Oh Fred..............................

That made me smile

If the EU was any good it would have discovered the rampant tax evasion and hot money looking for a home in Cyprus.
So its report on Gib is just a meaningless.
If there were not tax advantages for those looking to avoid tax or run a business and avoid UK tax why on earth would they be there considering the problems livng there.

Informed sources in London have told Panorama that high ranking UK Government officials have warned their counterparts in Madrid of the risk to relations between both countries further being strained if Spain continues to provoke incidents like the serious one last week where an armed stand-off in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters between the Royal Navy and a Guardia Civil vessel hit headline news.

There is great annoyance at the highest level in London with Madrid regarding its continuing policy over Gibraltar, and although the verbal fisticuffs have not yet been taken to another level, Spain is making it increasingly difficult for a nation like the United Kingdom, who is usually much more circumspect in diplomacy to remain that way!

Spain Putting at Risk Important Bilateral Relation!

the Spanish Government needs to understand that, instead of all the national pious rhetoric by regular breaching sovereignty of British Waters by their state vessels and crews, the Government in Madrid needs to sit down and work out in a mature and constructive manner the way ahead” the same source adding “ it takes a special effort to endanger such an important bilateral relation between London and Madrid, but Spain is aggravating the situation not only with the British Water’s issue, but also at the Gibraltar land frontier which is causing a great deal of anxiety to many people in the area”

There is little doubt the British Government who are already under certain pressure from its own ministers to act more decisively against the Rajoy Government, feels that if Spain continues with its current Gibraltar policy, it will hesitantly have to consider taking the situation to another diplomatic level. One it seems, it is reluctant to pursue!

http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/hea...ticle=11037&of

I hope you lot over there have a travel case packed and your cars fully fueled.

Infanta Elena visits Gibraltar.

http://gbc.gi/news/2714/infanta-elena-incursion-in-bgtw

An American tries to cross the border one morning...

Spain says border checks are here to stay

Carmen Crespo, the Spanish Government’s representative in Andalucia, said the checks were in line with EU law and aimed to combat cigarette smuggling and fiscal fraud.
The queues “are two hours for cars and 30 minutes for pedestrians”, she said during a visit to the Spanish border installations yesterday.

According to Sra Crespo, the checks were “proportionate, flexible, random and non-discriminatory.”

She added that the Spanish Government was showing “special sensitivity to Spanish workers” and lamented that the public perception was the opposite.

Spanish cross-border workers association ASCTEG said Spain was using its citizens as “cannon foder” in pursuit of its sovereignty goals.

In a statement, the association said the frontier crossing between Gibraltar and Spain had become “a third wold border”.

I forgot to put the link in the previous post

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=31610

Politically motivated queues at frontier


The Spanish authorities keep accusing Gibraltar of everything they can, yet it is in Algeciras where they should increase controls, given the smuggling that goes on in the port there - and on a big scale.

There was recently a haul of 300 kilos of cocaine, an this is just one instance that makes the news. Can you imagine the song and dance they would have made had this happened at the La Linea frontier?

Another report yesterday was of 27,000 packets of cigarettes found in a van in a ferry that links Cadiz with the Canary Islands.

It is said to be well known that much of the smuggling in tobacco in the Cadiz province emanates from the Canary Islands - but have you heard of any stringent measures there? Have you heard of long queues affecting passengers for the ferry services?


http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/hea...11080&offset=0

Spain shits on Gibraltar, literally

MEP Sir Graham Watson has asked the European Commission to seek a commitment from Spain to end the continued sewage discharges from La Linea into Western Beach.

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=31627

Gibraltar can now vote in UK’s EU referendum!

http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/hea...11087&offset=0

Not unexpected

EU clears Spain on frontier checks


http://gbc.gi/news/2770/eu-clears-sp...rontier-checks

Brussels has decided that Spain has not infringed any laws regarding border queues. Can't say I am suprised

http://politica.elpais.com/politica/...59_298648.html

In its letter to Spain, the Commission recommends: 1) to optimise the physical space available on the Spanish side of the crossing point in view of ensuring a greater fluidity of traffic (and in particular to review the traffic organisation on entry into Spain and on exit from Spain in order to increase the number of vehicular lanes for travellers or to make better use of the existing lines); 2) to optimise risk-based profiling: carrying out more targeted checks, based on a refined risk analysis, in order to reduce the large amount of random border controls and 3) to develop the exchange of information with the United Kingdom on tobacco smuggling.

In its letter to the United Kingdom, the Commission recommends: 1) to develop risk-based profiling (in particular Gibraltar should ensure non-systematic and risk analysis-based checks on travellers and their belongings upon exit from Gibraltar at the crossing point of La Línea de la Concepción); 2) optimising legislation and safeguards in view of contributing to an efficient fight against tobacco smuggling and 3) develop the exchange of intelligence on tobacco smuggling with Spain.

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=31653