SEVERAL European Union envoys travelled to the Spain-Gibraltar border to find out how much progress has been made, if any, on crossing delays. The officials wanted to verify whether Spain and Gibraltar have actually implemented the recommendations made by Brussels which seek to solve recent delays for both vehicles and people crossing between the territories. The current visit follows up on a mission of EU observers sent to the frontier on September 25, 2013 following protests on both sides.
Madrid complained of an abrupt increase in illegal tax activities and smuggling on the Rock, while Gibraltar authorities denounced long lines at the border resulting from beefed-up checks put in place by Spanish police. After a thorough investigation, Brussels came to the conclusion that the increased border checks from Spanish law enforcement officials could not be construed as a violation of European Union regulations. Their conclusions notwithstanding, Brussels recommended more traffic lanes and risk analysis-based border checks. Gibraltar complained that the additional controls were meant to punish it for creating an artificial reef in its territorial waters which aimed at protecting marine life – a measure that increased tensions between Spain and Britain over Gibraltar’s sovereignty. Spanish authorities claimed the reef was detrimental to the livelihood of Spanish fishermen.
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