Letter from Ms Isabel Pita Canas, Sub-director
General to the Secretariat of the President of the Government
of Spain, 26 March 1999
Por indicacion del Presidente del Gobierno doy
respuesta a la queja que, via fax, ha dirigido a esta Presidencia
del Gobierno, solicitando que se garantice la libre circulacion
de personas entre Espana y Gibraltar.
Aunque tanto el Reino de Espana como el Reino
Unido forman parte de la Union Europea, el Reino Unido (y por
tanto Gibraltar) no se has integrado en el "Grupo de Schengen".
Por ello, el Reino de Espana tiene, no ya el derecho sino también
la obligacion de verificar la documentacion de las personas que
entran en nuestro paôs.
Por otra parte, Gibraltar no forma parte de
la Union Aduanera. Ademas, a Gibraltar no se le aplica ni el IVA
ni la Politica Agricola Comun. Por ello, el Reino de Espana tiene,
no ya el derecho sino también la obligacion, de verificar
que las mercancôas que entran en nuestro paôs cumplen
con los requistos exigidos en la normativa espanola y comunitaria.
Tal como ha reconocido la Comision Europea,
el Reino de Espana esta habilitado a ejercer estos controles en
la verja, sin que ello suponga un menoscabo del derecho a la libre
circulacion de personas y mercancôas consagrado en la normativa
comunitaria.
Translation
I am directed by the Prime Minister to reply
to your faxed complaint to this office, asking that the free movement
of persons between Spain and Gibraltar, be guaranteed.
Although both the Kingdom of Spain, and the
United Kingdom, form part of the European Union, the United Kingdom
(and therefore Gibraltar) are not in the Schengen Group. Accordingly,
the Kingdom of Spain has not only the right, but indeed the duty,
to examine the documents of the persons who enter our country.
In addition, Gibraltar does not form part of
the Customs Union, nor are VAT or the Common Agricultural Policy
applied to Gibraltar. Accordingly, the Kingdom of Spain has not
only the right, but indeed the duty, to ascertain that goods which
enter our country comply with Spanish, and Community, requirements.
As has been recognised by the European Commission,
the Kingdom of Spain is empowered to exercise these controls at
the fence, whilst not undermining the right of free movement of
persons and goods, as enshrined in community law.
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