SPAIN/FILE: Madrid welcomes a European Commission statement saying Spain has not broken any E.U. laws by imposing tighter border controls at Gibraltar

Record ID: 862072

  • Title: SPAIN/FILE: Madrid welcomes a European Commission statement saying Spain has not broken any E.U. laws by imposing tighter border controls at Gibraltar
  • Date: 15th November 2013
  • Summary: LA LINEA, SPAIN (FILE) (REUTERS) STREET NEAR GIBRALTAR/VIEW OF THE ROCK CHECKING POINT AT THE ENTRANCE OF GIBRALTAR TRUCK AND CAR GOING THROUGH CHECKING POINT TRUCK AT CHECKING POINT POLICE CHECKING ON TRUCK DRIVER'S PAPERS STOP SIGN AT CHECKING POINT READING (Spanish): "CUSTOMS" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AND VEHICLES GOING THROUGH CHECK POINT
  • Embargoed: 30th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • City:
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8TVBRJH7VU9K5KU0CFCBTVYSM
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Spain welcomed on Friday (November 15) a statement by the European Commission saying that Madrid's anti-smuggling controls at the border with Gibraltar were not breaking any European law.
    "The government is satisfied to hear that Brussels has pointed out that we are not breaking any European rule by setting these controls in Gibraltar. There is no infringement, and therefore they have given the reason why Spain was proceeding," Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said at the government's weekly news conference.
    The European Commission sent inspectors to the British territory in September after Britain and Gibraltar complained to Brussels that Spain was applying over-zealous border controls, causing long lines for workers and tourists entering and leaving the rocky outcrop near the tip of southern Spain.
    But the inspectors said there was no evidence that Spain had broken any E.U. and urged both sides to act to ease bottlenecks that strained relations between London and Madrid.
    "Basically they have told both states, because this relationship is between states, to cooperate and to work to prevent it. That is what the controls are meant for - to fight smuggling and to stop it," said Saenz.
    The Commission said Spain should improve traffic flows at the border crossing, for example by increasing the number of vehicle lanes, and carrying out better targeted checks on travellers. It urged Britain to improve safeguards against tobacco-smuggling. Both sides should exchange intelligence on tobacco-smuggling, the Commission added.
    Spain has complained that Gibraltar has not done enough to stem what it says is an increasing flow of smuggled cigarettes out of the territory, which has a low sales tax. Cigarettes are about 40 percent cheaper on "the Rock" than in Spain.
    Gibraltar is not part of the European Union's Schengen passport-free area, so travellers between Spain and Gibraltar are subject to passport and customs checks.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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