MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar waters dispute “caught the UK government asleep at the wheel”

For three times British Foreign Secretary David Miliband did not reply

Graham Watson, South West England and Gibraltar’s Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament vowed to hold Britain to account over the Gibraltar waters controversy with Spain, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Mr Watson was reacting after the European Commission made clear that the UK had not objected to Spain listing Gibraltar waters as a Spanish EU nature site. The Commission approved Spain’s application after consulting EU member states, but in doing so it ignored the fact that Madrid had no jurisdiction in Gibraltar waters, which are British.

The move was seen as a threat to British sovereignty of the waters and prompted the Gibraltar Government, backed by Britain, to legal action to reverse the decision. Mr Watson wrote to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband three times asking for an explanation on why Britain did not intervene at an earlier stage, but he has yet to receive a response.

“The British Government was asleep at the wheel with this one,” Mr Watson said.

“They have let Gibraltar down through sheer idleness and created yet another legal conflict.”

“This is simply not good enough and I will not let the matter drop”. Mr Watson claimed the move placed conservation of the protected site under threat.

The designation provides legal obligations and responsibilities over specified waters, including responsibilities to undertake assessments and to monitor these areas for wildlife, threats and other activities with environmental implications.

But the fact that Gibraltar waters are now listed as both a British and a Spanish protected site means it is unclear how measures would be put in place and the area policed, the MEP suggested.

Earlier this week a Spanish opposition MP said the later Spanish designation should take precedence over the earlier British one.

“This decision makes no sense,” Mr Watson said of Spain’s designation. “The area in question is part of the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, and this looks like yet another attempt to bully the Rock’s government”.

“It is completely unacceptable for the Spanish government to act in this underhand way”, he emphasized.