/07) Tourism in Spain ¶7. (U) Spain the Number Two Tourist Destination in the World: In 2006, Spain received 58.4 million tourists, surpassed only by France with 77 million visitors. Spain was also the second largest recipient of revenues from tourism after the U.S. The UN World Tourism Organization believes there is still some margin for growth in Spain despite environmental problems along Spain's Mediterranean coast. (Expansion, 1/30/07) Fruit and Vegetable Reform causes a fruit salad response ¶8. (U) Spanish reaction to the European Commission's (EC) newly proposed reform of its fruit and vegetable policy is mixed. If enacted, the reform would shift the currently-allocated 480 million Euros in production and trade-distorting subsidies to a less trade-distorting single farm payment (SFP),and increase funding for producer organization' (PO) marketing programs. Reportedly, Spanish fruit and vegetable farmers could then produce for the market rather than Government policies. Spain's Ministry of Agriculture agreed with the proposed increase in PO funding, but appears skeptical about distributing the remaining funds through the SFP. Spain's principal POs and export federations rejected the proposal, because, they argue, it would destabilize their markets without alleviating current distribution and import-competition problems. DCM GOS State Secretary for Infrastructure and Planning MADRID 00000246 003.2 OF 003 meeting ¶9. (U) DCM Hugo Llorens and Commercial Counselor called on GOS State Secretary for Infrastructure and Planning Victor Morlan on January 29. Morlan, the number two in the Ministry of Development (Fomento),outlined the Zapatero Government's fifteen year Strategic Infrastructures and Transport Plan (PEIT - according to the Spanish acronym) which calls for a total of Euro 250 billion in spending for road, rail, air, port, urban, and intermodal transportation investment. Half of the total is planned for the rail sector with high speed rail going from the existing 1200 kilometers of high speed rail line to 10,000. The DCM noted USG work in port and maritime security with the MegaPort and Container Security Initiatives. Embof explained in detail how U.S. construction and engineering companies perceive the Spanish public infrastructure market to be closed to non-Spanish firms. We are not aware of any major government infrastructure contracts awarded to outside firms over the past ten years, for example. While no formal, legal barriers exist, American and European construction firms see the market as closed and can't justify the resources to compete in upcoming tenders. We contrasted this with the success of Spanish companies in the U.S. public infrastructure market and also American engineering companies willingness to compete for private infrastructure contracts in Spain (e.g. LNG regasification plants, oil refineries, etc.) State Secretary Morlan readily agreed that there should be reciprocal market access. There was agreement that, absent legal barriers and given the historic perception (and experience) of a closed Spanish market, a practical solution would be for major Spanish infrastructure firms to invite qualified American companies to work with them in Spain. Gas Natural Withdraws Takeover Bid for Endesa ¶10. (U) Spanish utility Gas Natural announced on February 1 that it will withdraw its takeover bid for Endesa, Spain's largest utility, leaving Germany's E. On to proceed with its rival offer. Gas Natural entered the bidding war in September 2005, with an offer that valued Endesa at approximately 24 billion euro (31.3 billion USD). In February 2006, E.On launched the first of several counterbids and later raised its offer to 36.5 billion euro (47.5 billion USD). Gas Natural Deputy Chairman Antonio Brufau announced in January 2007 that the firm would be unable to raise its bid levels to match E. On's offer. Further, the Gas Natural states that its chances of gaining control of Endesa were hurt by opposition amongst Endesa's board members. As such, Gas Natural plans to seek compensation for damages incurred during the bidding war. E. On is likely to raise its offer once more to avoid any attempts by Endesa's largest shareholder, Acciona S.A., to block the deal. Acciona is a Madrid-based construction and renewable energy conglomerate that has made its opposition to a foreign takeover widely known. E. On claims that Acciona has previously tried to form a bloc of Spanish shareholders to prevent the takeover. ¶11. Notable/recent cables of interest: Telefonica's view of Latin America (Madrid 194),Terrorism Implementing Regulations (Madrid 183),and Section 1377 Telecom Review (Madrid 171). Aguirre