Gibraltar rejects sovereignty deal

Aznar, left, and Blair say they will reach an agreement over Gibraltar

BARCELONA, Spain -- The European Union has called on Britain and Spain to end their 300-year-old differences over Gibraltar.

The 15-EU heads of government urged the UK's Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Spanish counterpart Jose Maria Aznar to strike a deal by the summer as they have pledged.

The call comes 48-hours before the people of Gibraltar are expected to take to the streets in a demonstration against any deal that compromises their sovereignty.

On Saturday, at the end of an EU summit in Barcelona, Blair and Aznar asked the bloc's executive Commission to "explore possible ways in which the European Union might support any accord reached."

Blair, in an interview with Barcelona's La Vanguardia newspaper, said the people of Gibraltar would have the last word on any change to their constitution, but said an accord was vital.

"This is a situation of benefit for Britain, for Spain and for people in Gibraltar because in today's world we have got to all come together and have a sensible set of arrangements and Britain today has got a very strong, good relationship with Spain," he said.

"We are in discussion at the moment, I don't want to comment on those discussions but I hope very much that we can achieve an agreement that is in everyone's interest."

Aznar told a closing summit news conference that he was still hoping for a deal in the summer.

But Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana rejected any deal that ignored his people's wishes.

"Gibraltar's sovereignty and our rights and wishes as a people are not for sale for the reported 35 million pounds or any sum of money," he said

Caruana, who has called on Gibraltarians to show their rejection of any deal by attending a mass rally on Monday, says no amount of money would buy local people's support for a deal.

"Gibraltar's sovereignty and our rights and wishes as a people are not for sale for the reported .35 million or any sum of money," he said.

The statement, agreed by all 15 EU leaders meeting at Barcelona, said: "The European Council welcomes the decision of the UK and Spain to relaunch the Brussels process on Gibraltar established in 1984; underlines the EU's support for both governments' commitments to overcome their differences over Gibraltar and to conclude a comprehensive agreement before the summer; and invites the Commission to explore possible ways in which the EU could underpin any agreement reached."

Britain gained possession of Gibraltar in 1704

In a statement, the Gibraltar government responded: "The only agreement between the UK and Spain envisaged before the summer is the declaration of principles in which it is anticipated that the UK will make, in principle, sovereignty concessions to Spain over our heads and regardless of our wishes.

"The fact that Spain, using its current presidency of the Council, but obviously with UK support, has procured Council support for this undemocratic proposal makes it all the more important for Gibraltar to massively express its opposition to this at Monday's demonstration.

"The Gibraltar government deeply regrets the EU Council's failure to refer to the wishes of the people of Gibraltar in respect of the `comprehensive agreement' that it encourages the UK and Spain to reach before the summer.

"This is not compatible with the EU's own inclination to preach adherence to democratic principles outside the EU.

"What Gibraltar needs from the EU is not the underpinning of agreements reached over our heads, but that the EU should have the courage and consistency to enforce Spain's compliance with her EU obligations towards us and to uphold our EU rights."