The European Commission has claimed that there is no problem with Spain’s version of border control with Gibraltar and that it has no evidence that the Spanish authorities have violated European standards in controlling its border with Gibraltar, a British overseas territory.
In a statement the EC records that it had "found no evidence" that Spain has breached EU laws during a time of diplomatic tension between Madrid and London. Britain and Gibraltarians claimed the excessive vehicle and document checks have led to hours of deliberate delays for tourists and commuters.
The Commission found "no evidence to conclude that the control of persons and goods by the Spanish authorities at the border post (between Spain and Gibraltar) had violated the provisions of EU law that are in place."
Last summer, Spain strengthened border control access to Gibraltar in response to the construction by the British of an artificial reef in the sea just off the rock. This, according to Madrid, was aimed at blocking the passage of Spanish fishing boats. This situation has hindered relations between Spain and the UK, leading the British Government to complain in Brussels that the Spanish border controls were in retaliation for this perceived slight.
On September 25 several European Commission ‘experts’ travelled to Gibraltar to determine if the Spanish authorities had been infringing Community rules. How they expected to do this when the worst Spanish bureaucratic excesses were long passed was not explained.
In the statement the EC experts also suggested that the two countries work together to combat tobacco smuggling and cross-border crime, while conceding that the border between Spain and Gibraltar "is a challenge" to the authorities.
Gibraltar was ceded by Spain to the UK in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht. However, the Spanish authorities have been challenging British sovereignty over the island, which they do from time to time, especially when things are not going so well in Madrid.
