scrubbedexpat095

Yet another (IMO)

IamStu

Really! What a joker!

Fredbargate

Rajoy reciprocates Andorran premier’s visit after United Nations vote support

Despite the controversy over Jordi Pujol’s tax affairs and the regular trafficking of cheap tobacco into the Spanish mainland, Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish premier, is to visit Andorra next month.

The visit to the independent country on January 8 follows Andorra exercising its vote in favour of Spain’s temporary membership of the UN Security Council, El Mundo reported.

Antoni Marti the head of the principality’s government called on Sr Rajoy in Madrid last October. At that meeting they agreed to work towards fiscal transparency.

And this last week, the Council of the European Union welcomed the “high level of stability and cooperation” in relations between the EU and Andorra.

The Council looked towards closer relations with Andorra commended its initiatives to bring their legislation closer to the EU acquis and strengthen their administrative capacity.

The Council recalled the conclusions of the European Council of 20-21 March 2014

inviting Andorra along with Monaco and San Marino to commit fully to implementing the new single Global Standard for the automatic exchange of financial account information developed by the OECD and endorsed by the G20.

“In this context, the Council welcomes the commitment of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino to adopt the OECD Global Standard on automatic exchange of financial account information and in particular the commitment taken by San Marino to an early adoption of the Standard,” said a statement which also welcomed the ongoing negotiations on the revision of the savings taxation agreements between the EU and respectively Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, are based on the automatic exchange of financial account information, reflecting the evolution of the corresponding EU acquis and recent international developments.

The Council strongly urged Andorra to commit to and implement the minimum standards of good governance in tax matters including the principles and criteria of the EU Code of Conduct on Business Taxation.

The former regional premier of Catalonia, Jordi Pujol, has recently been ordered to appear in court to explain the source of his family fortune. A Barcelona magistrate has been investigating Pujol and his family since it emerged this summer that he held undeclared bank accounts in Andorra though he claims that the funds – allegedly hidden from the Spanish Hacienda for 34 years – derived from an inheritance left to him by his father.

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801



The Phase 2 review rates Andorra as overall partially compliant with the international standard.

The Phase 2 review rates Gibraltar as overall largely compliant with the international standard.

Gibraltar:- Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes Peer Reviews: Gibraltar 2014 - Phase 2: Implementation of the Standard in Practice - en - OECD

I wonder if Rajoy will now visit Gibraltar

EMR

amideislas

sigh
Defence rests, your honour.

Fredbargate

Very difficult to mount a defence when the enemy has no salient points.

Fredbargate

‘Pack up egos and work for growth’ - Picardo

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has urged Spanish politicians to ‘pack up their egos’ and work with Gibraltar to unlock the Rock’s potential as an economic engine for the surrounding region.

In an interview with B2B, the in-house magazine of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, Mr Picardo said that growth in Gibraltar was beneficial on the Spanish side of the border too.

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Fredbargate

24/12/2014

Gibraltar es un Estado independiente para la DGT

En un documento oficial califica de “frontera” el límite territorial entre España y la colonia británica

España siempre ha sido muy celoso en evitar que Gibraltar recibiera un tratamiento que le permitiera ser considerado un Estado independiente. El Gobierno y el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores siempre ha hablado de “la Roca” y de “la Verja” para referirse al límite territorial con el Peñón. La Dirección General de Tráfico, sin embargo, acaba de saltarse esta norma.

Full report:-
Gibraltar es un Estado independiente para la DGT

Google translation

Gibraltar is an independent state for the DGT

In an official document calls "border" the territorial boundary between Spain and the British colony

Spain has always been very jealous prevent Gibraltar received a treatment that would allow it to be considered an independent state. The Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has always spoken of "the Rock" and "the Gate" to refer to the territorial boundary with the Rock. The General Directorate of Traffic, however, just skip this standard.

Full report :-
https://translate.google.com/transla...&sl=auto&tl=en

Maybe1day

The DGT are on the right track. I just received a doc regarding my car, It has the lot, vehicle details, ITV, and insurance. Maybe a bit of Big Brother but hopefully this sort of info will help remove many unsafe and uninsured vehicles from the roads.
Seasons Greetings to 'Everyone'

Fredbargate

Spanish raker 'reported for process' after Boxing Day incident

The captain of a La Linea fishing boat has been reported for process for raking inside British Gibraltar territorial waters this morning, in an incident involving several other Spanish vessels.

Police were called after at least six fishing boats were spotted off Catalan Bay as scores of Gibraltarians took part in the annual Boxing Day polar bear swim.

Police vessels challenged the fishermen and ordered them to move away from the area.

Most cooperated without question but the crew on one vessel apparently declined to leave, leading to its captain being immediately reported for process.

The Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron and the Guardia Civil vessel Rio Cedena were also at the scene but there was no friction between the law enforcement agencies, according to a spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police.

The RGP now has six months to lay information before the Magistrates Court in Gibraltar, after which a summons will likely be issued for the captain of the vessel to appear before the court. If convicted, he could face a fine.

The other five vessels are also likely to be reported in the same manner.

Police Commissioner Eddie Yome watched the incident unfold from Catalan Bay, where he was attending the polar bear swim.

Mr Yome later tweeted about the developments and confirmed that six Spanish rakers "have been or will be" reported for process.

"Applications for summons will follow," he added.

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

bluenose123

As a "mature" observer of all these allegations, replies, beliefs etc, has anyone changed their mind on what views they hold/held.
I have come to a point in my life where their are better things to engage in, but
there again,what does an ordinary pleb like yours truly know?
Have an enjoyable New Year whichever side of the border you are.

Fredbargate

Dec 29 - The Governor’s Christmas Message

In terms of our relationship with Spain, difficulties have certainly continued both at the border and on the water. However there have been some successes. The involvement of the European Commission who visited the border to assess the delays has been beneficial. The Commission came down overwhelmingly on our side, highlighting the complete unreasonableness of the politically motivated delays at the border. It is not unusual that when there is independent non-partisan arbitration, Gibraltar comes out on top – look also at the rulings on the environment and on land reclamation – both firmly in our favour.

That said, I am not complacent in any respect and certainly not on incursions. But, we really cannot doubt the UK’s support and commitment

As Governor, one of my duties is to represent Her Majesty the Queen in the award of Honours. I have very much enjoyed holding 3 investitures – for the State Honours, but also awarding campaign medals for Afghanistan early in the year

Full report:-

Dec 29 - The Governor’s Christmas Message

Fredbargate

Revealed: Felipe González demanded Gib sovereignty deal by 1988

Spain demanded a new three-year framework to reach a solution on the sovereignty of Gibraltar just months after the full re-opening of the border in February 1985, according to secret Cabinet minutes released today.

Ministers had tied the re-opening of the border to British support for Spain’s application to join the EEC.

But with the ink barely dry on the Treaty of Accession - signed in June 1985 - Spain began adopting a “hard-hitting approach” in private discussions with Britain’s then Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe.

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Fredbargate

What next for Gibraltar?
By Elizabeth Butler-Sloss Today programme guest editor
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss in Gibraltar

The sovereignty of Gibraltar continues to be disputed by the Spanish, with tensions mounting after a series of incursions into the island's territorial waters. So what is it like to live in this tiny British outpost nicknamed the Rock?

Whether on television, in the papers or on a postage stamp, the image of Gibraltar - or more to the point, its rock - is known throughout the world.

This tiny British territory, just six square kilometres in size and with a population of just under 30,000, is the last British foothold in Europe, ceded in perpetuity by Spain through the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

At a high point on the Rock, 426 metres above sea level, I look down across the bay from the west side of the rock.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

The UK has always made it clear, and none more so than in recent years, that it completely supports the right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination”

Sir James Dutton Governor of Gibraltar

To my left, if it were not so misty, I would see the north African coast. There are a lot of boats, big ships, in the bay, one setting out on its voyage to north Africa.

I hadn't been up to see the apes - in fact Barbary macaques - for years. Jumping about on their rocky fastness, they were a magnificent sight.

"The apes that you see around us are all part of the legend," says local taxi driver John Charles Guy, "and this legend was born by Sir Winston Churchill who said if ever the apes left Gibraltar, Gibraltar would stop being British."

When John was a boy, relations with Spain were at their most strained. In 1969, Spain - then under General Franco - decided to close the land frontier with Gibraltar. It would remain so until 1985.

"Gibraltarians are very very proud of being British. It would've been very easy for us to go to the Spanish and the border would've opened up. But yet we've stood by our queen and we've stood by the British government and we've stood by Britain," he says.
A Barbary Macacque looks out from the Rock of Gibraltar Legend has it that if the apes ever leave, Gibraltar will no longer be British

In 1954 a visit by the young Queen Elizabeth had caused great offence to Franco. He closed the border in retaliation. It was to be her majesty's first and only visit to Gibraltar.

In a small cemetery at the edge of town, I see the last resting place of officers and men who died in or after the battle of Trafalgar.

Here I meet Trevor Bickerstaff, the founder of Gibraltar's New Movement, who is gathering signatures for a petition to persuade the Queen to pay an official visit.

He explains: "She would receive an enormous response by the people of Gibraltar. Everybody in Gibraltar would probably even bake scones and get the best tea out and serve it to the Queen when she comes.
Continue reading the main story
Find out more

Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, the first woman to sit as a Lord Justice of Appeal, guest edits BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday 31 December, 06:00-09:00 GMT.

Other guest editors across the festive period include Lenny Henry, Mervyn King and John Bercow.

Listen to the programme
More from all Today's guest editors

"Now, if she could go to Malta next year [for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November], she could stop by in Gibraltar, too. We feel here in Gibraltar that, because of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we're not actually being noticed that much."

The Queen's representative in Gibraltar is the governor, Sir James Dutton. In a rare interview, at his residence in the centre of town, he tells me the British government is firmly committed to Gibraltar.

He says: "The UK has always made it clear, and none more so than in recent years, that it completely supports the right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination.

"There have been some referendums over the years and they have overwhelmingly supported the status quo, that is the sovereignty of the UK."

Sir James says: "The UK has pledged that, not only will it not consider a change to those sovereignty arrangements without the express wishes of the people of Gibraltar, but it won't even enter into negotiations on that subject without the consent of the people of Gibraltar."
Fabian Picardo is Gibraltar’s chief minister Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, warns of trouble ahead if UK withdraws from EU

Walking down Main Street is an interesting cultural journey. Although all the people are British, almost all of them are speaking Spanish.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

I don't think that Gibraltar would be able to thrive, economically, should we be outside the European Union”

Fabian Picardo Gibraltar's Chief Minister

"Gibraltar's a very special place," muses one young man. "We've got the British system, as it were, legal and otherwise, but at the same time we're sitting in the sun. That's pretty awesome.

"How does one feel about being Gibraltarian? It's weird. Identity is something that you pick, very often comes from a comparison to a polar opposite. In our case, our history involves having Spain beside us. There's a lot of bad history, which obviously reinforces the identity as a Gibraltarian and helps to reinforce the identity as British," he adds.

For the Gibraltarian government there is a big fear. With a general election in the UK on the horizon and UKIP riding high in the polls, there is the looming threat of a British exit from the European Union.

Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, tells me this is "an existential issue for Gibraltar, in economic terms".

He says: "Of course, Gibraltar would always be able to survive but I don't think that Gibraltar would be able to thrive, economically, should we be outside the European Union, as we are able to thrive today, within the European Union, when we can tell businesses from third countries to come to Gibraltar to access the European Union and create jobs here. "

Gibraltar, it seems to me, is a place of contrasts. At once defiantly British, yet effortlessly European and cosmopolitan; dripping in epic tradition and history, yet searching for a place in the modern world; as solid as the rock upon which it stands but striving to present a new face to a rapidly changing world.

And, above all, having to contemplate an uncertain future in which it, and its mother country, may find themselves outside the EU.

BBC News - What next for Gibraltar?

Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, the first woman to sit as a Lord Justice of Appeal, guest edits BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday 31 December, 06:00-09:00 GMT.

Fredbargate

25/10/2014


‘Best in the World’ for Gibraltar Property

A luxury property in Gibraltar’s south district has won an International Property Award.

The ‘New Aloes’ won the global accolade ‘Best International Property Single Unit’, at a ceremony held in Dubai in December 2014.



Judged on its design, innovation, sustainability and eco-friendliness, the New Aloes beat off stiff competition from competing developments from 103 different countries.

Sandra Lamplough, Marketing Manager for Fairhomes Ltd, the developer behind New Aloes, said: “Gibraltar is among the top ten smallest countries in the world, yet we’ve made our presence felt on a global stage in the shape of New Aloes.”

President of the International Property Awards, Stuart Shield, said Fairhomes can now take their rightful place as leaders in the global property market.

Built on the site of a former Ministry of Defence building of the same name, New Aloes is a substantial 21st century home boasting breath-taking views of the Rif Mountains of North Africa and the busy Strait of Gibraltar.

Some of New Aloes’ highlights include a cavernous 1,237ft² living-dining space, a 592ft² kitchen complete with 25ft long all-in-one preparation dining island, wet rooms with over bath rain showers, a second floor fitness suite with a sauna with a view, a 12 car garage, a lift to all floors, and gadgetry such as electronically operated full height terrace doors and window blinds, auto lighting for wardrobe hanging rails, video entry and a zoned alarm system with CCTV.

New Aloes – Price £10.9 million.

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801