Brussels, 20/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has agreed to act as mediator in the dispute pitting Spain against the United Kingdom with regard to Gibraltar, the strategic British enclave situated in the south of Spain that juts out into the strait of Gibraltar.
“First of all, we expect the two member states to speak to each other in a spirit of cooperation between member states of the EU. The European Commission is ready to help by bringing legal expertise as the guardian of the treaties, and by organising a mission on the ground as soon as possible. No date has been decided. It will have to be in accordance with the Spanish and British authorities”, said Commission spokesperson, Olivier Bailly, on Tuesday 20 August (our translation).
The mission, which will take place in September at the latest, will be led by justice and home affairs staff, and those competent in tax and fraud. The British criticise the Spanish for having imposed border controls that penalise Gibraltar's economic activity - even if the Spanish theoretically have the right to do this as Gibraltar does not belong to the Schengen area of free movement. The Spanish government highlights problems of smuggling, especially of tobacco, and of trafficking in the movement of capital. It also replied in this way to the decision of the Gibraltarian authorities to start the construction of an artificial reef which prevents Spanish fishermen carrying out their work under normal conditions.
This first artificial reef dispute was, moreover, the subject of an official complaint from Madrid to the European Commission at the end of July for environmental reasons. The construction of an artificial reef will be handled “separately” but, at this stage, “we are not opening an official infringement procedure”, Bailly stated. In his view, the introduction of a €50 tax for road traffic - evoked by the Spanish government - justified only by the crossing of a border would be against the treaties. It was not apparently discussed during the telephone conversation on Gibraltar that was held on Monday by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (MB/transl.fl).