50 Euro Fee

From the BBC:
"Spain considers Gibraltar border fee"

Spain is considering a 50 euro (£43) fee to cross its border with Gibraltar, amid a row over an artificial reef.  Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told a Spanish newspaper the proceeds would "help fishermen affected by the destruction of fishing grounds". The latest tensions come after the British territory began work on the concrete reef, which Spain claims infringes the rights of its fishermen.  The UK Foreign Office said it was "concerned" at the minister's comments. Britain has governed Gibraltar for 300 years but Spain disputes UK sovereignty over the rocky outcrop on its southern tip.  In the interview with ABC newspaper, published on Sunday, Mr Garcia-Margallo said Spain was considering the fee to enter and exit Gibraltar through its border post with Spain.  The minister was also quoted as saying that Spanish tax authorities could launch an investigation into property owned by around 6,000 Gibraltarians in neighbouring parts of Spain. Spain is also considering closing its airspace to flights heading to Gibraltar, and changing the law so that online gaming companies operating from the British overseas territory have to use Spanish servers and come under the jurisdiction of Madrid's taxation regime, he said. He said that as well as the border fees measure, Spain would stop concrete and other materials being brought in through the border for the building of the reef. A spokeswoman for the UK Foreign Office said: "We are concerned by today's comments on Gibraltar, which we are looking into further.  "As we have said, we will not compromise on our sovereignty over Gibraltar, nor our commitment to its people. We continue to use all necessary measures to safeguard British sovereignty."  Gibraltar resident Amber Lyons, 21, said thousands of people who work across the border in Spain would be affected if they had to pay to cross over. "My boyfriend lives just over the border so I would have to pay 100 euros each time I wanted to see him," said Ms Lyons, who works for the border and coastguard agency. Ms Lyons, whose grandparents also live close to the Spanish side of the border, added: "I didn't really believe it when I heard it - surely it would contravene our human rights."

^ It does seem that Spain blocking it's airspace and imposing a 50 Euro fine for crossing into/out of Gibraltar would imped the EU's policy of freedom of movement for ALL of it's citizens and the British, Spanish and Gibraltese are ALL EU citizens. I think the Governments of the UK and Gibraltar should seek the EU Parliament and other EU institutions to intervene if these measures are passed. Spain was only allowed to close it's border with Gibraltar from the 1960s to the 1980s because Spain wasn't part of the EU and only relaxed its barricade when it was forced to when it joined the EU. Some people live too much in the past and need to do more for their future. I'm sure Spain is only doing it because they are bankrupt and is getting EU money to support itself - which the UK is helping to pay. Maybe the rest of the EU should take away Spain's funding if they make the measures law. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23567976