Gibraltar Up In Arms At British EU Cave-In

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

01 October 2001

Recent anodyne statements in the UK about the re-opening of discussions with Spain over Gibraltar's future, together with the territory's exclusion from the European Single Sky programme have excited fears on the Rock that the British Government is preparing to sacrifice it in the interests of European unity.

A Government-supported demonstration next Thursday organised by members of the parliament to protest against the Single Sky situation, but with a wider agenda of dissatisfaction, is being joined by the unions, it was announced over the weekend. All members of the House of Assembly are to sign a declaration for UK prime minister Tony Blair, which will be handed over to Governor David Durie at the end of the demonstration.

After Foreign Office minister Peter Hain appeared to say on a visit in September that the territory's right to self-determination might be subject to the 300-year old Treaty of Utrecht, the Government finally accepted that fears of exclusion from the sovereignty negotiation have a real basis, and set about obtaining a legal opinion on the matter. Chief Minister Peter Caruana said on the GBC View Point programme on Thursday evening that the Government has obtained "a very, very positive" draft legal opinion from an international jurist on the issue.

Hain also last week met Spanish counterpart Ramon de Miguel to discuss preparations for the next round of talks under the Brussels process which are expected before the end of the year. Gibraltarians note with displeasure that once again the Spanish Foreign Ministry has called upon Mr Caruana to take part in the bilateral dialogue between Foreign ministers Jack Straw and Josep Pique. Both Government and Opposition refuse to countenance this, since it seems to imply acceptance of a junior role in the negotiaitons, which Gibraltar insists should be multilateral.

Opposition leader Dr Joseph Garcia, who has been saying for years that the Government's policy of constructive engagement would fail, wrote a letter to British newspapers last week saying that the Foreign Office lacks courage in facing up to Madrid. Dr Garcia wrote: 'Mr Straw and his minister for Europe Peter Hain have been singularly ineffective in standing up to the continuous and illegal harrassment on the part of the Spanish government against the 30,000 British people of Gibraltar. To add insult to injury, it has recently been announced that Gibraltar airport is to be excluded from the Single European Sky measures following political pressure from Madrid. In June, the foreign Office maintained that Gibraltar could not be systematically excluded from European Union law, and just three months later we have been left out.'

The intense anti-UK feelings being generated among the Gibraltar population were shown last week when the Governor was asked not to accept his regular invitation to attend the annual dinner of the Mediterranean rowing Club, of which he is the patron. The Queen's representative has accepted the advice.

Peter Caruana, in another clear demonstration that he has moved away from his long-time co-operative attitude towards the British government, has cancelled his attendance at the regular annual meeting of British overseas territories in London this week. Other territories have placed a motion on the agenda asking Britain to uphold the European Union rights of Gibraltar, as well as describing the Spanish claim to Gibraltar as "anachronistic". The motion notes the responsibility of the UK to conduct the external affairs of the overseas territories in the interests of the people of the territories and also notes the UK decision to exclude Gibraltar from the European Single Sky measures.

Peter Caruana has expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the governments of the other UK overseas territories "for this demonstration of solidarity with, and support for, the simple democratic aspirations and rights of the people of Gibraltar."

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