A technical mission consisting of seven officials from the EU is visiting Gibraltar today to see if both sides have complied with their recommendations to ease tensions at the border crossing.
The EU sent a team to The Rock in September following various tit-for-tat spats between the Spanish and Gibraltar authorities which led to huge queues at the border crossing.
The team visiting Gibraltar today come from the Home Affairs Office, Tax Department, Customs Department, Anti-Fraud Unit and the Justice Department.
It seems that every time there is a political disagreement between Madrid and London, or when the politicians need a distraction from domestic or internal problems, the poor residents and workers on the Rock and across on mainland Spain have to suffer interminable delays getting to and from The Rock.
The Spanish authorities ‘tighten’ border controls on the pretext of clamping down on smuggling and the Gibraltar authorities start intercepting Spanish boats on the pretext of curbing illegal fishing. If the political arguments persist or the domestic problems are relatively serious, a bit of sabre-rattling is usually thrown into the mix, a couple of warships putting in to port for a ‘routine’ visit.