More Hypocrisy from Spain and increase in the attacks on Gibraltar

More Hypocrisy from Spain and increase in the attacks on Gibraltar

We have seen more of an increase from the Spanish government to oppress and halt the progress on Gibraltar in Europe.

Yesterday’s Chronicle carries the way Spain is fighting hard to make Gibraltar suffer and be excluded from any progress in the EU

Gib exclusion from air passenger rights would set ‘damaging precedent,’ says UK

The British Government has warned that Gibraltar’s exclusion from revamped EU regulations for compensation for air travellers would set “a damaging precedent” at odds with the Cordoba Agreement.
In a statement to the House of Lords, the UK government said it was considering what action to take and expressed “disappointment” that the European Commission had not addressed the issue.
Britain’s concern centres on proposals for amendment of the EU’s Air Passenger Rights regulation, which provides the legal framework for compensation arising from delayed flights.
The original regulation was published prior to the Cordoba Agreement and is one of the few remaining EU aviation measures still containing a clause suspending its application to Gibraltar.
But when the Commission last month published a set of proposals to modernise the regulation, it did not include an amendment that would remove the suspension clause in line with the post-Cordoba arrangements.
If adopted in its current form, the Commission’s proposal would continue the suspension of Gibraltar’s Airport from the Air Passenger Rights regulation.
“Passengers flying to Gibraltar would continue to have recourse to compensation in the event of delayed flights as per current practice,” said the UK Government.
“However the suspension of Gibraltar’s Airport from this regulation would set a damaging precedent and the UK is disappointed that the Commission has overlooked the post-Cordoba arrangement of removing the suspension language to allow for Gibraltar’s inclusion in the amended measure.”
“We are considering what action we might take to address this issue.”
Baroness Warsi was answering a parliamentary question from the crossbench peer Lord Kilcooney.
She added that, as of last week, the Commission had not made any official representation to the UK on this issue.
Last month the Gibraltar Government said the continued exclusion of Gibraltar from this aviation measure was in line with Spanish Government’s policy to dismantle the Cordoba Agreement.
It said the Spanish Government was trying to “turn back the clock” and that this was unacceptable.
The proposed amendments to the Air Passenger rights regulation was among the issues discussed with EU officials during the Gibraltar Government’s recent trip to Brussels.

The Hypocrisy in trying to get along with Morocco so long as Morocco do not ask for Ceuta and Melilla back – Yet they refuse to get on with Gibraltar as they demand Gibraltar back!

Yesterday’s Gibraltar Chronicle:

Margallo highlights excellent relations with Morocco but warns ‘don’t touch Ceuta and Melilla’

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo yesterday highlighted Spain’s close relations with Morocco but warned that Madrid would not accept any debate over Ceuta and Melilla.
He made the comment after Morocco’s deputy Foreign Minister, Youssef Amrani, said the position of both governments on the Spanish enclaves were “well known” and had not changed. The Moroccan minister added that dialogue was the key tool in resolving any bilateral dispute.
“So long as they don’t touch Ceuta and Melilla,” Sr García-Margallo said.
The two ministers were speaking at a breakfast briefing in Madrid organised by the Spanish news agency Europa Press, which was the first to report on Sr Garcia-Margallo’s utterance.
The focus of the briefing was on other aspects of the relationship between Spain and Morocco.
Both ministers highlighted their good neighbourly links and the mutual trust in the dealings between governments, which cooperate on issues ranging from law enforcement and combating clandestine immigration to fostering trade and commerce.
It was also announced that joint patrols will be deployed in the Strait area.
Sr García-Margallo said it was no secret that Morocco constituted “a priority” for Spain’s foreign policy.
At a time of economic crisis, Spain has overtaken France out of the top slot as Morocco’s principal European trading partner since 2012.
Building on that commercial relationship is also high on the Moroccan agenda.
“How much business can we generate? Because that is how we can meet the expectations of our young people,” Mr Amrani said.
“The Spanish Government must view Morocco as a partner, to work together, earn together and go to the market together.”

Yesterday’s Chronicle covers another bullying tactic from Spain to Gibraltar in which the Spanish Government are insisting on blocking Gibraltar’s football association entering into the UEFA which is our Right! We call on all of you from all other countries to put pressure on your Country’s representative to VOTE Yes to Gibraltar’s Football Team entry to UEFA. Spain should never be allowed to hinder progress of any country no matter how small or how much bullying they are doing. We need people all over the world to see and highlight how in the 21^st Century a country in EU can still think they can oppress without any consequences! Please stand with us and defend our CHOICE, OUR VOICE AND OUR RIGHTS!

UEFA membership: Madrid will ‘not allow’ an official Gibraltar - Spain match

The Spanish Government has declared that it will back legal action by the Spanish Football Federation to block Gibraltar’s membership of UEFA.

In answer to questions from a Catalan independentist (ERC) representative in the Madrid Cortes, a Spanish Government spokesman said it is not envisaged that Spain would ever play “against the selection from the British colony” and will do everything in its power so that this “hypothesis never materializes.”
ERC (Ezquerra Republicana de Cataluña) “supports Gibraltar’s aspirations in parallel to its own claims for secession from Spain and its membership of official international sporting federations in its own right, separate from Spain.”
In the reply the Spanish Government spokesman said: “We are currently opposed to the membership of the British colony of Gibraltar of any international sporting federation. We will take the necessary measures in our power to avoid a situation which is contrary to the sporting strategy of the Spanish state.”
Spanish press reports state that Madrid has not lodged any appeal against Gibraltar’s membership application while noting that UEFA is a private entity with sufficient autonomy to take decisions related to football competitions in Europe. However it expresses its support to “all actions and means of opposition that the Spanish Football Federation are carrying out to oppose Gibraltar’s membership.”

‘Gib is a colony,’ says Spain
The Spanish Government maintains that “Gibraltar is a colony and not an independent state recognised by the international community” and that Spain does not recognise “British sovereignty or jurisdiction over areas other than those expressly ceded under article X of the Treaty of Utrecht, in other words the city, castle, port, walls and fortifications.”
The Spanish Government said it does not envisage at the present time, any official football match between Spain and Gibraltar and in any case “will do its utmost so that this hypothesis does not materialize.”
“If at any moment the possibility of such a match arose, the Government will continue to oppose it with every legal means at its disposal.”

Our Panorama Newspaper explains very clearly our present situation with Spain!

Frontier truths exposed

by Leo Olivero

There is a growing disquiet from the other side of the frontier in the way the Gibraltar Government has intensified its efforts to expose the totally disproportionate and sometimes inhumane manner in which the Spanish Government practically on a daily basis imposes its ant-Gibraltar sanctions at a so called EU Frontier.

Panorama understands from informed sources on the Spanish side of the border that not only the regional government but as far afield as Madrid are now seriously monitoring with a growing level of unease the increased strategic frontier focus by the Government regarding the frontier situation. Particularly in exposing Spain’s continued hard-line and totally disproportionate attitude, towards cross-frontier traffic, including the many complaints that have been received by the European Commission by Nationals from many parts of the EU.

EU Commissioner Confirms Level of Frontier Complaints Received in Brussels

This exact point was confirmed at the highest level during the recent visit by the Gibraltar Delegation to Brussels when Cecilia Malmström ,the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, responsible for police cooperation, border control, asylum and migration who noted that many complaints had been received directly by her department form EU citizens regarding the Gibraltar –Spanish frontier and the disproportionate traffic delays.

Most people are well aware of the Spanish tactics by their official agencies at the Frontier and how physically easy, it is for them to create queues stretching back into Gibraltar by systematically applying the desired amount of pressure at the bottleneck to the frontier exit crossing!

In recent months the Government have implemented what appears to be a strategic approach to this everyday but important political issue that affects not only the local population but visiting tourists and many thousands of Spanish cross-frontier workers who are also fed up by the Spanish government’s fascist style management of a modern international frontier.

The Government’s three prong frontier strategy started late last year when they installed ‘CCTV Camera’s’ this after an absence of a number of years.

Unlike the past, modern digital technology now plays a major part in monitoring frontier movement, but predominantly the frontier traffic hold-ups that are deliberately applied by official Spanish agencies by orders from MADRID.

Since December when the Government installed a set of cameras strategically placed to monitor on a 24/7 basis the frontier traffic activity which through digital and internet technology can now be witnessed and recorded anywhere in the world not only in EU

The Government said at the time that this type monitoring would serve a dual purpose: it would allow people wishing to go into Spain to check the length of the queue and it would also provide useful evidence for the EU Commission.

As it turned out the cameras became popular and not only in Gibraltar

In the first month of the frontier cameras’ operation, the website had over 100,000 hits, of which 45,000 were from Gibraltar, 44,000 from Spain (more of that later) and 7,500 from UK. Interestingly, there were also hundreds of hits from each of USA, Germany, Denmark, France, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland and even New Zealand!

Government Notice Explain Real Reasons for Frontier Queues!

The next part of the frontier strategy involved far less technology, but just as an effective means of explaining and transmitting who is really to blame for the plight of those caught up or stuck in the frontier traffic.

The erection and installation of signs or notice boards have been carefully located to enable everyone leaving Gibraltar in no doubt just who is to blame!

The signs are written in English, Spanish and French. There is one sign that even informs frustrated motorists where they can register their complaints. The sign gives full details of the Spanish Foreign Ministry including telephone numbers. The European Commission which also includes similar details and ECAS the European Citizens Action Service.

Certainly the notice boards have so far proved effective, I have seen tourist take a photo of the boards where they must later check the information on the board to register a complaint to the various entities mentioned.

Direct Protest to the European Commission!

The Government last week took the Frontier issue direct to the heart of European Politics when as part of the visit to lobby EU Commissioners and MEPs regarding Gibraltar and issues with Spain the Government also presented its case to high-profile and influential EU Commissioners taking a full dossier and press cuttings for the EU’s perusal.

Although the Commission indicated they are aware of the underlying problems to long standing problem regarding frontier delays, I believe not enough material can in my view be sufficient to expose the Spaniards for what they are.

This must be constantly transmitted to Brussels and elsewhere with evidence continuously updated. In fact I will go further, I even think that gathering this type of evidence should be a full-time role for some department or entity!

The Spanish now appear to be getting all flustered by all the attention being focused on their malicious actions at the frontier, something that cannot hide any longer from the prying eyes of the world.

Although something tells me that things will not change dramatically.

This particular Spanish Government has demonstrated time and again the little respect and EU etiquette it adopts, not only on Gibraltar related matters but in other areas.

In my opinion it will have to be down to people at the EU Commission who will eventually have to apply the right amount of pressure to put Spain on an EU straight and narrow path and for it to act responsibly … IF THAT’S POSSIBLE!

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Spain has to change but it will only change if more people highlight that their behaviour against Gibraltar is unacceptable in this day and age! Also the European Union has to start standing up for Gibraltar as neglecting our rights is as bad as doing the bullying themselves!

United Nations need to step up on protecting Gibraltar and not ignore us as if the problem would just go away – we have had this bullying for over 300 years.

United Nations Special Committee on deconalisation to meet in Guayaquil,Ecuador between 28 to 30 May 2013.Gibraltar surely will be discussed. Will we have representation there.http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&idioma=1&id=1262471&Itemid=1

Our Chief Minister is very optimistic in achieving delisting at UN during his time as Chief Minister

Fabian Picardo has said Gibraltar has a better than 50:50 chance of being removed from the United Nations’ list of non-self governing territories during his time as Chief Minister.

Mr Picardo was speaking to GBC on a special programme on self-determination, in which he argued the Rock has ‘right’ on its side and the moral high ground. He pointed out that the UK is happy for Gibraltar to be delisted and decolonised, but it considers the criteria by which the UN considers delisting is out-dated.

The one-hour programme, Self-Determination Unpacked ('Gibraltar in Europe: Part 2') is available here
http://livestre.am/4p1o2

Gibraltar continues to offer going back to the tripartite talks although Spain continues to decline and instead go on further to bully Gibraltar in the hope that Gibraltar has no VOICE!

19.47 - 2 Apr 2013 and Spanish SVA carried out a very slow (around 7=8 Knots) passage from north to south within 200 metres of our moles. Royal Gibraltar Police which happened to be in the vicinity shadow it.

Last week we had some UK warships visit Gibraltar and once again the Spanish paramilitary were out in our waters and challenging the navy! Why should we have to put up with this behaviour? No one in any other country in Europe or the world would tolerate another country who is claiming their country to constantly challenge the integrity of our British territorial waters and our sovereignty!

Below is one from 26/03

Just as expected Guardia Civil 'Rio Cedena' had to perform their act of 'bravado' by cruising past HMS Dragon as she approached Gibraltar from the east. Here is the proof.

 

When will Spain stop? Only when UK government do their job in protecting Gibraltar – the land, the sea, the air and most importantly the people!

Anne-Marie Struggles