ESG/BBB welcome Junta Councillor's comments on Environment

"At long last... Progress for our Health and Bay environment" declares a statement released today by the ESG/BBB.

The Statement reads:

The ESG/BBB welcomes the announcements made by La Junta’s (the Junta de Andalucia) Environmental Councillor, Ms Coves, that the pollution levels in the Bay appears to be addressed seriously, once and for all.

The epidemiological study promised for so long has, regrettably, become somewhat of an empty phrase. While the BBB consider this study supremely important to be carried our without further delay, what is clear is that industrial pollution IS excessive in the Bay. It is not cosmetic; it is offensive at best, and lethal at its worst.

Therefore, the BBB welcomes all accurate and independent scientific studies to prove this, enabling the Spanish authorities to proceed with their stated intentions to lower the emission levels and instruct the industries responsible to seek immediate ways to stop illegal toxic dumping in the Bay environment. Taking the appropriate environmental measures will not threaten jobs. On the contrary, by ensuring that the industries are run within current EU norms, this will create jobs. There can be no back-pedalling at this stage to make the necessary investments given the public awareness of the problem and the millions of euros in profit published annually by the Oil industry.

What is clear is that neither environmentalists, nor residents, will allow this opportunity to slip by. The BBB will be vigilant over the next few weeks to record pollution incidences, take samples, and support any protests planned in the area. Having the public’s interests at heart the groups would encourage everyone to be aware of heavy pollution incidences however commonplace these may appear to be; to record details and take photos when possible and pass these on to members of the ESG and BBB.

Press Release by The Environmental Safety Group (ESG)/BBB (Bay Bucket Brigade) - 31 May 2005 15:51

Related Articles:

27 May 2005 - Junta intensifies efforts to combat Campo Pollution

25 May 2005 - CEPSA emissions within the Law - Confirmed

24 May 2005 - BBB responds to confusion on Benzene level limits

24 May 2005 - Scientists create confusion over Benzene legal limit

18 May 2005 - IU express concern in Andalusian Parliament

13 May 2005 - CSIC report confirms high levels of pollutants in the Bay of Gibraltar

Clamping: Should it be made illegal?

The public is continually complaining that instead of finding a solution to the parking problem, all the police can think of is to issue parking tickets, and get cars clamped and towed away.

It is the easy way out which does not contribute to solving the problem.

But enough is enough - that is the message getting through as more and more people are incensed by what is seen as an unfair practice which has got out of control. The clamping companies themselves are getting a lot of stick.

People see the whole thing as a seemingly profit-making exercise at the expense of the long-suffering motoring public.

Who are they?

A question being asked is who are these so-called security companies who get involved in clamping and towing away?

A general impression is that any Tom, Dick or Enrique can don a uniform and call himself a security officer.

Such companies can mushroom by the day, as it were! But are they accountable to anyone? Are their operations transparent and questionable? Do they have special training?

Are there restrictions and conditions on who can they employ if on contract to the Government or one of its agencies?

This whole area of traffic management is in clear need of proper investigation.

The public cannot be at the receiving end in a disproportionate kind of way.

Because they call themselves 'security officers' it seems that the police put them above reproach.

But who are these people? Indeed, who do they think they are, given their often arrogant and aggressive attitude to the public? Does the RGP (Royal Gibraltar Police) condone this? Of course, one can only generalise. But there must be those who operate in an acceptable manner and have a track-record to prove it. But can the same be said of all of them?

Attitude

The attitude of the RGP is also being questioned by the public at large. It is as if they gain some benefits out of plastering every car in sight with parking tickets, making the life of motorists a misery.

There appears to be no commonsense, but a blanket application of the law in an extreme fashion which, if not halted, can be conducive to people thinking this is fast becoming a sort of police state.

This is not helped by their agents, the clamping brigade, who give the impression of doing as they please in the name, or on behalf, of the RGP. Are there not strict rules and regulations? If there are, what are they?

Are private clampers in a world of their own? Are there rules and regulations that apply to them - or is this some kind of free for all?

Parking in Gibraltar is a particularly acute problem. Is there not a case to show some consideration to the suffering public? Is it that the public is deemed not to have any rights?

The police and their agents must be instructed to show the kind of consideration that is required in such circumstances and not to behave as if they were God Almighty!

Absolutely necessary?

When large areas are declared temporary No Parking, do the police put up those ugly and often unreadable signs only where it is absolutely necessary to do so?

If a vehicle is clamped it must be because it is causing an obstruction or what-have-you. But is the police not perpetuating the 'offence' by clamping it?

The point has also been made that there is a clear distinction between between parking in a manner that causes no obstruction and in a manner where obstruction is caused.

Where vehicles are parked causing obstruction, or in a dangerous manner, the police are perfectly entitled to do something about it.

Clearly, there are cases that must require attention. But there is, in general terms, the need for a commonsense approach given the severity of the parking problem in Gibraltar.

Not only that, but instead of splashing so many parking tickets, and so much clamping and towing away other people's property, should there not be a determined attempt to try and alleviate the parking problem?

Are people paid good salaries from the public purse for doing nothing? Instead of wasting so much time issuing parking tickets etc, why don't they use that time and expense more profitably by finding solutions?

And if they are incapable of finding solutions, why don't they step aside and allow others to do so?

And what is the Government doing about it? Do they not think it is about time to think carefully about this whole issue and consider whether widespread clamping and towing away should be made illegal, unless performed by the police itself?

There is a need to do something NOW before matters get completely out of hand.

From Panorama, Gibraltar's Online Daily Newspaper

Sandy Bay... No longer so pleasant

Sandy Bay in Both Worlds is supposedly a pleasant spot for anyone wanting to soak in the sun and sea minus the crowds.

However it has become clear, as shown in the pictures (Ed's Note: Sorry, no picture published online), that this beach is no longer so pleasant.

Rubbish and debris seem to have taken over the once clean and clear sands of this beach. In the pictures shown, it is suggest that the beach is now neglected and clearly needs a new makeover!

As summer is just around the corner this makeover may need to be sooner rather than later because the beach could be used by the nearby residents.

The derelict state of the beach at the moment would attract nothing but bugs and scavengers. Complaints have been made but results have been minimal and so there is continued appearance of a dumping ground.

From Panorama, Gibraltar's Online Daily Newspaper

UN Seminar drops Brussels reference - Bossano

The UN Seminar on decolonisation held at St Vincent and the Grenadines has been one of the most fruitful in recent years, Joe Bossano, Opposition Leader declared on his return last week.

Mr Bossano said it was well attended by government and other representatives of almost all the remaining British colonies as well as members of the Committee of 24and several member states. The UK did not participate although there was a representative from Spain.

Mr Bossano said that in the course of the debate in respect of other British territories, it clearly emerged that a number of British territories are now looking at a form of Free Association or the Fourth Option as an alternative to independence and a means of exercising self-determination and achieving decolonisation.

Mr Bossano said he had fully participated in the discussions on all the sessions, including those of other territories, and made a statement in relation to the way ahead on the general question of fulfilling the goals of the Second Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism and on the specific question of Gibraltar. He also says he refuted proposals put by Argentina on the Falkland Islands, since the Islanders were not represented.

“Probably the most valuable result from Gibraltar’s point of view was that the seminar this year, for the first time, dropped its backing for the continuation of the Brussels negotiations,” he said.

Last year recommendation 39 of the seminar held in Papua New Guinea stated:

“the participants reiterated that the Special Committee should continue to encourage the ongoing negotiations between the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Spain within the Brussels process aimed at achieving a solution to the question of Gibraltar in accordance with the relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations.”

This was the reiteration of the recommendation in support of Brussels made in 2003 at the Anguilla seminar and in seminars in earlier years. Joe Bossano in his statement asked the participants not to continue to lend their weight to the Brussels process which enjoyed no support in Gibraltar from any quarter any longer.

“This year the Gibraltar specific recommendation was omitted altogether from the draft recommendation agreed to after the report was presented to the seminar by the drafting committee and fully debated. There were a number of other clauses in which references were made to territories over which there was a sovereignty dispute, but Gibraltar was not specifically mentioned and although Joe Bossano argued against this distinction being made as regards the application of the right to self-determination, it did not prove possible to get this text amended or omitted,” he said.

Mr Bossano said that the attempt by the delegate from Argentina to introduce a new Falklands Island recommendation which went even further in denying self-determination to the islanders was defeated after he made a strong speech condemning the Argentinian position. Argentina had asked for a recommendation from the participants that the islanders could not have the right to self-determination because its decolonisation was a matter of territorial integrity and its people had been illegally transplanted there by the occupying power and could not be distinguished from it.

Describing the Argentinian, view as utter and complete rubbish worthy of the views of Castiella in relation to Gibraltar in the 1960s, Mr Bossano told the seminar that they were being asked to do no less than to produce a new interpretation of the UN Charter. He reminded participants that the seminar was being held to protect the people of the remaining colonies and not to further the territorial claims of Argentina or any other member of the UN.

“The seminar in its conclusions and recommendations noted the remarks made by Argentina but did not endorse them and simply repeated word for word the recommendations on negotiations between the UK and Argentina which had been made by the seminar held in previous years and which is virtually identical to the recommendations previously made on Gibraltar and which have not been repeated this year,” he said.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Most searched for keyword terms online for Gibraltar in April 2005

Overture Search Terms for Gibraltar related keywords during April 2005

For those of you interested in this sort of thing, here's the full list of Keyword Searches carried out on Overture Search Engine during the month of April 2005.

Searches done in April 2005
Count Search Term
8977 gibraltar
2157 flight to gibraltar
1635 cheap flight to gibraltar
1596 gibraltar hotel
969 gibraltar weather
667 gibraltar holidays
638 car hire gibraltar
622 map of gibraltar
556 rock hotel gibraltar
416 gibraltar chronicle
356 gibraltar airport
330 gibraltar property
310 gibraltar web cam
303 accommodation in gibraltar
298 cheap hotel gibraltar
296 jobs in gibraltar
261 bristol hotel gibraltar
260 gibraltar jobs
255 gibraltar estate agent
246 caleta hotel gibraltar
226 rock of gibraltar
204 gibraltar wedding
200 holidays in gibraltar
197 cheap car hire in gibraltar
194 yellow pages gibraltar
176 property in gibraltar
175 estate agent in gibraltar
170 property sale gibraltar
168 gibraltar government
165 gibraltar street map
155 gibraltar tourism
141 property for sale in gibraltar
139 package holidays to gibraltar
137 weather forecast gibraltar
132 gibraltar short break
126 forecast for gibraltar gibraltar
120 living in gibraltar
119 queens hotel gibraltar
118 eliott hotel gibraltar
118 elliot hotel gibraltar
110 car hire gibraltar airport
104 gibraltar tourist board
103 gibraltar tour
102 royal gibraltar regiment
98 wedding in gibraltar
95 history of gibraltar
92 elliott hotel gibraltar
92 gibraltar restaurant
88 restaurant in gibraltar
87 gibraltar health authority
83 gibraltar photo
82 gibraltar employment
82 gibraltar travel
81 bed and breakfast in gibraltar
80 picture of gibraltar
79 gibraltar shopping
78 royal gibraltar police
77 gibraltar tourist information
73 gibraltar hotel rock terrace wisteria
73 gibraltar point
70 gibraltar news
67 cheap holidays to gibraltar
67 gibraltar real estate
66 st bernards hospital gibraltar
65 gibraltar information
64 gibraltar currency
63 gibraltar panorama
62 city break to gibraltar
62 car hire in gibraltar
61 gibraltar break
61 cannon hotel gibraltar
61 gibraltar hospital
60 climate in gibraltar gibraltar
60 gibraltar phone directory
59 campo de gibraltar
59 gibraltar census
58 actinic gibraltar in
58 flight from uk to gibraltar
58 gibraltar in promotion site web
57 flight from gibraltar
56 gibraltar apartment
56 gibraltar barrack
56 gibraltar company
56 gibraltar newspaper
56 gibraltar shop
55 married in gibraltar
55 gibraltar police
54 residential letting gibraltar
53 gibraltar bank
53 gibraltar regiment
52 construction gibraltar
52 house for sale in gibraltar
51 cheapest flight gibraltar
51 where is gibraltar
49 weekend break gibraltar
47 forecast for gibraltar
46 bank in gibraltar
46 current weather in gibraltar gibraltar
45 property to rent in gibraltar
45 janine gibraltar

Nothing too surprising there!

Gibraltar and Algeciras explore direct Ferry link

Port and maritime officials from Gibraltar and Algeciras will explore the possibility of establishing a direct ferry link across the bay.

That was one of the key points discussed at a landmark meeting in Algeciras yesterday, held as part of the Los Barrios process.

Officials at the meeting said private companies had already expressed interest in the ferry project and would submit plans for consideration and approval.

They also highlighted forthcoming efforts to foster tighter cross-border cooperation on crucial concerns such as environmental protection and navigational safety in the bay.

Yesterday’s meeting was the first encounter of its kind, one that marked the beginning of a closer relationship between both ports.

“This is an important day in the history of the ports of Algeciras and Gibraltar, for the simple reason that this meeting should have taken place a long time ago, but for a number of reasons this didn’t happen,” said Joe Holliday, minister for trade, industry and communications, at a press conference in Algeciras.

The meeting was significant, not least because previous attempts to arrange formal discussions on maritime and port issues had run into political problems. But there was no mention of politics yesterday, or of the usual controversies over bunkering and pollution in the bay.

The message was one of “normality”, of two ports that co-existed in close proximity and were finally working together to mutual benefit. Top of the list was environmental protection and navigational safety. The need for closer ties in this area was thrown into sharp relief by an incident in the bay last September, when the cruise ship Van Gogh, sailing out of Gibraltar, collided with the tanker Spetses as it sailed into Algeciras in thick fog.

A working group will be set up to establish safety protocols and procedures, both in the event of an accident and, perhaps more importantly, to avoid one in the first place.

“It’s important to have cooperation between both ports in this area, not only in terms of tackling an accident that might occur in either port, but also to develop a prevention plan,” Mr Holliday said.

Manuel Morón, president of the Algeciras Port Authority, stressed that the focus of this work must be on both “preventive and corrective” measures, though there were no details at this stage of any specific initiatives.

Both men also drew attention to a proposal to establish a ferry link between Gibraltar and Algeciras.

Although there was no hint of any timescale, the emphasis on this project left little doubt that officials were keen to see it happen.

“I believe that there is now a commitment on both sides to try and find a solution and the means to put this in place in the short term,” Mr Holliday said.

“I think this would be of great importance for the commercial development of the region as a whole.”

A second working group will be formed to explore areas of technical and commercial cooperation at port authority level, something that is also likely to eventually include other ports in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Next year, as part of its centenary celebrations, Algeciras will host the first meeting of ports in the Strait, at which some of these issues will be discussed. Mr Morón said that it was important to involve the private sector in the initiatives to bring both ports closer together, though many shipping companies are already one step ahead of the authorities in that they already operate on either side of the bay.

Yesterday’s meeting, described by Mr Holliday as “pleasant and productive”, will provide a solid foundation on which to build. There were no earth-shattering announcements to be made, but the commitment on both sides was clearly evident.

“This was not about reaching agreement on any of these issues, but simply to make clear the willingness on both sides to proceed working on these areas of common interest in the future,” Mr Morón concluded.

After the discussions, the officials toured the Spanish port and witnessed at first hand the massive expansion that is currently under way there.

Algeciras is the busiest port in Spain in terms of tonnage throughput, handling 65.7 million tonnes of cargo last year.

Before the summer, a delegation of port officials from the Spanish port will visit the Rock for tour of local port facilities. A second high-level meeting will probably be scheduled for some time in the autumn. Between now and then, the working groups will draw up a number of concrete initiatives for consideration.

Attending as part of the Gibraltar delegation at yesterday’s meeting were Richard Garcia, chief executive at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Communications; Flavio Madeira, Mr Holliday’s private secretary; James Ferro, Captain of the Port and Stephen Ramagge, Gibraltar’s coordinator under the Los Barrios process.

In the Algeciras delegation were José Luis Hormaechea Escós, director of the port authority; Karim Breir Moreno, head of the maritime safety service at the Capitanía Marítima in Algeciras; and Eduardo Villalba Gil, chief secretary at the presidency office of the Algeciras port authority.

Also present at yesterday’s discussion were Juan Montedeoca Márquez, president of the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar, accompanied by José Manuel Alcántara Pérez, managing director of the same body.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Links:

Algeciras Port Authority

Gibraltar Port Authority

Queen's Coronation gun salute at the Tower

A Royal Gun Salute to mark the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation will be fired by Thompson’s Battery of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment on Thursday 2 June at 12 noon immediately outside the Tower in the Naval Base.

Members of the public are most welcome to attend the salute.

Tickets for the event (at no cost) can be obtained from the Information Office at the Gibraltar Tourist Board (GTB) in the Duke of Kent House. Spectators are invited to gather between 11:15 and 11:30 on the day of the salute.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

‘Oceana’ hit by ‘Aurora' type virus

A highly contagious virus has struck down scores of passengers on board another P&O luxury cruise ship.

About 200 passengers on board the Oceana cruise ship have contracted the norovirus, which caused chaos on P&O’s Aurora vessel in 2003 and led to a diplomatic incident with Spain.

The company said that about 10 per cent of the 2,015 passengers on board the five-year-old Oceana had been affected by the 24-hour bug, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting. Around 130 passengers are still ill and have been isolated in their cabins.

The ship left Southampton on May 19 for a 17-night Mediterranean cruise. It is due back in port on June 5 and is today travelling from Naples to the Croatian port of Dubrovnik.

A spokeswoman for the firm said the 77,000-tonne vessel was undergoing an “extensive programme” of sanitation and disinfection to try and stop the spread of the virus.
She said:

“There has been an incident of gastrointestinal illness among passengers on board the current sailing of Oceana. Passengers unwell are being asked to isolate themselves in their cabins for as long as necessary.”

She said that those who were isolated in their cabins would receive compensation and added that American research had shown that the chances of catching the virus on land was 1 in 12 compared to 1 in 4,000 on a cruise.

The spokeswoman said the virus had probably been brought on board by a passenger. In 2003, 500 out of 1,800 passengers aboard the Aurora suffered serious stomach upsets caused by what was then a new variant of the norovirus.

The £200 million ship was banned from docking in Greece while Spain sealed its borders with Gibraltar for the first time since 1985, after the ship docked here.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Links:

Information on Mediterranean Cruises Online with Lastminute.com

Gibraltar Museum in Zurich

Museum Director, Clive Finlayson, has just returned from Zurich, Switzerland, where he gave a seminar on Neanderthal Ecology.

The hour-long lecture was followed by a long discussion session.

Professor Finlayson had been invited to give the seminar by the prestigious Institute of Anthropology of the University of Zurich. The Institute is one of Europe’s leading and traditional centres of research.

The seminar was attended by professors, staff and students and was an opportunity for Professor Finlayson to put across his theories of human evolution, particularly as they applied to the Neanderthals. The seminar had a Gibraltar focus as the lecture and discussion was dominated by Gibraltar as a case study in this field, further emphasizing its leading role in cutting edge science.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Links:

The Gibraltar Museum

Gibraltar's Safeway up For Sale

• Movement in Morrisons UK


Morrisons, the owners of the Safeway store instructed the property dealers Rapleys to advertise the Gibraltar store in trade publications it has emerged.

The advertisement focuses on this being a prime retail store “with significant development potential” although highlighting that any development would be subject to planning.

Adverts appeared in the past four weeks but Morrisons declined to comment on what response they have had so far.

The Westside site of 6.79 acres has a long leasehold and the advert shows a picture apparently taken from the Europort tower.

This comes just a month after Morrisons management from Britain visited Gibraltar and held meetings with local staff as well as Government ministers.

Last month the Chronicle reported that the supermarket chain had been enticed by property developers to allow the massive supermarket site at the heart of the Westside reclamation to be sold for development.

In April this year Morrisons themselves confirmed that they had received a number of unsolicited enquiries from other retailers about the Gibraltar store.

“The board have decided to market the store to understand the true nature of this interest, which may lead to the store being sold,” they told the Chronicle then.

On April 30 with the sale of its two Safeway stores in the Channel Islands the company confirmed its strategy of “focusing its business in the UK” and said that this had followed the previous week’s announcement to local employees that the Safeway store in Gibraltar would be marketed in the near future.

Meanwhile, Morrisons yesterday announced that executive chairman Sir Ken Morrison has stepped down from the day-to-day running of the firm in order to concentrate on the firms strategic vision.

As shareholders met for the annual meeting in Bradford, Sir Ken pledged to stay with Morrisons for at least another year yesterday in order to see through the troubled integration of Safeway.

Predicted shareholder disquiet failed to materialise at the packed meeting as speakers lined up to praise the 73-year-old and urge him not to be “diverted by temporary storms’’. Only one arm from the floor was raised in opposition to his re-election as chairman.

The Bradford-based group, which last warned on profits just two weeks ago, also announced the appointment of Richard Pennycook as finance director, following his departure from motoring group the RAC.

Sir Ken will remain chairman of the plc board, which meets about every month, but is leaving the operations board, which meets every week, to make key decisions. Mr Stott denied the change meant Sir Ken was no longer in charge.

“He’s stepping back a little and allowing me to operate as chairman of that board," he said. “As chairman of the company, of course, he’s in charge."

Morrisons said it still expected operating margins to be significantly lower than last year’s level for much of the year, as indicated in this month’s profits warning, but it would be unable to give guidance on operating profits until “further detailed work" on its forecasts.

Related Article:

04 May 2005 - Morrisons reduces overseas stores

22 April 2005 - Morrisons consider bid for Gibraltar Safeway store - Confirmed

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Announcement imminent of GSD/Labour link, says report

The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) have said that GBC’s (Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation) information regarding a merger with the Gibraltar Labour Party is incorrect.

“This is in response to our request for a reaction to our story, first broadcast on Newswatch that an agreement in principle has been reached between the leaders of both parties for them to effectively merge.

Asked what precisely was incorrect in our story, a spokeswoman would not elaborate,” said GBC yesterday.

For his part, Labour leader, Daniel Feetham, said he does not comment on speculation. But GBC added:

“We have established that talks to explore the possibilities of a merger have been underway since last year, and that not everyone in either camp is in favour of it.

Insofar as the Labour Party is concerned, it prompted the resignation a couple of months ago of executive member Daniel Guerrero, who said he did not agree with the direction the party was taking.”

At least one of the party’s eight candidates at the last General Election, Bill Pisani, is also said to be against the move and may resign if the merger is confirmed.

Reporting yesterday, Stephen Neish said that for some time now there had been speculation that the GSD and Labour would come to some form of an understanding, fuelled by the virtual silence in recent months of the previously very active Labour Party.

In April, Panorama reported that Mr Feetham wanted to join the GSD, but the party had said “no” because GSD party stalwarts were decidedly against the move, even though Peter Caruana was not.

Informed sources have told GBC however that what is being mooted is a merger, with the GSD as the dominant party.

Unlike the arrangement between the opposition alliance, where the GSLP (Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party) and the Liberal Party have retained their individual structures and executives, the GSD and Labour Party would fuse into one.

“We understand that the Labour executive has agreed to the move, although there is some discontent with the intention to leave the name of the merged party as the GSD,” said GBC.

The GSD itself is also poised to give the initiative the green light, despite the fact that there, too, some objections remain.

Political observers suggest the idea seems to have gained credence within GSD circles, following the recent Panorama opinion poll which placed it behind the GSLP/Liberals for the first time in many years, the GBC report added.

Speculation that an announcement may not be long in coming will not be diminished by the expected decision of the government to again invite Daniel Feetham to accompany Peter Caruana when he addresses the UN Special Committee of 24 (on Deconolization - C24) in New York on the 7th of June.

From Panorama, Gibraltar's Online Daily Newspaper

Related Story:

Reform Party response to GSD-Labour merger

Merger story ruffles GSD and Labour

Ahead of a GSD (Gibraltar Social Democrats) executive meeting set for Tuesday, which is expected to discuss the subject of a the governing party, the GSD, agreeing a merger with the Labour Party, members were yesterday playing down reports on GBC (Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation) Radio that such a merger is imminent.

Whilst it was made clear to the Chronicle by Terry Cartwright, a senior GSD figure, that “much” of the GBC report was incorrect, she declined to elaborate on what aspects she was referring to.

However other senior GSD sources suggested that the critical issue now is how the executive decide to handle the matter.

Party leader, Peter Caruana, is known to have largely persuaded his ministers about a month ago to support the move although the main reservations remaining for some are over the title of the future party.

Some GSD members do not wish to carry the Labour label and say the name should remain simply as GSD.

GBC suggested in its report that the GSD has warmed to the idea of merging the executives because of a recent Panorama poll that pointed to their lagging behind the GSLP/Liberals.

What has been established is that the Labour executive gave a majority vote in favour of the move six weeks ago although Daniel Guerrero subsequently resigned and Bill Pisani has ceased to be active in it.

Yesterday Mr Guerrero was reluctant to comment but confirmed that he is “still active in politics” and would be making a statement.

Mr Pisani, meanwhile has made no secret to friends and colleagues of his disappointment with the direction Labour is taking with the merger plan.

Mr Feetham himself, who is reported as being satisfied with the GSD position on non-attendance of Brussels talks, also declined to comment.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Story:

Reform Party response to GSD-Labour merger

Spanish Police arrest local man in drugs operation

A Gibraltarian man has been arrested by Spanish police in an anti-drugs operation in Santa Margarita on Tuesday night during which 1,200 kilos of cannabis was seized.

Two Spaniards were also arrested after a home was raided by police. It is understood the three men are in police custody.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Former Mancomunidad Chief demands solution to Spanish

Landero attacks Caruana

The results of the tripartite forum for cross-border dialogue have been wholly negative, that is the opinion expressed by Jose Luis Landero, a former president of the Campo Mancomunidad and member of the Partido Popular.

In a statement to the press yesterday, Sr Landero declared that “until there is a change of attitude from Caruana as regards the Spanish pensions problem”, the Mancomunidad should call for the tripartite forum and the Mancomunidad’s own Comision Mixta “to cease all activities.”

Sr Landero also called on the present incumbent Juan Montedeoca to explain what the role of the forum and the Mancomunidad has been in this “delicate” affair. The former president said:

“In relation to the Gibraltar issue, in the past year we have been told that there is a solution to the historical conflict. There has been criticism of how the matter was handled by the Aznar Government even though there had never been closer relations between the British and Spanish Governments.”

According to Sr Landero, the tripartite forum has not produced any results other than giving Chief Minister Peter Caruana excessive power” and turning him into the “judge and jury” of the case.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

From Panorama, Gibraltar's Online Daily Newspaper

Kop Rules!

The victorious Liverpool football team touched down on home soil yesterday after their dramatic European Cup victory. As seen above, pubs in Gibraltar shared in the excitement!

The team arrived at Liverpool John Lennon Airport to be greeted by dignitaries including the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Alan Dean.

The players were cheered wildly by airport ground staff, who had gathered to meet the team after their dramatic penalty shoot-out win over AC Milan in Istanbul Thursday night.

Yesterday Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a message to Liverpool’s Spanish manager Rafa Benitez congratulating the team on their extraordinary success.

“Unbelievable. Incredible. Brilliant. The whole country is proud of you,” said Mr Blair. Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard, a life long Liverpool supporter, also praised his team’s comeback and said the outcome was a dream come true.

Meanwhile local Liverpool fans were celebrating until the early hours yesterday following their historic fifth European Cup Final win against AC Milan achieved in dramatic fashion after levelling a three nil first half deficit and clinching victory in a tense penalty shoot-out.

Around Gibraltar, in pubs and homes, fans huddled around television sets to watch the nail-biting encounter and exploded in jubilation at Liverpool’s extraordinary feat.

After the match dozens of motorbikes and cars crammed with ecstatic supporters gathered in the Waterport area (fuente del capullo), blowing their horns and driving around the fountain to celebrate their amazing win. Congratulations to Anfield fans.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Links:

BBC NEWS | UK | Euro champions return celebrated

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | Benitez to launch new Anfield era Includes links to other Liverpool FC related stories, match reports, audio links and more...

Euro Commission calls on Spain to clarify Campo Benzene levels

The European Commission has called on Spain to clarify the assessment of Benzene levels in the Campo de Gibraltar following a formal complaint lodged in Brussels earlier this year by local environmental campaigners.

The complaint, which was filed by the Environmental Safety Group and other environmental groups in the area, pre-dates last fortnight’s controversy over this highly toxic substance.

But Spain has yet to provide the data requested by officials in Brussels.

Lone Mikkelsen, press spokesman for the EC’ s environment directorate, confirmed that the commission had received the complaint about Benzene emissions and was aware of concerns in the Campo de Gibraltar.

“We are in contact with the Spanish authorities to seek information on the assessment of the levels of Benzene in this region,” Ms Mikkelsen said.
“We have asked them to explain to us what measures they are taking and whether it is true that the levels are high.”

There was widespread alarm two weeks ago after a leading scientific body in Spain pointed to Benzene emission levels from the Cepsa refinery plant in Puente Mayorga that occasionally exceeded the legal limit.

But six days later, it retracted the statement and concluded that emission levels, despite high peaks, were within the legal parameters. Several months previous to that, however, local environmental campaigners had taken an air sample where the Benzene level far exceeded the limit under European Union rules. The current legal limit is 10µg/m3 [micrograms per cubic metre of air], including a margin of tolerance. The highest peak recorded by the Spanish scientists was 8.76µg/m3, which is within the law, but the sample taken by environmental campaigners last year showed levels of 110µg/m3.

That was way above the legal limit and prompted the Brussels’ complaint.

The rules on Benzene are set out in a directive dating back to 2000 that also required the EC to submit a report to the European Parliament on implementation. The report should have been filed by the end of 2004 but several European Union member states, among them Spain, have failed to provide the necessary data.

“The experience with this directive is still very limited and it would be premature to [submit a] report based on only few data supplied by Member States,” Ms Mikkelsen concluded. There is no indication as to when the report might be completed.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Articles:

25 May 2005 - CEPSA emissions within the Law - Confirmed

24 May 2005 - BBB responds to confusion on Benzene level limits

24 May 2005 - Scientists create confusion over Benzene legal limit

18 May 2005 - IU express concern in Andalusian Parliament

13 May 2005 - CSIC report confirms high levels of pollutants in the Bay of Gibraltar

Junta intensifies efforts to combat Campo Pollution

The Junta de Andalucia has placed the Campo de Gibraltar industrial complex on round-the-clock pollution watch.

As from Monday, a five-man team of technicians will keep a close eye on the industry’s environmental standards 24 hours a day.

Using complex portable equipment, the team will sample air quality and emission levels, as well as gather physical and visual evidence of any pollution incidents in the area.

Junta environmental councillor Fuensanta Coves announced the measure in Algeciras yesterday in response to recent campaigns by residents and environmental groups in the area.

She insisted that the industrial complex complied with environmental legislation, but nonetheless recognised that “isolated” pollution incidents inevitably had an impact on the population in the Campo de Gibraltar.

According to the Europa Press news agency, Ms Coves said the Junta would intensify its efforts to reduce pollution, particularly of sulphur dioxide, by proposing new legislation to cut legal limits on emissions.

The work would start immediately, she said, though she added no further detail. “It is possible for industry to reduce its gas emissions and this is what we are going to try and do,” she concluded.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Articles:

25 May 2005 - CEPSA emissions within the Law - Confirmed

24 May 2005 - BBB responds to confusion on Benzene level limits

24 May 2005 - Scientists create confusion over Benzene legal limit

18 May 2005 - IU express concern in Andalusian Parliament

13 May 2005 - CSIC report confirms high levels of pollutants in the Bay of Gibraltar

Gibraltar Business Networking

Gibraltar Business Network held its annual reception at the Mount on Wednesday and was addressed by its chairwoman Maruchi Risso.

Dignitaries from Morocco, Portugal and Spain attended together with local dignitaries and members of the business community.

This reception was held to celebrate the achievement of women and in order to continue to ferment the links and opportunities for women within the business and professional field in Morocco, Spain and Gibraltar. The Network has been instrumental since 1972 in fostering these links.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

New Oil Terminal in Algeciras

A Russian-linked company plans to build a new oil terminal in the Port of Algeciras, in a move that will intensify competition in the ship re-fuelling market in the Bay of Gibraltar.

The proposal, which was accepted by the port’s administrative board yesterday, foresees construction of a storage terminal and jetty covering 6 hectares of land reclaimed as part of the ongoing Isla Verde Exterior expansion.

But the developers behind the project still have to obtain environmental approvals before construction work can start.

If it gets the green light, the project, known as Alpetrol Terminal, will be carried out in three phases and will cost a total of 44 million Euros.

Lia Oil, part of Russia’s Alliance Oil Company, will own a 70% stake in the terminal, with Vilma Oil holding the remaining 30% share.

Once completed, the terminal will offer 300,000 cubic metres of storage capacity for liquid bulk products, primarily fuel oil for ships.

According to the port authority, US-based Chemoil Corporation would then supply products from Alpetrol Terminal to ships calling at Algeciras.

Chemoil Corporation is the largest supplier of marine fuels in the Americas but has been expanding in Europe and Asia over the past five years.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Reform Party response to GSD-Labour merger

The Reform Party has responded to reports in Gibraltar of a merger between the GSD (Gibraltar Social Democrats) and Daniel Feetham's Labour Party.

"This is not a surprise" said Reform Leader Lyana Armstrong-Emery " It's always been obvious to us that Mr.Feetham's general political attitude is one that no GSD fan could possibly object to. He is essentially a Tory, as most of them are Tories.

Therefore it's only logical that two such similar groups should now wish to formalise their common attitudes in a merger. On the other hand, we know there are some exceptions within the ranks of the 'Feetham-ites' who have been very uneasy during the last year or so and are extremely dismayed this morning."

Mrs Armstrong-Emery concluded:

"However, they needn't despair because they do have an alternative. We in the Reform Party now extend a warm welcome to any disillusioned Labour Party supporters. Some of you still believe in a genuinely progressive alternative for Gibraltar's politics. Join us and help build a better Gibraltar!"

From Reform Party Press Release - 26 May 2005 06:08
P.O. Box 676, Gibraltar, Europe. Tel (00 350) 77655 info@reformpartygib.com

MoD Contractorisation hearing set for June

Legal battle-lines are drawn

The Ministry of Defence will try to block the trades unions’ legal case against local privatisation plans at a two-day hearing in June, the Chronicle has learned.

In the opening session of what could prove to be a lengthy and complex case, MoD lawyers are first expected to question whether or not the legal challenge can actually be heard in a Gibraltar court.

The issue of jurisdiction seems set to be a crucial point of conflict.

In a related development, the Chronicle has also learned from a senior British source that no Spanish companies have expressed any interest in the privatisation contract. Among many other concerns over the privatisation, workers had feared that they might end up employed by a company from Spain.

Lawyers from both sides in the dispute will meet tomorrow with the Chief Justice, Derek Schofield, to discuss practical procedures ahead of the hearing, which is set for June 20 and 21.

Lawyers acting for the Transport and General Workers’ Union/ACTS and Prospect served the legal claim on the MoD earlier this month. They are calling on the court to halt the privatisation process and oblige the ministry to review its plans.

TGWU/Acts and Prospect are represented locally in this joint action by law firms Hassans and Attias & Levy respectively. The MoD is represented locally by Isola & Isola, though British Government lawyers in the UK are also closely involved.

Up to 300 local civilian jobs could be hit by the controversial proposal announced by the MoD earlier this year, though the unions fear the total will be higher within the broader programme of MoD cuts.

A number of private companies have already sent ‘expressions of interest’ to the ministry, which will now have to assess those documents before inviting selected companies to submit bids. But that procedure, though not formally on hold, is moving at a very slow pace while the legal challenge by the unions is resolved.

One source with intimate knowledge of the process said “a healthy number” of companies – none of them from Spain - had expressed interest in the contract.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Related Links:

Gibraltar News Online Contractorisation Poll

12 May 2005 Unions escalate MoD dispute

19 April 2005 Unions declare a united front on MoD Contractorisation

15 April 2005 No progress in Union-MoD Contractorisation talks

12 April 2005 MPs urge Hoon to halt ‘Done Deal’

05 April 2005 MoD rejects Union lawsuit threat

Air traffic on the way up

Air traffic to Gibraltar is on the way up. And up!


The year 2000 chalked up nearly 104,000 passengers; the next year figures were up to nearly 109,000.

But it has not stopped there. Figures went up again in 2002 (to close on 116,000) and again, to 133,000, in 2003.

What about last year? You are right, up went those figures again - to 157,000 passengers.

Over this period, load factors have exceeded the 74% mark - in fact, they range from mid-70% to nearly 80%.

When do most people fly to the Rock? July is the month that tops them all, followed by August and September.

January and February attract the least air-flyers.

Generally, the summer months are good months, with January always bottom of the list.

From Panorama, Gibraltar's Online Daily Newspaper

Check out your Gibraltar Flights using our Online Flight Booking Form here.

Presentation of certificates for Academic achievements

The Minister for Education and Training, Dr Bernard Linares, will be presenting certificates in respect of academic achievements attained by 46 trainees whilst following training in various Gibraltar Government and European Social Funds funded projects.

The certificates to be presented will be in respect of passes in the following subjects:

Adult Numeracy at Levels 1 and 2 – awarded by OCR Examinations Group
Adult Literacy at Levels 1 and 2 – awarded by OCR Examinations Group
GCE English – awarded by the London Board of Examinations

The presentation ceremony will be held at Bleak House Training Institute on Friday 27th May 2005, commencing at 12 noon.

The Minister for Education and Training takes this opportunity to publicly congratulate all recipients for their hard work and sustained efforts in achieving these qualifications, through which they have enhanced their future employment prospects.

Gibraltar Government Press Release - 12 May 2005 - No: 116/2005

Directors of £3m holiday internet scam disqualified

* Money was banked in Gibraltar and Spain

Two directors of companies that misled people into believing they could save thousands of pounds on their holidays have been disqualified after DTI action which involved tracing accounts to banks in Gibraltar and Spain.

Discounts for luxury holidays all over the world were being offered from Britain and elsewhere, taking an estimated £3m in a two year period.

Nigel Moore of Liverpool Road, Chester, and Paul Charleston of Las Palmeiras, Spain, undertook not to act as company directors for 10 years based on their unfit conduct.

Members of the public were tempted to sales presentations by the offer of a “free” holiday. Once there, they were persuaded to pay as much as £6,000 to purchase a so-called “key” - a user name and password - giving access to websites which were said to offer incredible savings on holiday accommodation. In fact, the information given to potential clients to persuade them to buy a holiday key was bogus.

For example, Travelmasters falsely claimed to be both ABTA and ATOL bonded and to have originated from the former well-known holiday chain Intasun. The savings promised did not match the sales representations made.

Money raised from the 1200 or so clients was traced by the DTI investigation to bank accounts of CCH International Limited in Gibraltar and Spain.

The various companies (Travel-masters Limited, Mediterranean Marketing Limited, Callmasters UK Limited, CCH International Limited, Intersun Limited and Leisuremasters Limited) were all ordered into compulsory liquidation by the High Court at the end of 2002.

Potential clients were initially told to go to www.qualycon.net. Subsequently the following URLs were used: go-travelmasters.com; travelmasters.com; intersun.co.uk; leisuremasters.co.uk; and leisuremasters.net.uk.

By virtue of the winding up orders the government's official receiver is now the liquidator of all six companies and has a responsibility to investigate why they failed and the conduct of the directors.

Any enquiries should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3SS, or by phone on 020 7637 1110.

From ZDNet UK News

Britain seeks extra time in Pensions case

Britain has requested extra time to respond to the European Commission on the Spanish pensions issue, official sources have confirmed.

The UK has asked for a fortnight to respond to the complex issues raised by the Commission’s challenge and must now have their formal response in Brussels by June 3.

The Commission has raised the possibility of taking UK to court over payments made to Gibraltar pensioners on a residential basis such as the Household Cost Allowance.

It is regarded as a challenge to Community Care payments and follows long-standing lobbying by the Spanish pensioners association Alpeg.

Pensions were frozen over a decade ago but Spanish pensioners, reportedly some 9,100, are not entitled to any additional payments.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Holliday in Algeciras for talks with Port Authority

Minister for the Port Joe Holliday will be attending a meeting with his counterpart in Algeciras at the Autoridad Portuaria, on Friday, to discuss issues of mutual interest.

It is understood the issue of environmental co-operation, oil pollution and joint response to emergency situations will be among the themes to be discussed.

A Gibraltar Government spokesman said:

“As part of the Los Barrios process, an initial meeting will be held on Friday May 27th 2005 on the issue of port and maritime co-operation between the ports of Gibraltar and Algeciras.

The principal item on the agenda will be the issue of co-operation, collaboration and co-ordination between the ports of Gibraltar and Algeciras in matters that impact on port operations, security and the environment, including pollution control.

The Gibraltar delegation will be headed by the Minister with responsibility for the Port Joe Holliday. He will be assisted by officials from the Gibraltar Port Authority and the Ministry for Trade, Industry and Communications.

The Algeciras counterparts will be headed by the Mancomunidad President Juan Montedeoca and Manuel Moron, President of the Algeciras Port Authority, and include top officials of the Authority.

The Algeciras Port Authority has extended an invitation to Gibraltar to participate in an initiative aimed at bringing together the ports of Algeciras, Ceuta, Tangier and Gibraltar, under the umbrella of the Algeciras Port centenary celebrations in 2006.

This first meeting will be held at the offices of the Port Authority in Algeciras.

The draft programme for this event will also be discussed at the meeting. A further meeting with officials from the Port of Algeciras, which will take place in Gibraltar, is planned for the future.”

Algeciras Container Port Study

Algeciras port has also made public an economic impact study for the year 2003 by the University of Cadiz which says that the container business generates 5,000 jobs – half of which is direct employment— and 417 million euros in sales.

The report states that the port’s magnificent geographic location, its modern port facilities and the competitive nature of its activities ensured that it reached its economic objectives.

A total of 45 companies and institutions were analysed in the report.

Interestingly the container port accounts for 6.5% of the total employment in the area, and 1.4% in the entire province.

Meanwhile a spokesman for the port of Algeciras has declared that 500 direct jobs will be created in the Campo as a result of the construction of a huge floating platform for petrol company Exxon Mobil that will operate in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy.

The Government of Qatar through the company Qatar Petroleum is the other major shareholder in the project.

The investment for the two-year project is close to 1,000 million euros.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Commission proposes new resources for combating pollution

The European Commission has proposed a financial package of Euros 154 million over a period of seven years for the European Maritime Safety Agency to allow it to combat pollution caused by ships.

The funds will enable the Agency to make specialised anti-pollution vessels available to Member States to recover pollutants and develop satellite images to detect pollution in good time.

Jacques Barrot, Vice-President responsible for Transport said:

“We must have a European system to combat pollution at sea in order to protect our coasts. The Maritime Safety Agency needs adequate funding to help it combat pollution at sea”.

The EU funding for the Agency should cover a seven-year period corresponding to that of the new financial perspective (2007-2013).

The funds are intended to strengthen the capability of the Member States to respond to pollution caused by oil and other substances using specialised anti-pollution vessels.

Member States affected by oil slicks with which they cannot deal themselves will be able to call on the Agency to increase their capability for dealing with pollution by using additional resources for the recovery of oil at sea.

This system of “reserve vessels” which the Agency will place at the disposal of Member States affected will have equipment for recovering pollutants from the sea.

These resources will also help in the development of satellite imaging to enable pollution to be detected in good time and will underpin efforts by the Member States to prevent illegal discharges and accidental spillages of oil.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

EU awaits Gibraltar's carbon dioxide emission reduction plans

Emissions trading

Firms covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will be able to open their UK carbon accounts this week, the British Government announced yesterday.

But Britain has been told that Gibraltar’s National Allocation Plan still has to be provided.

This scheme is one of the main components in the fight against climate change. The scheme is designed to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 65 million tonnes (around 8 per cent) below projected emissions of the installations covered by it over the next three years.

The Emissions Trading Registry is web-based, and records CO2 allowances held in firms accounts. The Registry allows allowances to be transferred to other accounts both within the UK and in other participating countries.

Emissions trading is a key component of UK and wider European action to tackle climate change. It gives industry a clear incentive to reduce carbon emissions, whilst enabling it to do so at least cost.

The opening of the UK Registry means that UK companies can start to participate fully in the scheme and provides London’s emerging carbon market with the opportunity to fulfil its potential as an international centre for carbon trading.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

MoD Medal Presentation

Nine retired Gibraltarian employees of the Ministry of Defence were presented with the Imperial Service Medal at a formal reception in Rooke yesterday.

Between them, they had clocked up a grand total of 326 years’ service for the MoD.

At the shorter end of the spectrum was a woman who had worked for the British military for 26 years.

At the other end were three men who had each served for a remarkable 44 years.

The Imperial Service Medal was instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII and is described by the MoD as “a mark of Royal Favour” in recognition of long service of at least 25 years.

Commander British Forces Commodore Allan Adair presented the medals during a short ceremony attended by friends and family of the employees.

“Each of you here today has made a unique and valuable contribution to the important task performed by the Armed Forces,” Commodore Adair told the recipients.

The wealth and breadth of their combined experience quickly became evident as individual heads of section read out biographies peppered with lively and colourful anecdotes.

The recipients were:

Angela Aguilera, administrative officer, 26 years of service
Alexander Pisharello, administrative officer, 38 years of service
William Bear, administrative officer, 44 years of service
Carlos Chini, senior craft mechanical fitter, 44 years of service
Alonso Gonzalez, slinger, 44 years of service
Henry Mauro, industrial technician, 34 years of service
Anthony Holmes, senior craft telecom mechanic, 30 years of service
Julio Pons, telecommunications mechanic, 27 years of service
Lillian Warr, administrative officer, 39 years of service.

Three more MoD employees – Andrew Candeas, Mari Carmen Chichon and Yvette Gonzalez – have also been awarded the Imperial Service Medal but were unable to attend yesterday’s reception. They will be presented with their medals at a later time.

From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Man charged with Eastern beach stabbing

In Court

Following the incident on April 17, in Eastern Beach Road, where a young local man was stabbed in the leg as a result of a fight, police have charged another local man David Da Palma Costa, 18, of 21 Med View terrace.

A search was carried out for Da Palma Costa at the time of the incident but this proved fruitless.

RGP (Royal Gibraltar Police) said yesterday that information was received that Da Palma Costa had left Gibraltar.

The victim of the assault suffered a wound to his left thigh area and after being treated in hospital he was allowed to leave.

Yesterday Da Palma Costa was arrested for the offence of wounding and interviewed. He was subsequently charged with one count of wounding and bailed out pending his court appearance tomorrow.

Prison for Jewel Thief

Spanish national José Antonio Higuera Aguilera, 44, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, after being convicted of two charges of burglary and one charge of attempted burglary.

The burglaries were committed in dwelling houses during July and August 2004.

Higuera Aguilera stole approximately £35,000 worth of jewellery from one of the said dwellings. He has been in custody since his arrest last year.

Arrests in Burglary case

Police reported that early yesterday a burglary was committed at a local take away in the area of Water Gardens.

The alleged culprits are said to have broken the front door and allegedly attempted to steal monies from one of the poker machines from within the establishment. Nothing was stolen as RGP officers were alerted of the b