Not all is well in Gibraltar. The important roquefort still held by the United Kingdom, but attached to neighboring Spain, has now become the scene of an explosive rift between the Uk and Spain.
The rift is so deep that the UK has sent a warship to Gibraltar. Three more vessels are to follow soon. Although the UK claims it is all part of long planned military exercise, the timing betrays a different motive.
Although both countries are NATO allies, they are not in good terms with regards to the straits.
It began with some illegally, as far as Spain can see, planted cement blocks in the straits, which Gibraltar placed there to impede illegally fishing. The response from Spain was to block the flow of people through Spain from Gibraltar by holding them endlessly through laborious customs checks. Spain claims the checks are necessary to prevent drug and tobacco smugglers. Spain is considering even heavier measures, like the shutting down of air routes to Gibraltar through Spanish mainland and so forth.
The problem is not entirely new: Gibraltar and Spain have been dueling over fishing rights off its water for years. Spain for its parts, or at least Spanish fishermen, have been violating Gibraltar's territorial boundaries to fish illegally for decades.
However, the advantage that Gibraltar offered the UK in earlier centuries, has greatly diminished, so that the British government might even consider letting go of the holding, and return Gibraltar to Spain. However, the 30,000 plus British citizens who live there are fiercely opposed to such a measure.
In the meantime, the UK is considering bringing a claim to the European Commission. However, the Commission has urged both parties to come to terms with the problem and allow border crossings according to EU laws, although Gibraltar like the UK, is not a Schengen agreement country, which allows free movement of EU citizens across the EU member states borders.
Source : Spiegel online/ 8.14.13
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