Spain: Regulator defends free trading hours

Spanish competition regulator CNMC has issued a document addressed to Valencia’s Conselleria de Economia, where the agency advocates for allowing full freedom for businesses to set opening times, without geographic or other restrictions, as this is “the only option which is aligned with the general interest.”

The message, sent to the Director General for Commerce, Nacho Costa, states that the agency can find no justification to restrict full freedom for opening times and Sunday trading, as they cannot stand by the principles of “necessity and proportionality”. In the eyes of the commission, these restrictions “affect the freedom of choice of the consumer when doing their shopping, reduce the time available to search for and acquire products, and contribute to congestion in shopping centers.”

Valencia’s head of Commerce responded negatively to the CNMC’s memo, calling the document “a blow against Valencian’s right to self-rule”, accusing the Commission of trying to confuse the public by pretending to have authority over the setting of trading hours, which are powers exclusive to the Autonomous Community’s local governments.

Full Content: ABC

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