Gibraltar Government plans 1500 flats

895 flats already allocated

Watergardens, Gibraltar

GIBRALTAR  -- With all flats at Mons Calpe Mews and Beach View Terraces now allocated, the government has said it is planning two further housing projects; the first opposite Watergardens and the second on the Eastside reclamation. In late 2011, the GSLP-Liberals promised the electorate they would provide hundreds of new homes at affordable prices if elected. Construction for their first two housing schemes is well underway and a total of 895 flats have already been allocated, including 477 three bedroom flats and 312 two bedroom flats. The housing waiting list guided allocation, with priority given to those on the list at the time of the last general election.

Fabian Picardo: Gibraltar vindicated over border queues

"Gibraltar’s cause in Europe was a marathon, not a sprint"

(gbc.gi)

GIBRALTAR -- In an interview on GBC, the Chief Minister said that the Gibraltar and UK Governments are absolutely vindicated in their approach to dealing with Spain’s border harassment. Reacting to the European Commission’s letter to Spain, which was sent last July but came to light on Monday, Fabian Picardo says he always maintained that fighting Gibraltar’s cause in Europe was a marathon, not a sprint, and believes they are now seeing results. Speaking to GBC, Mr Picardo said he now realises why Spain didn't want to publish the letter sent to it. He said the Commission hasn't let Gibraltar down, nor has it let Spain off the hook. Mr Picardo says it’s obvious that following that letter, sent to Spain last July, Spain is now clearly acting in a way designed to comply with the Commission’s recommendations, and we are now seeing works at the frontier to that effect. He also believes that, barring one or two incidents, we haven’t seen huge queues forming at the frontier compared to pre-July queues. (Source: GBC)

European Commission rebukes Spain over border queues

Deadline for finishing work by summer of 2015 'at the latest'

(www.telegraph.co.uk)

GIBRALTAR (from The Gibraltar Chronicle by Dominique Searle) In a stinging letter the European Commission has criticised Spain and given it the deadline of summer 2015 for the completion of its works at the frontier that are supposed to respond to the “unjustified” delays witnessed by a team of EU experts in September 2013. The move comes in a letter recently sent to the Madrid Government which also sets out new steps its expects to be taken to ease flow. It states that checks by the Spanish authorities on travellers should be “significantly reduced” and that Spain should work with the Gibraltar border authorities in relation to frontier reforms. The letter also details that the Commission last July offered to act as a conduit for two way information exchanges between Spain and Gibraltar on the basis of each side approving what information can be passed on.

OECD approves of Gibraltar's fiscal policy

• Madrid Stock Exchanges warns of 'financial beach huts'
• Minister of the Economy says a 'major step' has been taken on this 'vital subject

GIBRALTAR -- The Rock was busy congratulating itself recently about the approval given by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) for its new fiscal policies contained in a multilateral agreement on the automatic exchange of information about financial accounts held there. As might be expected, these policies are aimed at smoothing the image of Gibraltar as an offshore tax haven (or 'financial paradise', as the Spanish media call it) that is very difficult to shake off. While Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was slapping backs in Berlin, the Madrid Stock Exchange (CNMV in its Spanish acronym) was warning about the activities being carried out by what the media called a 'financial beach hut' (chiringuito has other connotations, too) operating on Gibraltar: Nova Nordic Limited, which is supposedly not permitted to offer any services on the Rock.

Spain asks EC to sanction Gibraltar for assigning itself tuna quotas

Image: WWF Global

MADRID -- The central government has urged the European Commission (EC) to initiate an infringement procedure after Gibraltar allocated itself a quota of 10 tonnes of bluefin tuna to capture in 2015.

The Spanish authorities have stressed that this decision is totally illegal in accordance with Community and international law. Fishing opportunities for bluefin tuna are set based on the decisions of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which is responsible for the management and conservation of tuna stocks in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean.

UK High Court dismisses Gibraltar challenge to new online gambling law

LONDON -- A High Court in the UK has dismissed a legal challenge from bookmakers to bring the licensing and taxation of online gambling companies under UK control if they offer their services to consumers in Britain, Reuters reports. Gambling companies with large UK customer bases such as Ladbrokes and William Hill have placed their operations offshore to benefit from lower taxes. A new tax regime is due to come into force on 1 December to force such companies to obtain a licence from the UK Gambling Commission and to pay a 15 percent tax online winnings from bets made by UK consumers. The case was brought by the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA), arguing that it contravened European legislation on free movement of services. The GBGA declined to say if it would appeal. (Source: Telecompaper)

Lo mismo de siempre: Gibraltar y la corrupción

GIBRALTAR (y Opinión) Este pasado verano volvía Gibraltar a las noticias internacionales una vez más. ¿Noticias? La disputa sobre las aguas territoriales tiene unos 300 años; lo de la pesca, otro tanto; el argumento medioambiental tiene al menos un ano o dos, cuando el Peñón comenzó echando al mar unos bloques de cemento que impiden la pesca tradicional en aguas de la bahía y que pronto se echaron al argumento político. La amenaza de cerrar la verja en la frontera que separa la colonia del resto de España ha existido en mayor o menor medida durante años, pero la amenaza de cobrar por entrar a España, es decir al espacio Schengen, es relativamente nuevo - ¿recuerda el lector al anterior alcalde de La Línea?

Much ado about the same stupid things: Gibraltar vs corruption

GIBRALTAR (+Opinion) -- Gibraltar was in the news again over the summer. And now again, though less so, while La Línea builds a new entrance to the Rock – construction for which is likely to take a while and never be quite finished, more for political than practical reasons. Anything so long as it gets on the nerves of Gibraltarians, say some of the more truculent.