Source: www.fco.gov.uk



GIBRALTAR'S ENFRANCHISEMENT FOR EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS 

ANNOUNCED (28/11/01) 



Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain said on 28 November:



'I am delighted to announce the Government's intention that, for the 

first time ever, the Gibraltar electorate should be able to vote in 

European Parliamentary elections. The Government fully supports 

Gibraltar's aspiration and right to be represented in the European 

Parliament. We are committed to achieving this in time for the next 

elections in 2004.     



'This will require domestic legislation in the UK, so we will be 

seeking the legislative time in order to bring in the necessary 

domestic legislation. We will of course proceed in close 

consultation with the Gibraltar authorities.'   



Notes for Editors



1. The UK is responsible for Gibraltar within the European Union 

(EU).  



2. At present, the Gibraltar electorate is unable to participate in 

elections to the European Parliament. 



3. As a result of a European Court of Human Rights ruling (Matthews 

vs UK) we are under a legal obligation to enable the Gibraltar 

electorate to vote in EP elections. Ever since the judgement was 

delivered in February 1999, the UK Government has made clear that it 

unequivocally accepts the obligation to ensure that Gibraltarians 

can vote in elections to the European Parliament, and that it was 

actively seeking enfranchisement in time for the 2004 elections.     

   



4. We have carefully examined all the options for achieving this, 

and we have now decided to seek legislative time to bring in the 

necessary domestic legislation so that Gibraltar will be 

enfranchised in time for 2004 elections.    



5. The detail of the legislative arrangements and the precise manner 

in which Gibraltar will exercise the franchise needs to be 

considered further by both HMG and the Government of Gibraltar. We 

will be seeking early consultations with the Government of Gibraltar 

in order to take this forward.