Skip to content

Where are you from?

Choose your province and we will tell you how the deputies and senators you elected vote, one by one.

 

We remember it in this browser. If you create an account, we keep it there.
Sign in

Type a law, a topic, a person or a province.

What it is

Price cuts and more competition across several sectors

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a royal decree-law. It was introduced on 19 April 1999. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Royal Decree-Law 6/1999, of April 16, on urgent measures for liberalization and increased competition.

Follow

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 130/000068· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The fees of notaries and property registrars drop by 25% for mortgage-backed loans and home sales, and also for company filings before mercantile registrars. The fees of trade brokers change from fixed to maximum rates.
  2. Any citizen of the European Union holding a Pilot title and license can become the Commander of a civil aircraft in Spain, on equal terms with Spaniards.
  3. For gas, the consumption threshold to qualify as an eligible consumer is lowered and the market is fully liberalized from 2008. The exclusivity period for natural gas distributors is also shortened, with a maximum of ten years.
  4. For electricity, low-voltage rates for household consumers drop by an additional 1.5%, and from July 1, 2000 all supplies above 1,000 volts qualify as eligible consumers.
  5. In telecommunications, prices fall for fixed-to-mobile calls, monthly line subscription fees, and provincial, interprovincial and international calls. Measures are also requested to boost competition in the mobile phone market.
  6. Toll rates on toll highways are cut by 7%, with compensation to the concession holders for lost revenue. In addition, the margin for pharmaceutical warehouses is set at 9.6%, and the control of company mergers is tightened, with mandatory notification above certain thresholds.

Who it affects

  • People taking out a mortgage or buying a home: They will pay lower notary and registrar fees.
  • Household electricity consumers and fixed and mobile phone users: Rate and price cuts apply to them.
  • Toll highway users: The toll drops by 7%.
  • Companies planning mergers or acquisitions: They must notify the deal if it exceeds certain thresholds and can be fined if they fail to do so.
  • Pilots from other European Union countries: They can hold the position of aircraft Commander in Spain.

Words worth knowing

Arancel
Official fee charged by notaries, registrars and other professionals for their services.
Consumidor cualificado (eligible consumer)
A gas or electricity consumer who can freely choose their supplier because they exceed a consumption level set by law.
Concentración de empresas (company merger)
A deal in which two or more companies merge or one takes control of another.
Fedatario público (public notary-type official)
A professional with public faith, such as a notary, who officially certifies acts and contracts.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced19 April 1999Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted20 April 1999The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendmentsno dateGroups propose changes.
  4. Committeeno dateA committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenary20 April 1999All 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senateno dateThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEno dateIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 4 official steps on a timeline
Apr 199911. 19 April 1999: Presentación22. 20 April 1999: Calificación33. 20 April 1999: Pleno Aprobación desde 20/04/1999 hasta 29/04/199944. 29 April 1999: Concluido - (Convalidado) desde 29/04/1999 hasta 10/05/1999

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

Published in the BOE: Royal Decree-Law 6/1999, of April 16, on Urgent Measures for Liberalization and Increase of Competition.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

Read the full method · Report an error