The
OLIVE PRESS
FREE
GIBRALTAR
Vol. 5 Issue 153
www.theolivepress.es
Scandal of Mar Menor in focus See pages 6, 7 and 11
The Rock’s ONLY free local paper July 28th - August 10th 2021
Small sea, GIANT PROBLEM
THINK AGAIN
Heatwave hell en route DOZENS of Spain’s most beautiful beaches could vanish due to rising sea levels. Hundreds of thousands of coastal homes could also be in danger within decades, as a result of climate change. Key cities such as Valencia, Cadiz and Huelva could lose large areas to rising seas, according to the prediction by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Some parts of the coast could see predicted rises as high as 8mm a year. It comes as it emerged that 19 of the hottest years on record have been this century, claimed the US space agency NASA. The rapid rise of climate change is putting an alarming 75% of the country at the threat of extreme desertification, according to studies. “Spain is high-risk for climate change impacts,” scientist Francisco Blanco Velazquez told the Olive Press this week.
Brexit agreement over Gibraltar derailed as EU told to revisit rules at border with Spain
Threat
“The frequency of heatwaves has increased significantly over the last 10 years and we need to adapt to this threat because it is a risk for human health,” added the climatologist. Maximum temperature readings in Malaga are on average 3C higher than they were 60 years ago. According to meteorologists at the University of Malaga, the maximum heat reached on the hottest days in the 1960s was 42.8C, while last year it was 46C. The ongoing study found an average 1.93 heat waves per year in the 1960s and 1970s, while today there is an average of six heat-
DEBATE: Spain’s Minister of the Exterior Jose Manuel Albares, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
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HEAT MAP: Predicted hot spots
THE British government has rejected the latest plan from the EU in post-Brexit treaty negotiations over the future of Gibraltar insisting that the bloc ‘think again’. The European Commission presented the 26-page draft negotiating mandate, which it said would have a positive impact for people living and working on either side of the border between Spain and the Rock. But both London and Gibraltar said the proposed mandate strayed over red lines established in the New Year’s Eve agreement and could not form the basis for talks as it gave Spain the mandate to carry out border control and surveillance at Gibraltar’s port, airport and waters.
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Under the framework agreement of December, it was agreed that the EU´s Frontex would carry out this role, rather than Spain. But the new draft mandate stated that these powers would be given to Spanish border guards. The mandate also gives Spain a deciding voice over the issuing of visas and residency permits and on asylum decisions. And it recommends that Gibraltar be required to join the EU’s VAT area for goods and services. “It seeks to undermine the UK’s sovereignty over Gibraltar, and cannot form a basis for negotiations,” insisted UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. “The UK, with Gibraltar, and Spain carefully agreed a pragmatic framework agreement, in full conSee page 9 - 16 sultation with the EU Commission,” said
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By Fiona Govan
Raab. “The Commission’s proposed mandate, published today, directly conflicts with that framework.” “It seeks to undermine the UK’s sovereignty over Gibraltar, and cannot form a basis for negotiations.” “We have consistently showed pragmatism and flexibility in the search for arrangements that work for all sides, and we are disappointed that this has not been reciprocated.” “We urge the EU to think again.” Raab added: “The Commission’s draft mandate fails to respect essential elements of the framework, does not reflect a real-world solution, and cannot form a basis for negotiations.” Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo echoed the view from London. “The draft EU mandate is a matter for them, of course, but I must say that on the basis of the current draft, there is no possibility of this forming the basis for an agreement,” he said. “We will work closely with the UK ,
especially Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, to continue to seek the best possible outcomes for Gibraltar.” In Madrid however, Spain’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs welcomed its publication and said it remained committed to negotiating a treaty over Gibraltar. “Spain will at all time work alongside the European Commission to ensure that its legal positions, interests and objectives are protected and that the commitments reached between Spain and the United Kingdom are respected,” read a statement.
Prosperity “Spain wishes to conclude this negotiation as soon as possible so that a new framework is rapidly established that guarantees shared prosperity for the benefit of all parties and, in particular, the citizens of the Campo de Gibraltar.” The mandate must be approved and adopted by the European Council prior to the start of negotiations.