The Praised New Omnibus Act for Businesses is “Business as Usual”
It will certainly sound perplexing for many, especially when thinking on Spain’s internationally infamous bureaucracy, but as from the beginning of 2010 someone willing to open a business in Spain will not be required to obtain a license but only to apply for it. Although the procedure sounds “too good to be true” it is indeed the case, but not thanks to Zapatero but to a EU Directive known as the Bolkenstein Directive which has now been implemented.
Anyone who has been involved with opening a business will know that this legislation change is providing a legal framework to something which was de facto being done, that is, start running a business without having the permit which, in some Town Halls, was taking up to 12 months to grant. The problem us lawyers had with this was telling a client that yes, it was not a problem to open it whilst “mañana” Town Hall officials reviewed the papers and decided, after innumerable trips to the businesses department with fully stamped certificates from until-then-unknown technicians, to grant the bloody thing. Because although the above system was in practice, any unfriendly neighbour could call the local police to complain that a place was running without a license, and that automatically merited a visit and a fine (some of up to €1,200).
The Omnibus Act, as it is called, has replaced the requirement of having to apply for a business opening license with a Declaration of Responsibility, where the business owner needs only to assemble the paperwork and the technical certificates required and submit them to the Town Hall, followed by a statement confirming that the applicant has complied with the requirements undertaking to maintain these throughout the duration of the activity.
But as usual the Act has a trap: the exemption of having to apply for a license leaves out all the activities which fall under the Environment Management Act which includes, inter alia, guns & ammunitions factories (thank God for that!), mineral extraction quarries, open air cattle, hog and livestock wholesaling, F1 circuits and many other unimaginable businesses, but also (and this is the trap) pubs, bars, restaurants, butchers, fishmongers, kebab corner shops and many other joints so popular in the Spanish coasts. So as far as we are concerned the new Act will pass by and large unnoticed.