MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish toll on Gibraltar traffic reaches the European Commission

Ashley Fox, Gibraltar’s Tory MEP

The controversy over a Spanish town Mayor proposal for a toll on traffic to neighbouring Gibraltar has reached the European Union. Ashley Fox, Gibraltar’s Tory MEP, has asked the European Commission to state whether the proposal would breach EU rules on freedom of movement.

This is one of two questions on the issue that the MEP has tabled before the European Parliament. Mr Fox described how Alejandro Sánchez, the “current” Popular Party mayor of La Linea, is proposing to tax people – “with the exception of Spanish workers” - crossing the border between Gibraltar and Spain.

“Would the Commission not agree that this is a clear breach of the principle of free movement of labour throughout the EU and that the mayor should abandon such an illegal action?” he asked.

“Can the Commission indicate what steps it intends to take, if the mayor presses ahead with the proposal, in order to ensure that EU internal borders remain open to all and free of harassment?”

The questions were tabled on September 6 for written answer. The Commission has yet to respond. In any event, there were signs this weekend that Sr Sánchez was seeking to defuse the row sparked by his plan.

Although the mayor continued to defend the toll – he describes it as a ‘congestion charge’ – he said he was open to dialogue with Madrid and Gibraltar to explore alternative ways of generating income for his cash-strapped town.

“We have never intended that the charge should be damaging to workers, to the people of Gibraltar or anybody else,” he said at the weekend. It was a legitimate claim “after years of abandon,” he added.

The change in attitude in La Linea was welcomed by José Carracao, the PSOE senator in Cádiz, who said he would convey the message to the central government in Madrid.
“Gibraltar is not a problem for La Linea, it is an opportunity that we should know how to make the best of,” he said, adding that Madrid had always been open to dialogue.
Sr Carracao also said that La Linea’s town council must take measures to cut its costs as a first step toward economic recover