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Dear All
We all know of somebody affected by the scandal of the property market in Spain, please do your bit and send an email to the appropriate dept but before you do, please forword this message to all your contacts and ask them to do the same.
What is currently happening?
Marta is now a member of the Petitions Committee in the European Parliament and has met some of you, either at her Brussels office or at the Soha march in Malaga. However, her focus remains to get the question of the Spanish property abuses debated in the plenary of the Parliament because the Petitions Committee does not have the power to request or impose any action. For this, we need help from all of you.
What can I do?
We need all nationalities concerned to write to their MEPs, and report back to me, as soon as possible. The window for debate in Parliament is not so wide, and we need to act fast: a large cross-party support is what this cause needs.
The steps are:
1.Find out who your MEPs are: see link below by country of origin.
2. Email as many as possible, in your own name (see document attached) . There is no need to contact the EFD members (Europe of Freedom and Democracy ), they are Marta's group and already support you. I have provided a short text for simplicity. You may add to it, but keep in mind that some may not read beyond a few lines.
3 Please write back to me with the names of the MEPs you contacted – please start the email subject with “MEP”. We will use this information in Parliament.
The largest group, by nationality, in alphabetical order are:
Belgique:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=BE&language=FR
Danmark:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=DK&language=DA
Deutschland:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=DE&language=DE
España:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=ES&language=ES
France:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=FR&language=FR
Nederland:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=NL&language=NL
Österreich:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=AT&language=DE
Sverige:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=SE&language=sv
United Kingdom:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do?country=GB&language=EN
For all other nationalities, please find your MEPs following this link:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry.do?language=EN
A suggested text to send is:attached to this email.
Thank you all for taking the time to contact your MEPs - we must show a strong and organised face to Europe.
Best wishes of success,
Matthieu Laloux laloux@gmail.com
Assistant to Marta Andreasen, MEP
Letter below , Please copy & paste and either email or send to your MEP....
Dear Mr / Ms **,
You may be aware of the situation affecting over 250,000 home owners in Spain. The Spanish authorities are threatening the lawful owners with demolition of their houses without compensation, or are imposing extortionate financial penalties . These judicial orders have been given under an arbitrary cancellation of building permits or a retroactive application of the law.
This issue is widely reported in the European press (simply enter “Spanish property scandal/abuse” in a search engine), yet the Spanish government is dismissing those claims as a mere infringement of building regulations by wealthy foreigners. This is not true: the families affected are mostly ordinary Spanish citizens, and retired foreigners, who are facing ruin and are being denied their most basic human right of a shelter and peaceful existence. These people are fighting their cases through the local courts, but are not being given justice. Their suffering is real. I am one of these people.
We are asking you to support a motion for an urgent debate about the Spanish property abuses in the plenary session of the European Parliament and seize the opportunity of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union to solve the issue.
Yours Sincerely,
(Your name & address)
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Maggy we too received this and presumably you alter the text of the standardised letter to suit your own legal circumstance if you are not one of those threatened by demolition but are suffering nevertheless from other issues identified within the Spanish Property Scandal petition, is that correct?
This message was last edited by ads on 31/03/2010.
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Hi Ads,
Yes that is how I also read but the message is KEEP IT SIMPLE best to keep to maybe just 10 bullet points otherwise they will not be read. The more people we send this email to the better as there are many many people in Spain who are in dire straights that the UK government and Spanish government know nothing about. This will definately let them know everybody intends to stand together but do it quick because as I read it, Marta's office intend to start debating this very very soon so the more cases that come to light the more power she will have to present the case for action.
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Thanks Maggy.
Will do.
Fingers crossed that we get as many as possible to respond in time.
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Just posted one off to Micheal Cashman, will be sending to other MEPs as well. Thanks for your assistance, much appreciated.
_______________________
Love cooking vegan, enjoy discussions and debates, reading and skiing.
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Me too. I have just forwarded this as an email to everybody I know regardless of whether they themselves are affected and that is upwards of 100 people, I don't have a facebook account but if anybody does it might be a good idea to put it on that as well! Well done for the info.
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Just emailed 52 MEPs twice. Once for me and once for my husband!
I've also emailed a fellow victim from the same development who has kept in close contact. The others seem to have given up!
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You got my support
 To everyone 
This message was last edited by Candyfloss on 01/04/2010.
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For those who are going to write to MEP's following Maggy's update posted below on 31st March, please can you make reference to the court delays that are significantly compromising the administration of justice in Spain. It's essential that we get this message across to the powers that be.
Thanks.
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Here is the latest from Marta's office:
Dear friends,
Your email campaign against the Spanish Land Grab was a success; all the British, Belgian, Dutch, German, Irish and Spanish MEPs were contacted and received in some cases, several hundred emails. Many of them responded positively, told you that they sympathised, that they attended a committee, spoke to Zapatero, but almost all of them fell short of saying they would support an outright resolution in Parliament.
The Auken Report was adopted by the European Parliament in March 2009, and its recommendation has been ignored by Spain - a year on. Without a credible threat, Spain will not address the problem. I have vowed to block EU funds to the Spain - and the only means to achieve this, is a parliamentary resolution.
I now ask, that you write to your MEPs, tell them to listen to the people, go beyond traditional politics and cross party lines, and ask them to support a resolution in the European Parliament. No other measure will do - Any other answer is just an attempt to drown this issue. I will seek a vote in the forthcoming parliamentary session to achieve this.
Yours sincerely,
Marta Andreasen
Member of the European Parliament for South East England
marta.andreasen-office@europarl.europa.eu
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Please see the latest info from Andrew Kinsman, assistant to Marta Andreasen and send your reply to:
marta.andreasen-office@europarl.europa.eu
Add your problems to the list of the many, many thousands that are currently being collated by this good lady's office.
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I am Accredited Parliamentary Assistant to Marta Andreasen MEP. I am currently updating and extending our database on the Spanish property question. I would be grateful if you could supply the following information by return of this e-mail.
Please feel free not to supply any or all of it as you see fit.
1) Name(s)
2) Postal address
3) Contact telephone number
4) Nationality
5) Position in relation to campaign
(e.g. homeowner/victim; activist; supporter; journalist; lawyer; other-please specify)
6) Location of property involved, if any (town/village and province)
7) Nature of problem
(e.g. Ley de Costas/demolition; bankrupt builder; corruption in local/central government; fraud; other-please specify)
8) Dates/timescale (approximate if necessary)
9) Are you aware of any involvement of European Union funding in any of your difficulties. If so please give details.
Thank you for your assistance
With best regards,
Andrew Kinsman
00 32 2 284 7726
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Maggy
We have had a place in Spain for some years now, although, our main residence is still in the UK. We had thought of moving to Spain when I retired, but experience has taught us that it’s not a place where we want to be on a permanent basis. Unfortunately if we sold in Spain at the moment (and the foreseeable future) we would have to forgo maybe 75% of the money we paid out just to get a sale, so it has become our holiday home.
When we first purchased we voiced our concern over the “land grab” laws and were told that they were to be repealed under pressure from the EU. What did they do? Simply changed a few words and carried on as before. At one point I did write to my local MP’s and MEP’s and received little more than platitudes for my trouble. The consensus was “we can’t interfere with domestic Spanish issues”. Stupid me, I thought we were all EU citizens! I can now understand why most British want nothing to do with the EU.
An example that I see every time I go to Spain is that of recyclable waste. In the UK, we are regulated to the hilt. Forced to put out our recycling every other week and woe betide us if we accidentally put a window envelope in the recycling bag as we could be fined up to £1,000 for the heinous crime. For all that we still struggle to achieve a recycling rate of 35%. At the end of our road in Spain, there is a single bank for recycling plastic, which looks like it has not been emptied in years and locals seem quite happy to chuck any waste in the ordinary rubbish bin. Yet Spain boasts a recycling efficiency of 62%! Who are they kidding? It’s a lie, yet the EU seems quite happy to pat the Spanish authorities on the head and say “have another new motorway” ‘cos you are such good boys. Typical!
I wish you all luck with your protests, but fear you will get nowhere. In terms of corruption the EU is little better than Spain and as long as the Spanish authorities tell them what they want to hear, they will do nothing.
Mike
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That's interesting Xetog and thanks Maggy.
Jo public (from EU nations) need to make them all accountable and it's only through people power and pro-active efforts (rather than bemoaning and doing little to follow through) that we will ever make them do so. From little acorns grow and all that........... so I still say make your mark within the petition process and in the interim keep the message LARGE......... don't let the cynics or those with hidden agendas put us off the mission to MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND REFORM.
This message was last edited by ads on 30/05/2010.
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xetog
I think you are about right but I also feel like ads that we have to keep pushing for change because the alternative is for the rot to get even deeper!. Can anyone involved with the costa's really be happy with the current situation?
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ads / goodstich44,
I am grateful for your comments (no, I really am!), you have both given me cause to perhaps think about the problem in greater depth. We are about to go to Spain for a month and I will give the matter a great deal of consideration whilst I am away. I am retired now, but spent some time in the Middle East in my profession and was surprised by what seemed to me the most distateful corruption on the part of almost everyone who had even the smallest degree of power. Everyone was a Sheik, a Prince or brother of one, they always wanted their cut, agreed with you to your face and then did whatever best served their interests. They had complete contempt for my sense of truth and justice, but it was the way they survived. Needless to say, I have avoided the area ever since.
When we first purchased in Spain, I was staggered to find much the same system in operation. No concern for the weak and vulnerable and an official approval of corruption in its broadest sense. I had always thought of the Spanish way as honerable and morally heroic (think El Cid/ Don Quixote). They are a noble race of empire builders, architects, artists and have many other attributes. Their language is elegant and next to English is the widest spoken in the world (I exclude Chinese because it has little influence outside its own country). I was enchanted by naive idea of living in a nation that spawned so many great masters of intellect, poetry and sophistication, so you can imagine my surprise to find that we who invested in the country were treated with such distain by everyone who has any sort of authority at all.
However, I have found from experience that the EU, set up to extol what I can only describe as Northern European values operates on much the same basis. Yes there have been attempts to condemn Spain for its excesses, but no serious penalties have been applied, in fact the official position seems to be "ignore it and it will go away". That's why I think petitioning is a waste of time, they can pass a resolution, tuck it away in a drawer and turn their back whan the rule is ignored. The only thing of any importance seems to be that the EU should not collapse and any excess will be countenanced to prevent that. It's a pity that the UK negotiators haven't cottoned on to that, although don't get me started on our own Government.
I could write a book (perhaps I should), but I find it difficult to contain my revulsion at the complete lack of moral fibre in the organisation of the EU. Really the only way I can see at present is to threaten the very roots of the system, but how to do it, I have yet to work it out. I would be very pleased to hear of any suggestions. Meanwhile I will do as you suggest and write.
Mike
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Thank you for your eloquent reply xetog (perhaps you should write that book  ) but please everyone who is directly affected don't give up on the need to add to the Spanish Property Scandal petition, and also write with details (as per Maggy's posting below) to
marta.andreasen-office@europarl.europa.eu
I completely understand your frustration at the lack of moral fibre in the EU, but we need to keep up the pressure no matter how frustrating it becomes. It's difficult to know just how bad things have to get before the EU will be forced to take action, but Marta Andreasen is a strong lady who sounds more than willing and able to highlight the injustice and is hoping to capitalise given Zapatero's current position within the EU.
It's imperative that everyone who has fallen foul of the Spanish system highlights their specific situation, and equally for those who feel strongly that these injustices need to be addressed, then support can be demonstrated by writing to as many MEP's as possible asking that they support the parliamentary motion to block EU funds to Spain until such time as justice/compensation is fairly administered.
No longer must innocent people be victimised in this way and used as political pawns, nor should significant court delays be allowed to compromise so many people who have won successful legal judgements only to find that in the interim developer abuse (asset stripping) prevents them from receiving rightful return of thier monies as per the judgements.
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I have just returned the questionnaire to Maggie that was posted by Andrew Kinsman on 29 May. Will post this information on another two forums that I follw and will also write to my MEP later today.
Coordinated unilateral action!
Chris
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Dear Xetog and all,
yes you should write the book, I will look forward to it, great post.
Here in Canterbury we have just had a developer found guilty of corruption but his co-defendant let off, he was a Herne Bay Councillor with the main plank of his defence "that he could not govern planning decisions alone".
With the result that who the guilty man or men corrupted are as yet unknown, but of course we all know where they work in CANTERBURY CITY COUNCIL.
The question is how do you help the police and identify these people since there is bound to be more than one?
The guilty parties will of course close ranks and hide as best possible and the police wont act without clear evidence.
Being an enlightened council we have a "HEAD OF DEMOCRACY" unfortunately he is the old "HEAD OF LEGAL SERVICES" and very much entrenched with little thought of real or actual democracy, and certainly scant regard for the ordinary citizen or victim.
As I understand it also, we now have a new leader who admires, respects and describes as "honourable" a known multi-millionaire homosexual thief, who stole our money to give to his sexual partner. What an admirable act to use the poor tax-paying widow's mite to elevate the position of his "friend" whilst keeping his millions to himself.
There is charity for you, the unfortunate widow may not accept it for herself but his friend will be forever grateful, no doubt.
To make Techno's point it doesn't all happen in Spain.
Regards
Norman
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N. Sands
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normansands.
Thank you for your kind remarks, however, before someone accuses us of going "off piste" may I say that my comments were not exclusive to Spain since corruption appears to universal these days. I will say that moral turpitude of all sorts is just as prevalent in the UK as anywhere, if not more so, but at least I feel more able to cope with it here.
If I may be allowed a little aphorism of my own making: Give excessive power to a little man and he will use it excessively. To me, this just about sums up the rot in the UK these days. If I may paraphrase the words of someone much wiser than I "Officials begin as our servants and then think themselves our masters". I read just today that we are giving drug addicted convicts £15,000's worth of treatment each in an attempt to cure their (self imposed) addiction totalling £110,000,000 per year. How crazy is that! But apparently, it is their human right. Just imagine if your loved one were dying from cancer and needed £15,000's worth of treatment. If the NHS said there were insufficient funds no-one would give a damn about their human rights.
We are so screwed by the Human Rights Act in this country that every pasty liberal screams in defence of minorities and ensures that any rights of the majority are forgotten. It is responsible for everything from identity cards to PC jobsworthies prowling the streets waiting to fine a man who dropped a £10 note by accident with littering. This country is a disgrace to its people and its own history and I do not have the words to express the contempt and disgust I feel for the politicians who have let this happen to us, but here I can at least kid myself that I may be able to do something about it.
There, I have had my say (or part of it) and I will now gracefully retire from this thread in order that its real purpose may be reinstated. I would urge everyone to write to their MEP and at least make the attempt to right the injustices heaped upon many of our compatriots.
Mike
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