The delegates of the seven Spanish free zones held a working meeting of the coordination group in which matters of importance for the economic development of these entities were discussed.
The support of the Government was represented with the presence of two ministers, the Minister of Development, José Luis Ábalos, and the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero.
The State delegate in the Cádiz Free Zone, Victoria Rodríguez, has participated in the World Congress of Free Zones, within the framework of the International Logistics Exhibition (SIL) in Barcelona. The meeting that has served to strengthen institutional contacts, analyze the keys to the future of tax precincts and study the possibilities of encouraging and promoting these spaces. In this context, Barcelona has hosted the meeting between the seven delegates of Spanish Free Zones and the Undersecretary of the Treasury, Pilar Paneque.
Delegates Victoria Rodríguez, from Cádiz, participated in the meeting; Pere Navarro, from Barcelona; David Regades, from Vigo; Gabriel Corujo, from Las Palmas; Moisés Oxala, from Tenerife; Alfredo Sanchez Monteseirín, from Seville; and Fernando Cámara, from Santander.
The meeting addressed issues of importance for the economic development of Spanish free zones, regulations and challenges, focusing on innovation in processes, digitalization of customs systems and collaboration with Port Authorities to attract foreign trade. At the meeting of delegates, it was approved that Vigo be the venue for the next coordination meeting of delegates in the month of September.
The World Congress of Free Zones and the SIL have coincided with the eDelivery fair on electronic commerce and the ALACAT congress, also on logistics. These events have served as a focus for meetings and contacts to attract potential investors and in which Cádiz has been promoted as an attractive destination due to its privileged location and great potential.
Victoria Rodríguez has expressed satisfaction with the participation of the Cádiz Free Trade Zone in the events and has highlighted that, with the celebration of the world congress of free zones, the important role of these venues, key in boosting the economy of their areas of influence and drivers of job creation and attracting investment, has become clear. The delegate explained that Barcelona has focused on the challenges that free zones face regarding issues such as energy transition, digitalization and new production systems.
All the events held in the city of Barcelona had the support of the Government represented with the participation of two of its ministers, the Minister of Development José Luis Ábalos, who officially inaugurated the SIL, and the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, who was in charge of the official opening of the World Congress of Free Zones and who stated that “Free zones have to play a fundamental role in making this technological hub attractive, but the tax system must be adapted to the 21st century for companies that until now have remained invisible and that are not included in traditional taxation.”.
The World Congress of Free Trade Zones, of great relevance for all venues of this type in the world, was held for the first time in a European capital. On previous occasions it was held in Dubai (2015 and 2016) - permanent headquarters of the World Organization of Free Zones -, in Cartagena de Indias (2017) and the last edition in 2018 was held in the United Arab Emirates.
Free zones are areas with tax exemptions and a legal nature that varies between countries and from one continent to another. In Spain, the free zones are public entities, something that does not happen in other countries and, for example, in Latin America they are all private.
It is estimated that there are 2,500 special tax treatment free zones in the world in 130 countries and that they employ some 70 million people. A third of world trade passes through these free zones and the objective now is that, in addition to being a commercial tool, they gain more and more weight as industrial enclaves for innovation.
The World Congress concluded with the dissemination of the so-called Barcelona Declaration, a document of ten proposals to improve free zones. Among the proposals included are those of betting on a more inclusive globalization, the promotion of transportation and logistics for global economic development, and international cooperation based on the capacity of the private sector to increase investment flows.