MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Fresh Spanish assault” on Gibraltar

Gibraltar Government responded swiftly to the report in The Chronicle that Spain is mounting a fresh assault on Gibraltar's position in the European Union and is seeking the Rock's exclusion from the external borders of the EU. It emerged that Government was in the dark over this incident.

No 6 said it noted the report that on 27th November Spain registered an objection to Gibraltar's participation in a future External Frontiers Regulation.

"The Gibraltar Government has not been made aware of this, nor of any UK response. GOG is seeking clarification of the facts from HMG," said No 6. "The historical position of HMG, and the recently confirmed position of the EU Commission, is that Gibraltar cannot be excluded from any External Frontiers Regime.

"Declaring the La Linea border an external land frontier of the EU would have the effect of excluding Gibraltar from the External frontiers regime," it said.

The Gibraltar government has stressed that such an exclusion would be wholly unacceptable to Gibraltar and would be "incompatible with any expectation that Gibraltar could continue to accept the burdens of EU membership while being excluded from fundamental elements of the EU structures."

The Gibraltar Government has also said that it has warned HMG that language contained in the proposed draft new EU treaty may strengthen Spain's hand in relation to seeking Gibraltar's exclusion from external frontiers measures.

"HMG has sought to assure the Gibraltar Government that our concerns are unjustified," said No 6.

Gibraltar constitutional reform in London

Gibraltar's Constitutional Reform proposals were formally tabled with the British Government by the local Government, a Convent Place spokesman declared this Monday.

"The Chief Minister has written to the Foreign Secretary enclosing the proposals. In his covering letter the Chief Minister set out the history of how the proposals were elaborated and emphasised the inviolability of the current preamble in any Constitutional change. The next stage is to establish with HMG a process for the negotiation of the proposals which should hopefully commence during the first quarter of next year".