Gibraltar ignores Spain’s complaint and trusts that it will not affect post-Brexit negotiations

The Government of Gibraltar responded coldly this Wednesday to the diplomatic protest lodged with the United Kingdom by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after three incidents occurred between Spanish and British ships in waters near the Rock this August. Although the note verbale, published by EL PAÍS, was presented by the department of José Manuel Albares to the United Kingdom Embassy in Madrid and it is up to this country to respond, the Gibraltarian authorities have issued a statement in which they maintain that they do not harbor “any doubt” about the “British sovereignty” of the waters surrounding the Rock and affirm that the Spanish complaint “should not have any effect” on the “positive negotiations” for the post-Brexit treaty.

In the diplomatic protest presented on Monday, Foreign Affairs listed “three serious incidents” recorded this month in the waters surrounding the Rock, and expressed its “strongest protest.” The complaint referred to the actions of official vessels of the United Kingdom in waters that Spain considers under its jurisdiction. The Albares cabinet recalled that the position of Spanish diplomacy regarding the waters of Gibraltar continues to be that established in the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713; that is to say, that the British colony is not recognized with more waters than those inside the port.

In fact, the note verbale refers to article That article mentions as properties ceded to the British Crown “the city and castle of Gibraltar, together with its port, defense and fortresses”, but territorial waters are not included. However, the Gibraltarian Government assures that it “has no doubts about the British sovereignty of the waters surrounding Gibraltar”. And he adds that “unnecessary incidents in them must be avoided, since they pose a risk to the crews of the vessels involved.”

Gibraltar considers that the Spanish verbal note, despite raising the tone, “should not have any effect on those positive negotiations that are awaiting the result of the inauguration of a new Government in Spain”, in reference to the agreement with which both parties intend to regulate the post-Brexit scenario. The Government of the Rock has assured that, despite the fact that this agreement – ​​which provided for the demolition of the Gate – has been pending for almost three years, Gibraltar “remains committed to achieving a satisfactory result for all parties in the Treaty negotiations between the Kingdom United Kingdom and the EU for the freedom of movement of people between Gibraltar and the EU and the consequent creation of a zone of shared prosperity in the surrounding area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred in its complaint to an incident that occurred on the 14th, when the Colimbo II vessel, of the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA), “was hindered in the development of its work” by three vessels from the United Kingdom. —from the British Customs Service and the Royal Navy—. He also alluded to what happened on the 21st with the fishing boat Mi Daniela, whose skipper and crew “were harassed by British state vessels again in Spanish waters near the Rock, in clear violation of Spanish sovereignty and acting outside their jurisdiction.” The Government of Gibraltar responds to these accusations, stating that said fishing activity is “illegal”. These issues “have long been a point of conflict, as Gibraltar has a stricter environmental protection standard than Spain when it comes to the use of nets and trawling,” he added in the statement.

The third event that led to the Spanish complaint occurred on day 1, when the Panamanian-flagged LNG tanker Gas Venus suffered a fuel spill in waters near the Rock in a refueling maneuver at sea, known as bunkering, which is legal. but it is denounced by environmentalists for its danger. The incident caused a spill that the Gibraltarian Captaincy estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 liters of fuel, in an area that is recognized by the European Union as a SCI (Place of Community Importance) and is part of the Natura 2000 Network. The Gibraltarian Government limits itself to defend that “Gibraltar’s regulations on the matter are recognized as one of those with the highest standards on an international scale.”

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