EU grabs miles of British waters for Spain

[-:Undertaker:-]

Daily Mail: EU and Spain grab miles of British territortial waters

They've tried invasion, diplomacy and downright skulduggery to grab a piece of Gibraltar during the past 300 years.

But now the Spanish have played their trump card by laying claim to 20 square miles of sea around the Rock...in the name of the environment.

And it seems to have worked – for the moment, at least. For the EU has granted Spain legal rights over British waters surrounding Gibraltar.


But the move has sparked protests from Britain and the Gibraltar government and led to a confrontation between Royal Navy and Spanish warships.

The grab for the section of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) came about when Spain convinced the European Commission to include Gibraltar’s waters within a new 69sq mile EU marine conservation area called the Estrecho Oriental, to be maintained by Spain.

However, under EU law, only the member state with sovereignty over the land or sea in question can apply for it to be designated an EU conservation site – meaning the EU has recognised Spain’s possession of British water.

A slap in the face to this country and the people of Gibraltar, the European Union and the Kingdom of Spain have no right to take any of our sovereign waters or land, and now it seems after 300 years fighting the Spanish over terrortorial issues we are about to give in because the European Union has sided with Spain, as usual.

An absolute disgrace, and begs futhermore on the eve of the European Elections - why is this country is the European Union?

[xxMATTGxx]

What the hell are they playing at. Lets send some British ships into their waters and see if they like it. The British Government and the Royal Navy will not stand for this crap.

[alexxxxx]

Spain took it. Not the EU. And it's Gibraltar's waters, not Britain's itself.

It's a minor thing, just like when we shot at some icelandic ships the other month. Happens all the time.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Spain took it. Not the EU. And it's Gibraltar's waters, not Britain's itself.

It's a minor thing, just like when we shot at some icelandic ships the other month. Happens all the time.

The EU granted Spain the waters. Gibraltar is a colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, hence why it is protected by the Royal Navy. It isn't a minor thing, Spain have been after Gibraltar for years and years and thanks to the EU they are now ahead of the game.

If we passed all of our rival territorial claims off as 'nothing' we wouldn't have any remaining colonies left, just like the Falklands which we took back because we had a government and a Prime Minister with a backbone.

[Xarea]

I don't see why it matters. I think you lot overreact too much at all this stuff.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I don't see why it matters. I think you lot overreact too much at all this stuff.

It matters because they are British sovereign waters and Spain has repeatedly demanded that Gibraltar be handed over to Spain despite the people of Gibraltar being possibly the most patriotic people who live in the United Kingdom and its colonies.

I care, and thats better than not caring. It was caring that brought down the Third Reich and Soviet Union.

[lick]

I don't see why it matters. I think you lot overreact too much at all this stuff.

I agree, this section is turing into hate the EU by some people .

[Jordan,]

BOMB em I say

[alexxxxx]

Spain have been wanting Gibraltar for ages. It's not like it's the first time in hundreds of years they have wandered into Gibraltar's waters and it wasn't even a navy ship. Get a grip. It's up to Gibraltar to sort its waters out and then call on the navy if need be. They've put a complaint into the European Council I think. It's not in the EU. We shouldn't have colonies anyway. It's just slavery, that's why India and the like turned into their own states. We have the fawklands so we have a claim for some of the oil or whatever in the antarctic.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I agree, this section is turing into hate the EU by some people .

Then come and defend the EU. You can't have it your way if you don't want to support your cause/s.

Spain have been wanting Gibraltar for ages. It's not like it's the first time in hundreds of years they have wandered into Gibraltar's waters and it wasn't even a navy ship. Get a grip. It's up to Gibraltar to sort its waters out and then call on the navy if need be. They've put a complaint into the European Council I think. It's not in the EU. We shouldn't have colonies anyway. It's just slavery, that's why India and the like turned into their own states. We have the fawklands so we have a claim for some of the oil or whatever in the antarctic.

What has angered people is that the EU with all this in mind had now granted Spain legal rights over our territorial waters when they have no right to. I'm glad, but the fact is they shouldn't have to complain to Europe, it is not up to Europe to tell us whether we still have a legal status over our water and land which we have held for the past two hundred years or more.

Gibralter wants to be a colony, now called a British Oversea Territory. We should never abandon them people to other countrys, as what a Labour Government in the 1980's most likely would of done to the Falklands if it wasn't for Margaret Thatcher. The older colonies are now gone which in the end wanted independance despite the fact we built up/even created most of them countries as they didn't exist before we ventured there, but thats another can of worms.