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
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