Frontier Gates

The Tripartite talks continue to the benefit of Spain with continued annexation and legal encroachment into Gibraltar. "GIVE THEM AN INCH AND THEY WILL TAKE A MILE".

Mr. Moratinos has NOT RETRACTED nor admitted making an ERROR. The Area Interview and recording was authentic and it stated the view of Spain’s Spanish Foreign Minister. What has since happened, under panic pressure from No. 6, is that The ORIGINAL AIRPORT AGREEMENT has BEEN RE-STATED The Joint statement DOES NOT CLARIFY the matter, on the CONTRARY it misleads and confuses further!

We have already made our observations and our objections to the what "HAS BEEN AGREED AT CORDOBA ON 18TH SEPTEMBER 2006", on the Original Agreement, these opinion has not been changed by this statement, since it is an obvious attempt to get the G.O.G off the proverbial hook.

Point 3 of the Joint statement explains the terms of reference of the Joint Venture Commercial Management Company of the Air Terminal.

We ask again, why does this so-called Commercial. Company HAVE to be formed "BY MINISTERIAL AGREEMENT".

If it is Commercial it should be open to tender to all E.U. TERRITORIES.

Why has the JOINT VENTURE TO BE WITH A SPANISH COMPANY?

Since this is a MINISTERIAL CONDITION Gibraltar has accepted officially Spanish presence in our Airport, this to us is an incursion and therefore unacceptable.

If the Airport Agreement had left this as an open ended Commercial proposition for anyone and any country to bid for it would be different. But we see this MINISTERIAL ORDER to be, even though Sovereignty has not been mentioned, AN INFRINGEMENT, ANNEXATION AND ENCROACHMENT of SPANISH INTERESTS in a vital area of Gibraltar.

This is totally different and has nothing to do with other commercial partnerships that Gibraltar private Businesses may wish to make, like for example the CEPSA petrol station, this is a fellow Gibraltarian businessman in a partnership with a Spanish petrol company.

Point 4 is confusing and contradictory in terms.

It says "Spanish Officials (on the North side) will clear passengers flying between Gibraltar and a Spanish Airport in respect of entry to and exit from Spain." Then it goes on to contradict this and says "Spanish Officials will thus not control entry to and exit from Gibraltar"

We believe that it would have been more appropriate to have quoted the full section 7 (b) of the original Airport Agreement, since the term "clear" IS NOT in the original Agreement, which reads as follows: " Other passengers flying from Gibraltar airport to a Spanish airport WILL BE CHECKED into the SCHENGEN TRAVEL AREA before boarding the aeroplane. THIS CHECK will be carried our by SPANISH OFFICIALS, who themselves will be located on the north side of the fence/border, in a manner facilitated by the design of the terminal. Therefore, on arrival at a Spanish airport these passengers will not be subject to further Schengen entry controls" (underlines and capitals are mine).

The Agreement does not talk about "CLEARANCE", it talks about "CHECKING" AND IT FURTHER SAYS "WILL BE CHECKED INTO SCHENGEN TRAVEL AREA", the checking is done by Spanish officials and the "SCHENGEN AREA" IS IN THE GIBRALTAR TERMINAL!

We have previously asked where is Spanish Officials carrying out the CUSTOMS CLEARANCE for passengers boarding from Gibraltar?

Was there or is there an OUTLINE plan of the Airport Terminal discussed in Cordoba? If so why has not this plan been made public?

This definition of a "SCHENGEN AREA" INSIDE THE GIBRALTAR TERMINAL IS ANOTHER FORM OF WILFULLY GRANTING ANNEXATION AND ENCROACHMENT IN GIBRALTAR TO SPAIN. This is a dangerous political CONCESSION, to the country who is bent hell-for-leather to get its hands on Gibraltar and says so at every possible opportunity.

Point 5 is equally ambiguous and can still be interpreted as Sr. Moratinos stated since it leaves this open to the future, how can a serious matter like this be left open for future discussion, do we or do we not know what we want?

The section reads "BUT SUBJECT TO FURTHER AGREEMENT IN THAT REGARD, GIVE CONSIDERATION TO WAYS OF OBTAINING PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF SCHENGEN CLEARANCE TO FLIGHTS TO AND FROM GIBRALTAR AIRPORT AND SCHENGEN DESTINATIONS"

Moratinos stated this benefit for Spain with some logic. Legally Gibraltar is NOT IN SCHENGEN therefore Gibraltar DOES NOT have authority to check people IN OR OUT of Schengen, this is the prerogative of Spain in our part of the world, "THE ADMINISTRATIVE WAIVER" GRANTED BY GIBRALTAR, benefits Spain.

Point 6 most people in Gibraltar believe that it is about time these illegal suspensions of Gibraltar from any E.U. Aviation measures were lifted. These RESTRICTIONS AND OBJECTIONS were made by Spain to force Gibraltar to negotiate.

As someone asked me in a GBC debate, whom can you trust? So my final question is, whom do you trust, do you trust the U.K. Foreign Office, the Chief Minister or the Spanish Government?

	Press statement of the Integration With Britain Movement


The Tripartite talks continue to the benefit of Spain with continued annexation and legal encroachment into Gibraltar. "GIVE THEM AN INCH AND THEY WILL TAKE A MILE". Mr. Moratinos has NOT RETRACTED nor admitted making an ERROR. The Area Interview and recording was authentic and it stated the view of Spain’s Spanish Foreign Minister. What has since happened, under panic pressure from No. 6, is that The ORIGINAL AIRPORT AGREEMENT has BEEN RE-STATED The Joint statement DOES NOT CLARIFY the matter, on the CONTRARY it misleads and confuses further! We have already made our observations and our objections to the what "HAS BEEN AGREED AT CORDOBA ON 18TH SEPTEMBER 2006", on the Original Agreement, these opinion has not been changed by this statement, since it is an obvious attempt to get the G.O.G off the proverbial hook. Point 3 of the Joint statement explains the terms of reference of the Joint Venture Commercial Management Company of the Air Terminal. We ask again, why does this so-called Commercial. Company HAVE to be formed "BY MINISTERIAL AGREEMENT". If it is Commercial it should be open to tender to all E.U. TERRITORIES. Why has the JOINT VENTURE TO BE WITH A SPANISH COMPANY? Since this is a MINISTERIAL CONDITION Gibraltar has accepted officially Spanish presence in our Airport, this to us is an incursion and therefore unacceptable. If the Airport Agreement had left this as an open ended Commercial proposition for anyone and any country to bid for it would be different. But we see this MINISTERIAL ORDER to be, even though Sovereignty has not been mentioned, AN INFRINGEMENT, ANNEXATION AND ENCROACHMENT of SPANISH INTERESTS in a vital area of Gibraltar. This is totally different and has nothing to do with other commercial partnerships that Gibraltar private Businesses may wish to make, like for example the CEPSA petrol station, this is a fellow Gibraltarian businessman in a partnership with a Spanish petrol company. Point 4 is confusing and contradictory in terms. It says "Spanish Officials (on the North side) will clear passengers flying between Gibraltar and a Spanish Airport in respect of entry to and exit from Spain." Then it goes on to contradict this and says "Spanish Officials will thus not control entry to and exit from Gibraltar" We believe that it would have been more appropriate to have quoted the full section 7 (b) of the original Airport Agreement, since the term "clear" IS NOT in the original Agreement, which reads as follows: " Other passengers flying from Gibraltar airport to a Spanish airport WILL BE CHECKED into the SCHENGEN TRAVEL AREA before boarding the aeroplane. THIS CHECK will be carried our by SPANISH OFFICIALS, who themselves will be located on the north side of the fence/border, in a manner facilitated by the design of the terminal. Therefore, on arrival at a Spanish airport these passengers will not be subject to further Schengen entry controls" (underlines and capitals are mine). The Agreement does not talk about "CLEARANCE", it talks about "CHECKING" AND IT FURTHER SAYS "WILL BE CHECKED INTO SCHENGEN TRAVEL AREA", the checking is done by Spanish officials and the "SCHENGEN AREA" IS IN THE GIBRALTAR TERMINAL! We have previously asked where is Spanish Officials carrying out the CUSTOMS CLEARANCE for passengers boarding from Gibraltar? Was there or is there an OUTLINE plan of the Airport Terminal discussed in Cordoba? If so why has not this plan been made public? This definition of a "SCHENGEN AREA" INSIDE THE GIBRALTAR TERMINAL IS ANOTHER FORM OF WILFULLY GRANTING ANNEXATION AND ENCROACHMENT IN GIBRALTAR TO SPAIN. This is a dangerous political CONCESSION, to the country who is bent hell-for-leather to get its hands on Gibraltar and says so at every possible opportunity. Point 5 is equally ambiguous and can still be interpreted as Sr. Moratinos stated since it leaves this open to the future, how can a serious matter like this be left open for future discussion, do we or do we not know what we want? The section reads "BUT SUBJECT TO FURTHER AGREEMENT IN THAT REGARD, GIVE CONSIDERATION TO WAYS OF OBTAINING PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF SCHENGEN CLEARANCE TO FLIGHTS TO AND FROM GIBRALTAR AIRPORT AND SCHENGEN DESTINATIONS" Moratinos stated this benefit for Spain with some logic. Legally Gibraltar is NOT IN SCHENGEN therefore Gibraltar DOES NOT have authority to check people IN OR OUT of Schengen, this is the prerogative of Spain in our part of the world, "THE ADMINISTRATIVE WAIVER" GRANTED BY GIBRALTAR, benefits Spain. Point 6 most people in Gibraltar believe that it is about time these illegal suspensions of Gibraltar from any E.U. Aviation measures were lifted. These RESTRICTIONS AND OBJECTIONS were made by Spain to force Gibraltar to negotiate. As someone asked me in a GBC debate, whom can you trust? So my final question is, whom do you trust, do you trust the U.K. Foreign Office, the Chief Minister or the Spanish Government?