Has anyone any experience? Someone just told me you have to have a paid membership - that doesn't ring any bells with the kind of requirements of a Registered Charity in the UK (I know we're not in the UK, btw...just drawing a comparison) ... Any ideas what precise EU guidelines might be adhered to or used in Spain?

whilst this isn't the UK as you say, surely if you start writing up using the UK guidelines you will have got most of the work done and then only have to refine it for "local" requirements ? ?

does http://www.andalucia.com/living/charities.htm
help in any way ??

I don't know exactly what you're planning to do, nor how your spanish is, but there's info online if you look:

eg http://www.consumer.es/web/es/solida.../02/140233.php

or http://www.elmundo.es/sudinero/noticias/act-14-3.html

or loads more by searching online

There appears to be no organisation in Spain similar to the Charity Commision in the UK. The two Spanish extracts refer to NGO's or ONGs which are not strictly charities. In the UK it is possible to see annual accounts, Directors renumerations and also what proportion of any monies raised actually goes to the charity and is not swallowed up in administration. As far as I am aware (and I have made a number of enquiries over a number of years) the only requirement seems to be to have a NIF number which is relevant to tax. There certainly doesn't seem to be any oversight of charities as there have been a number of quite high profile cases over the years of either fraud or people using a charity as a means of income.

If you don't think the ONG rules are what applies to you, have a look for setting up an Asociación or Organización benéfica.

Thanks all... as per several of my enquiries re animals, this isn't me actually doing it but a result of hearing people say things which didn't ring right IF it were according to typical UK charity regs. So all the links might prove really useful.
And Rachel unfortunately I don't know exactly how carefully those at the sharp end have yet searched/googled... so I'll try to find out!