MADRID WEEKLY ECON/AG/COMMERCIAL UPDATE REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 000692 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR/WE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP EAGR EAIR ECON EFIN EIND ETRD TBIO SP EINV, UK SUBJECT: MADRID WEEKLY ECON/AG/COMMERCIAL UPDATE REPORT MADRID 00000692 001.2 OF 002 EINV: Spain seeking larger IMF quota ECON/EINV: Projected growth for Spain up by 3.6% BEXP/TBIO/BTIO: U.S. Biotechnology corn exports down EIND: Residential Realestate finally slowing down? EINV/ELAB: US companies among top 10 best places to work MINISTER SOLBES TRAVELING TO U.S. IN HOPES OF AN IMF INCREASE ¶1. (U) Finance Minister Solbes, Central Bank Chief Ordonez and Secretary of State for Economy Vergara traveling to Washington this weekend to campaign for bigger IMF Quota: Spain's IMF quota share is 1.41%, below Belgium's 2.13%. The Spaniards are aware that China, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and Brazil will probably get bigger quotas this year; Spain intends to argue for an increase with the hope of getting it in the fall of 2008. (Comment: Increasing Spain's IMF quota has been a GOS interest for some time.) (Expansion, April 12, 2007) IMF FORECASTS 3.6% GROWTH FOR SPAIN IN 2007 AND 3.4% GROWTH IN 2008 ¶2. (U) This compares with a projected Eurozone average growth rate of 2.3% in 2007 and 2.3% in 2008. The U.S. is projected to grow at 2.2% in 2007 and 2.8% in 2008. (Comment: This basically tracks with other forecasts and will probably mean the legislative elections in Spain, which must be held by March next year at the latest, will mostly be fought over issues other than economics.) (El Pais, April 12, 2007) BUT: Relatively Low Investment in Training/Education (including receptivity to foreign students)/Research must eventually lead to lower growth: The following numbers are illustrative of the challenge Spain faces. Investment in Increase in number Levels of Number of Research as of university Permanent foreign % of GDP graduates Training students 2005-2015 in 2004 in % SPAIN 3% 32% decrease 40 2% EUROZONE 4% Increase in 50 France, many EU nations Germany, UK 10-13% U.S. 7% 12% increase 22% There is a lot of talk about upgrading skills and technology in Spain, but the country is still below the Eurozone average �0A;and way below the U.S. averages. (El Pais, April 12, 2007) FRANCE VS. U.S. FOR BIOTECH CORN MARKET ¶2. (U) U.S. seed corn producers/exporters appear to be losing their ability to export to Spain, the rest of Europe, and to other countries as well. Reportedly, a decisive factor propelling biotechnology seed production and import decisions is concern about the potential for adventitious genetic material in U.S.- produced seed, and its associated liabilities. According to data from the Global Trade Atlas, world-wide U.S. seed corn exports have declined from 200,000 tons in 2002 to 50,000 tons in 2006. Reportedly, one of the biotechnology seed producing companies that services the Spanish market is moving/has moved its biotechnology seed production (for seed used in Spain and likely for the rest of Europe) from the United States to France, because their clients are wary of seed produced in the United States due to a perceived greater risk of adventitious genetic material presence from non-European approved biotechnology seed corn. COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT UP AS RESIDENTIAL SHOWS SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN ¶3. (U) Companies such as Savills PLC, Immobiliaria Chamartin (Morgan Stanley Real Estate owns 16% of the firm), Barcelona-based Immobiliaria Colonial S.A., Grupo Inmocaral and others report increasing their exposure in the commercial real estate sector. Last year, Spain built around 818,000 homes, compared with roughly 213,000 in the UK (Britain has 60.6 million people; Spain has about 44 million inhabitants). Clearly, this pace of residential construction cannot continue indefinitely. The OECD reports that homes could be 20%-30% overvalued. Spain's homeownership rate is 85%, compared with 71% in the UK, 68% in France, 43% in Germany and 69% in the U.S. Observers are not forecasting a hard landing for the residential housing market (yet) but MADRID 00000692 002.2 OF 002 certainly a slowdown. (Comment: As long as growth in Spain is relatively high, focusing on the commercial real estate market makes sense. Spanish real estate firms will probably also try to hedge risk by expanding overseas.) (Wall Street Journal, April 11, 2007) IS YOUR COMPANY AMONG THE BEST PLACES TO WORK? ¶4. (U) For the fifth consecutive year "Great Place to Work Institute" has conducted a survey of 130,000 workers from 200 companies asking them to rank their bosses, workplace, and companions in search of the top 30 best companies to work for in Spain. American businesses are among the top ten (listed in ranking order): Microsoft, Lilly (Pharmaceuticals), Danone, Procter & Gamble, American Express, Bankinter, Masterfoods Espana, Roche (Pharmaceuticals),McDonald's, and Novartis (Pharmaceuticals). ¶5. (U) The most valued traits in a working environment are Respect, Confidence, Pride, Equality, Justice, Camaraderie, and Benefits. The survey results indicate 71% of workers say they are treated with respect; 74% enjoy their boss's confidence; 76% are proud of their work; 87% feel that they receive equality in the workplace; 68% of the workers say that everyone is treated justly no matter what position they hold in the company; 75% enjoy the camaraderie of coworkers additionally 86% enjoy an open door policy with their superiors. Strangely only 6 out of 10 employees put significant value on special benefits such as parking, day care facilities, or massage services located inside their place of work. (20 minutos, April 10, 2007) Aguirre