Brussels, 03/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - According to a press release from the minister responsible for European affairs, David Lidington, the British government welcomed on Wednesday 2 July the second visit this year of a European Commission team to Gibraltar to examine the continuing blockages at the border with Spain.
The Commission already travelled to assess the dispute between the United Kingdom and Spain (which relates, too, to the environment) last September and concluded in November that Spain had not violated any European laws on the free movement of people or goods. Nonetheless, it did call on Spain to take the necessary steps to ease the border crossings and to prevent traffic jams. The visit by the Commission on 2 July is part of the follow-up oto these recommendations.
The United Kingdom, however, believes that difficulties persist. Lidington, therefore, expects the Commission to exert further pressure on Spain to ensure that all of last November's recommendations are implemented. Controls on people and goods are carried out at the border with Gibraltar, particularly at the crossing known as La Linea de la Concepcion.
The British authorities consider that the Commission had recommended developing risk profiling in an effort to optimise legislation and guarantees in the effective fight against tobacco smuggling, as well as the exchange of intelligence on tobacco smuggling with Spain. (SP)