The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Kingdom of Spain, His Excellency Sr Don Francisco Fernandez
Ordonez, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary of the
United Kingdom, the Right Honourable
Sir Geoffrey Howe, meeting in London on 2 December 1987.
Taking into account also the discussions within the Council of
the European Community about the European Commission's proposals
for liberalising air transport:
1. The aeronautical authorities of the two sides will hold
regular consultations about all questions relating to the
development of the civil use of the airport, including those
relating to the establishment of new services to third
countries.
Permission for Spanish airlines to operate
services between airports of the Kingdom of Spain and Gibraltar,
under paragraph 1 of Article 6 of the draft EC Decision on
capacity and market access, will be given by the Spanish
authorities.
2. The Spanish authorities will build a new terminal at La Linea
de la Concepcion adjacent to the northern side of the existing
frontier-fence. Passengers using this terminal will have direct
access to the airport through a gate in the south side of the
terminal.
3.1 The Spanish terminal will be used by the following
categories of passengers:
Passengers from any country, flying in aircraft of any company
and of any nationality, whose destination on disembarking is any
point on the territory situated to the north of the frontier
fence.
Passengers proceeding from any point of the territory situated
to the north of the frontier fence who embark in aircraft of any
company and of any nationality, for any destination.
3.2 The British terminal will be used by all other passengers.
3.3 When appropriate, passengers will be subject to customs and
immigration controls in the respective terminals.
4.1 A committee will be established to coordinate the civil air
transport activities of the British and Spanish terminals and
their relation with the airport's other services. The committee
will consist of an equal number of members appointed by each
Government.
4.2 The arrangements in paragraph 4.1 will be kept under review
by the Working Group on Civil Aviation Questions established in
1985 under the auspices of the Anglo/Spanish Coordinators. This
working group will report regularly to the Coordinators. The
reports will contain any recommendations for further cooperation
in the use of Gibraltar airport.
5. The British and Spanish Governments will ensure that
effective measures are taken within the existing and new
terminals respectively to screen passengers and their carry-on
items, and to carry out appropriate checks on crew, cargo and
aircraft stores prior to and during boarding. There will be
close cooperation between the authorities responsible for
security within the two terminals and between them and the
existing authorities responsible for security elsewhere at the
airport, so as to ensure that the highest standards of security
are maintained.
6. There will be continued discussions between the two sides
about further strengthening of air safety and traffic control
arrangements in the area.
7. The present arrangements and any activity or measure
undertaken in applying them or as a consequence of them are
understood to be without prejudice to the respective legal
positions of Spain and the United Kingdom with regard to the
dispute over sovereignty over the territory in which the airport
is situated.
8. The above arrangements will come into operation when the
British authorities have signified to the Spanish authorities
that the legislation necessary to give effect to paragraph 3.3
above is in force, or on completion of the construction of the
Spanish terminal, whichever is the later, but in any event not
more than one year after the notification referred to above.
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