Resumen de The Spanish issue
In our regulation section, meanwhile, Vasili Nicoletopoulos discusses the impact of the EU extending its reach into Spain's taxation laws. Spain remains a sovereign state, but as part of the EU it must abide by regulations that govern the wider European Community.
The geological survey of Spain (Instituto Geol--gico y Minero de Espa-a) has available a large database which highlights the mineralogy of this wide and plentiful land. According to the survey, which is supported by the state, Spain holds significant deposits of industrial minerals such as fluorspar, bentonite and potash. It also, as we now know, contains plenty of shale gas - which means there could be potential for a growth in proppants in the area. This is unlikely to be anytime soon however, as the country has already slapped a moratorium on fracking in the Cantabria region.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, Martin Lynch discusses the benefits a pigment plant would bring to Vietnam (pp 41-44). The country is ready for a titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) plant and people are even asking when one will be available, he says. It, unlike Spain, has seen a recent explosion in in GDP in monetary terms. Also in Vietnam, Dr Tran Kim Phuong discusses the various diatomite deposits across the country and shows the potential for investors wishing to exploit the rich reserves.
