90 Day Rule

Yes, earlier this year, Spain applied to the EU to be allowed to be exempt from the 90 in 180 day rule - as the government clearly recognises that it is already seeing reduced holiday home purchases from Brits; some are selling up and leaving; and, overall, their economy and tax income (IVA, property purchase tax, IBI, etc.) will suffer. 

Personally, I don't think this will be granted, as the EU want all member states to follow the same rules and if they grant an exemption from one rule to Spain on this, then they could open the floodgates to other member states seeking exemption from other rules that they don't individually like. However, whilst this is an EU-wide rule, Spain could make it's own bilateral agreement with the UK or just issue an informal directive to border staff to just not enforce the rules...

I don't think that simply instructing their own border staff not to enforce the rule would work, Set foot in another EU country and fines or bans from entering the EU could still be applied by those countries.  Also, the new ETIAS sceme when it is introduced is likely to take away any chance of discretion being used by a single country. It will be a case of "computer says no" to anyone who has previously overstayed.

This is just wishful thinking...it is an EU rule and applies to the whole Schengen area, not just Spain.

And of course, the whole subject only came up in the press once the UK had voted to leave the EU. There are plenty of citizens of non-EU countries living in Spain and who have never questioned the rule. Back to the old "Britain is superior and still rules the world" cr*p!

I don't think it unreasonable to hope for reciprocity, that is all is asked for.