Gibraltar : its current and future status within the E.U.

Abstract

Within the European Union there are certain areas like San Marino or the Vatican City which although are adjacent to or within a state are independent of it. Others, like the Aaland Islands are part of the mother country and are very often culturally but not politically part of a state, thus being defined as autonomous dependencies. Yet what is the status of such areas in relation to the European Union? For instance the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are both subject to the British Crown but not part of the United Kingdom, yet boast of autonomous sovereignty and whose status within the European Union can be found enshrined in Articles 25/27 and Protocol Three of the UK Act of Accession, as well as in a Commission report paper. Both the latter-mentioned Islands thus have Associated Territory status, but are not political members of the E.U., consequently are not eligible for benefits from EU Membership yet are considered to form part of the single market, with all the benefits this brings with it. Gibraltar, as an area pertaining to the British Isles, is somewhat different from the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, because, although it became a member of the then EEC in 1973, the outstanding dispute with Spain over the sovereignty and autonomy of the Gibraltarians has denied it the status and full benefits of membership it deserves. To Britain, Gibraltar is 'The Rock', either a besieged piece of the motherland or a strategic 'possession' at the entrance to the Mediterranean. To Spain, Gibraltar is a significant piece of Spanish territory under the sovereignty of a foreign power. In this thesis I shall be investigating Gibraltar's role within the European Union in terms of its political, social and cultural rights as well as its economy and the free movement of people with particular reference to Anglo-Spanish Relations. I shall also be investigating the impact which the European Community has on Gibraltar's affairs, and its ever-increasing role in shaping Gibraltar's legislation. Is the current situation damaging to Gibraltar, constraining its relationship with Spain, blocking British objectives in the EU, and undermining Britain's wider interests? What is the future for Gibraltar? By looking at the background to and the course of Anglo-Spanish relations amalgamated under the important umbrella that is the European Union, as well as Gibraltar's role in these negotiations and the question of their sovereignty, the objectives and actions of the Gibraltarians and their claim to self-determination shall be analysed against the wider map of Anglo-Spanish relations.