Tripartite Dialogue Forum Cordoba Accord • Opposition Party Statement by Joe Bossano, made on GBC (Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation) Television on 2nd October 2006
I will not go into the parts of the Government address dealing with self determination or the constitution. As far as we are concerned these are none of Spain’s business. However, Spain itself has made clear that it only continues with the trilateral negotiations because it understands that neither our referendum nor the proposed constitution will decolonise us.
What about the agreements? The government says the restrictions on telephones and the red and green channel have been lifted by Spain unilaterally, without asking for anything in exchange. One should hope so seeing as they had promised to do the latter 22 years ago.
Let us now consider the use of the airport, what has been agreed this time? Is it, merely enhanced use, the new label for it, or is it more than that?
You have been told that in December our airport will be able to accept flights from any other country including Spain and be like any other normal EU airport, but that in the case of Spanish flights there will be direct dual access.
We do not object to having this dual access system. Passengers who arrive here on a flight from Spain have a choice. They can chose to go into La Linea without passing through Gibraltar customs or immigration or to come straight into Gibraltar without first being cleared by Spanish Customs and Immigration from La Linea.
Such passengers would be given Customs and Immigration clearance exclusively by our own officials. Equal treatment for both.
The same procedure applies on the way out. Gibraltar arrivals at, say Madrid, would clear Immigration and Customs after landing in Spain, as we do today when landing in the UK.
However, these arrangements end in 2008. After the terminal is extended to the frontier fence the position of Gibraltar passengers’ only, changes.
In 2008, you go inside a terminal tunnel to the frontier. There, officials on the Spanish side give you Customs and Entry clearance into Spain, even though you have not left Gibraltar. From that moment on, you are for immigration purposes, already within Spain (described as being within Schengen), and the Customs Union.
This is not, the normal way all EU airports operate. It would only apply for flights to and from Spain. In the case of any other EU destination the procedure will remain unchanged and will be no different from what happens today on UK flights.
We do not accept this change, which we consider discriminates against persons wishing to travel direct from a Spanish airport to Gibraltar and vice versa.
Let’s be absolutely clear what we are being asked to accept in the use of OUR airport 18 months from now.
Before then, we can fly to and from Spanish airports the same as we do today to UK, and as we will be able to do to any other destination.
After the Terminal extension and the Spanish annexe are completed, the regime that would be imposed for Spanish flights will make them different from all the rest.
In 2008, no one will be able to fly direct from Gibraltar to Spain without first being cleared by Spanish Officials, before being permitted to board the aircraft. On arrival from Spain no one will be permitted to proceed to the Arrivals Hall, pick up his luggage, pass through our Immigration Controls and go home. No one from Gibraltar that is.
La Linea residents will continue to go home without being stopped by anyone on the way in or on the way out.
We, on the other hand, on leaving the aircraft are required to go to the edge of the frontier and obtain clearance to exit Spain and enter Gibraltar. Only then are we deemed to have left Spain and only then required to proceed to get Gibraltar clearance to enter and go home.
It is as if we had crossed the border and waved our ID through the car window on the way in.
We have moved from dual access to de facto single Spanish access with arrivals and departures having to be cleared first by the La Linea authorities.
Why?
Why is that requirement being imposed? Why the change? Why is this necessary? Is it merely to facilitate and make travel easier? If so, why is it so crucial that it is binding?
The only possible explanation is that it is a device to meet Spain’s demand that flights to and from Spain from 2008 will be treated as internal flights between 2 Spanish airports. This was the reason why they wanted a La Linea terminal in the 1987 deal and why, a year ago they demanded a Spanish police presence inside Gibraltar as an alternative to the two terminal deal.
The present Government, in the exercise of its judgment, say that in 2008, if re-elected:
-
1) it will make La Linea clearance compulsory;
2) it will contract a joint venture with Spanish participants to run our terminal;
3) create a joint liaison committee involving the Spanish Government to deal with related issues.
We will not do any of these.
The GSD (Gibraltar Social Democrats) has the right to do what they want to do with these things, but what they cannot do is deny the equivalent right to everyone else to make a different judgment of what is reasonable or have different policies. We are of the view that giving Spain direct access on an equal footing, the dual access that comes into effect now, is as far as we should go. The GSD are happy to give them more. We respect their right to their view, but do not share it. They should respect ours.
Indeed, the text of the agreement says that the new regime for entry and exit from Spain at La Linea, will not be extended to the other EU Schengen states, unless it is politically acceptable to a future Gibraltar government. This clearly shows that the regime planned for Spanish flights in 2008 is a matter of political judgment. Our judgment is different from theirs.
Mr Caruana reminded you that for the last eleven years or so he has dedicated his life to safeguarding and promoting the interest of Gibraltar.
He is entitled to claim that, by his own criteria, this is what he has done. So has everyone else, by their own criteria, who has ever been elected. Fifteen years ago he was elected defending the Brussels Process, now he has abandoned it.
I have served you for 34 years as your elected representative, 8 of them in Government. By my criteria, defending and promoting the interest of Gibraltar, as much, if not more than he has.
The defence of our national identity, giving priority to our own people and ensuring that we do not become a minority in our own homeland, have been the political beliefs for which I have often been attacked by others, as being over patriotic and over zealous, in putting Gibraltarians first. I make no apologies for our beliefs, which naturally influence how we judge issues.
Mr Caruana has told you he has no doubt that the agreements are excellent. This is not surprising; he believes everything he does is excellent.
He then told you he was unreservedly commending the proposals to you. This, however, implies that somehow you are being or have been consulted and given a choice. You all know this is not true.
This (agreement) has been negotiated in secret, then signed, sealed and delivered, a ‘Done Deal’ if ever there was one.
However, as if this were not enough, he wants to make it politically and morally binding on all future governments.
It is utter and complete nonsense to say that everything in this agreement is morally and politically binding. It is no more so than the 1984 Brussels Agreement was.
That agreement was also sold to our people as a historical break-through with excellent results, with Spain opening the border in exchange for nothing. It was accepted by one government and rejected by the next. We have no doubt what our duty is. We will not give effect to what we consider to be unreasonable and contrary to Gibraltar’s interests.
If you vote in a General Election to support that judgment, no political deal with Spain can overrule the supreme will of the people or remove your right to choose.
Related Articles and Links:
Full text of the Joint Communique of the Ministerial Meeting of the Tripartite Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar - 18 September 2006
Full Text of GSLP/Liberals Opposition Statement on Cordoba Accord
Full text of Statement by Chief Minister Peter Caruana on the Cordoba Accord Tripartite Dialogue Forum Agreement - Broadcast on GBC (Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation) Television - 19th September 2006
The Draft Despatch and Draft Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006
Read more Articles and News reports about the Tripartite Dialogue Forum