alt.gibraltar FAQ Version 2.20
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Questions answered in this document
1. THE STATUS OF GIBRALTAR
1.1 Political Status [revised]
1.2 Nationality
1.3 The European Union
1.4 Self Determination
1.5 The Constitution
1.6 The Legal System
1.7 System of Government
1.8 Present Government
2. INFRASTRUCTURE
2.1 General Information
2.2 The CIA world factbook
2.3 Post Codes
2.4 The ferry to Spain
2.5 The ferry to Morocco
2.6 The Airport
2.7 The Currency
2.8 Telephones
2.9 Mobile Phones
2.10 Internet [revised]
2.20 Water
3. ALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
3.1 Drug Smuggling
3.2 Tobacco Smuggling
3.3 Money Laundering
3.4 Harmful tax practices
4. INFORMATION RESOURCES
4.1 Information on the Web [revised]
4.2 The alt.gibraltar Newsgroup
4.3 Acceptable use policy
5. FISHING
6. THE IRA INQUEST
7. DRIVING
8. EMPLOYMENT
9. WEBCAMS
10. MARRIAGE
11. THE SUBMARINE
12. ACCOMODATION
13. TALKS WITH SPAIN [revised]
14. DEMONSTRATIONS
15, THE PORT
16. THE EUROPEAN UNION
17. GAMBLING
18. MOD DISPUTE [new]
19. UEFA [new]
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1. Is Gibraltar part of Spain ?
a. No; Despite being on the tip ofthe Iberian Peninsular at
the entrance of the Mediterranean, Gibraltar has been
British since 1704.
The Spanish ceded the territory to the British in perpetuity
under the treaty of Utrecht (1713).
There is no possibility of any change of sovereignty in the
foreseeable future.(see item 13 below)
Gibraltar has the status of a 'UK Overseas Territory'
1.1 Are the Gibraltarians happy with the present political
status ?
a. Generally yes. Some voted against the new constitution in a
referendum in 2006 because they did not consider it went far
enough, others opposed it because they wanted union with the
UK. The majority approved it.
The status of Gibraltar is discussed at the United Nations
regularly. Political Development has been delayed because of
the outdated Spanish territorial claim.
1.2. Do the Gibraltarians want to remain British ?
a. Yes. The referendum in 1967 achieved a turnout of 95.8%
12,138 voted to remain British 44 for Spain and there were
55 spoiled papers. Annexation by Spain is still viewed most
unfavourably and is a major local issue.
The referendum held on 7th November 2002 produced a
similar result, with an 87% turnout 17.900 voted against
any shared sovereignty deal with Spain with only 187 in
favour of considering it.
Gibraltarians have the right to full British citizenship.
Most have exercised it.
1.3 Is Gibraltar part of the EU ?
a. Yes; It joined in 1973 under Article 227(4) of the Treaty of
Rome. Relevant EU directives are speedily translated into
local law.
Due to the UK Government not having made the necessary
provisions, however, residents of Gibraltar are unable to
vote in elections for the EU parliament and are pressing for
this right.
It is not part of the Agricultural policy (no agriculture)
or the Customs Union which allows local Government to set
import duties and be exempt from the EU VAT scheme.
1.4. Do the Gibraltarians have the right to self-determination?
a. The UN Special Committee on decolonisation in May 1999 ended
with the statement:
"In the process of decolonisation, there was no alternative
to the principle of self-determination, which was also a
fundamental human right"
1.5 Does Gibraltar have a written constitution ?
a. Yes under the Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969, The
preamble of which includes the much (miss) quoted phrase :
"Her majesty's Government will never enter into arrangements
under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the
sovereignty of another state against their freely and
democratically expressed wishes"
This is also a feature of the new 2006 constitution.
1.6 What is the legal system in Gibraltar ?
a. Gibraltar law is based on English law.
The Judicature including the Supreme Court and Court of
Appeal are defined by the Gibraltar Constitution EU
directives are transposed into Gibraltar law.
The Judicial Committee of the UK Privy Council is the court of
final appeal.
1.6.1 Is Legal aid available ?
a. Yes on a similar basis to that in the UK
1.7 How is Gibraltar Governed ?
a. The Governor is appointed by the UK Government and represents
the Queen as head of state.
Apart from defence and foreign affairs, other matters are under
the control of the locally elected Government. The House of
assembly now renamed the Gibraltar Parliament has 17
elected members, nine in Government and eight forming the
opposition,
The Government is headed and controlled by the Chief Minister.
1.8 Who is in Government ?
a. The Gibraltar Social Democrats won the October 2007 election
for a further four year term.
see their website at: http://www.gsd.gi
2. INFRASTRUCTURE
2.1 Does Gibraltar depend on Spain for essential services ?
a. No; Gibraltar has its own electricity generation and
adequate desalination plant. There are two radio stations,
one TV station a modern digital telephone exchange and
satellite earth station, an international airport, a number
of newspapers, and two ISP's
2.2 Is the CIA World Factbook entry on Gibraltar correct ?
a. It used to have a number of glaring errors, but the most
recent version corrects these, however many people reproduce
old inaccurate versions on their websites, so please refer to
the updated original at:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gi.html
Their map is pre-war and out of date.
2.3 Does Gibraltar use Post codes or ZIP codes ?
a. No, its not needed because of the size of the territory.
2.4 Why is there no ferry service Gibraltar - Algeciras ?
a. The United Kingdom and Spain agreed in 1984 that sea ferry
links between the Spanish port of Algeciras and the port of
Gibraltar would be renewed. Spain's Council of Ministers
issued a decree on the 31 January 1985 (published in the
boletin del Estado of the 5 February 1985) giving legal
force to the restoration Maritime communications.
However, applications by commercial operators to resume
maritime and air links have been refused by the Spanish
authorities.
2.5 Is there a regular ferry service to Morocco?
a. There is a service operated on an occasional basis for locally
employed Moroccans, as they experience difficulty in crossing
the frontier to use the Spanish service.
MH Bland who operated a hydrofoil service have gone over to
using the Algeciras ferry, but offer a service including a
bus from Gibraltar and back to the terminal.
2.6 Is there a Gibraltar airport?
a. Gibraltar has an International airport with flights to
London and Madrid. Spanish restrictions on aircraft movements
were removed in December 2006.
2.7 What is Currency in Gibraltar?
a. The Pound sterling; with notes issued by the Government of
Gibraltar. UK notes and coins are universally accepted.
Gibraltar also issues its own coins which are the same size
and value as the UK but differ in design, a range of stamps
and unique telephone cards.
The EURO is accepted in a wide range of shops and businesses
but not the Post Office or Government offices. it should be
noted that it is not legal tender and there is this no actual
obligation to accept it or any other foreign currency.
Exchange rates may vary.
Large denomination Euro notes are not accepted by local banks
for security reasons.
2.8 What is the telephone system?
a. Gibraltar has a System/X digital telephone exchange and a
modern digital fibre backbone operated by Gibtelecom.
International circuits are provided by a satellite earth
station, microwave links to Morocco, and modern submarine
fibre cables. The connection to Spain is via a digital
fibreoptic cable.
Gibraltar has a country code of 350 allocated by the ITU
the competent international agency but Spain refused to
accept this and treated Gibraltar as part of the Cadiz
province with a code of 9567. This was finally resolved
in February 2007.
The restrictions caused problems with the Gibraltar numbering
plan which needed to be extended in the same way the UK has
repeatedly done to allow for new services.
2.9 What about mobile phones?
a. The local operator is Gibtelecom which offers a GSM900
service with roaming agreements with most other operators
except Spain - again because of political reasons Madrid
refused to accept the existence of Gibraltar. Like the
350 code this was resolved in February 2007.
Spanish networks can be accessed in Gibraltar, however
coverage is a problem and only GIBTEL provides a good
signal locally.
GPRS was introduced in 2004.
2,10 What is the Internet network identifier?
a. The ISO two letter code for Gibraltar is .gi
Local domain names are managed by the Gibraltar NIC
see: http://www.nic.gi
2.11 What Internet facilities are there?
a. Gibraltar has two ISP's Sapphire Networks Limited (previously
GibNet Limited) and Gibconnect, part of Gibtelecom.
Details of their access numbers and connectivity can be
found on:
http://www.gibnet.com/online
Locally most households have at least one computer with
an Internet connection.
There are a number of 'Internet shops' who cater for visitors
and casual users, and pay terminals in the local Burger King
the airport and other places.
There are commercial wireless 'hot spots' at the local marinas
2.12 What about commercial connectivity ?
a. Both ISP's sell high speed circuits connected by fibre back
to London. There is diversity in cables to prevent a failure
caused by a failure in Spain cutting off access.
2.20 WATER
2.21 Can I drink the water ?
a. Yes, we do all the time.
2.22 Where does it come from ?
a. AquaGib Ltd. is now responsible for water supplies to Gibraltar
under a License Agreement. The company operates various
desalination plants and wells.
The water is pumped from the different sources to blend at the
storage reservoirs, where the water can receive additional
treatment if required in the form of chlorination and
sedimentation.
When a reservoir is full the water is analysed for chemical
content and bacterial purity to ensure that it complies with the
provisions of the Gibraltar Public Health Ordinance which
incorporates the EU Directive 98/83 of 3 November 1998
regulating the quality of water to be used for dietetic purposes.
Once the water is found to comply it is transferred by means of
pumps to the service reservoirs and receives marginal
chlorination to assist in maintaining its bacterial purity once
it enters the distribution system. Before a service reservoir is
put into supply it is further analysed to check its compliance
with the above standards.
3. ALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
3.1 Is Gibraltar centre of drug smuggling?
a. This is an unfounded claim made in the Spanish media. In
order to prevent this happening it is illegal for anyone to
own or bring speedboats of the kind used for smuggling into
Gibraltar waters.
Locally the Royal Gibraltar Police drugs squad enforce the
law which is stricter than in the United Kingdom.
For international co-operation see the GCID web site on
http://www.gibnet.com/gcid
3.2 Is there is a lot of Tobacco smuggling in Gibraltar ?
a. The local duty on tobacco is low, and this has in the past,
generated a trade in cigarettes, mainly to Spain.
To stop this the Government introduced tough laws on owning
speedboats and the possession of tobacco.
Under current law, which is strictly enforced, it is illegal
to be in possession of 2000 cigarettes. This has rather
limited the trade.
Recent legislation makes it an offence to attempt to ask people
to take tobacco over the frontier, as tourists were molested by
Spanish women asking them to do this.
3.3 Is there money laundering in Gibraltar?
a. The US State department comment in 1998 was:
"Money laundering on an all-crimes basis was criminalized in
1995, All financial institutions, insurance companies,
bureaux de change, accountants, company formation agents,
casinos, attorneys and others are obliged to report
suspicious transactions.
Gibraltar is within the EU as part of the UK Member State.
It implemented the EU Money Laundering Directive in 1995,
and its anti-money laundering legislation is fully in line
with EU requirements."
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee investigation
similarly concluded:
"The series of allegations which Spain makes against Gibraltar
appear almost wholly to be without substance. In many cases,
it is not just the Government of Gibraltar but the British
Government as well which is traduced. It is deeply regrettable
that allegations are made that cannot be sustained by a basis
in fact."
Despite this the allegations continue, although there is never
any evidence to back them up.
3.4 What does the OECD say about Gibraltar?
a. The OECD is pleased to announce that Gibraltar has made a
commitment to improve the transparency of its tax and regulatory
systems and to establish effective exchange of information for
tax matters with OECD countries by 31 December 2005.
Gibraltar was among 35 jurisdictions identified by the OECD in
June 2000 as meeting the technical criteria for being a tax
haven. As a result of having made a commitment in accordance
with the OECD's 2001 Progress Report on the OECD's Project on
Harmful Tax Practices, Gibraltar will not be included in the
list of unco-operative tax havens to be issued shortly.
4. INFORMATION RESOURCES
4.1 Where can I find more general information about Gibraltar ?
a. http://www.gibraltar.gov.gi
http://www.gibnet.com
http://www.gibraltar.gi
http://www.discovergibraltar.com
http://www.self-determination.gi
http://www.gibnews.net
http://www.gibtalk.net
http://www.gibraltarweather.com
4.2 How can I get answers to things not covered in the above ?
a. Post a sensible question to the newsgroup alt.gibraltar
4.3 What is the purpose of the alt.gibraltar news group?
a. The purpose of the newsgroup is to provide a forum for an
informal discussion of life in Gibraltar. Spam, abuse and
messages relating to outdated territorial claims are not
wanted.
It is implicitly understood that Gibraltar belongs exclusivly
to its inhabitants and the newsgroup shall reflect this view.
5. FISHING
5.1 Are Spanish fishing boats excluded from Gibraltar waters ?
a. The Nature Protection Ordinance protects all wild animals
and birds and restricts fishing in Gibraltar waters with
certain types of net, irrespective of nationality.
6. IRA VISITORS SHOT
6.1 What happened with the three IRA terrorists in 1988 ?
a. According to the IRA they were on 'active service' which is
understood to mean they came to plant a bomb. They were
shot by the SAS and a subsequent inquest held in Gibraltar
determined that their killings were lawful. The case was taken
to the European Court of Human Rights by their families.
6.2 Is there still a British Army presence locally ?
a. Since Spain is no longer considered a military threat, the
British Army which had been a feature of life on the rock
since 1704 has been totally withdrawn and their role is now
undertaken by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
7. DRIVING
7.1 Why doesn't Gibraltar drive on the left side of the road ?
a. Originally it began the same as the UK, but when cars
started coming in from Spain, there were understandably
disputes and accidents. The Governor at the time decided it
would be sensible to follow the continental practice. His
foresight has saved many lives.
7.2 Are Gibraltar driving licences issued without a test?
a. No. The test is similar to the UK, but includes things like
parking in confined spaces, which is a required skill to
drive locally. The Gibraltar licence and test conforms to
EU requirements and is valid in EU countries, although the
Spanish sometimes dispute this.
7.3 Can I take the driving test in Gibraltar.
a. Only if you are a resident.
7.4 Can a UK mainland registered car be MOT'd at the Gibraltar
MOT test station?
a. No, Only cars that are registered in Gibraltar can be tested
in the Gibraltar test station. UK registered cars can only
be tested in the UK, even if they are insured in Gibraltar.
8. EMPLOYMENT
8.1 Can I get a job in Gibraltar
a. Citizens of EU countries can seek employment and reside in
Gibraltar. Civilians living locally must hold an Identity
card issued by the immigration department.
Non-Gibraltarians must hold a residence permit. This is
normally issued for a period of five years on application.
Non EU citizens are only likely to be permitted to live and
work in Gibraltar if they already have a job offer and their
employer satisfies Government that their skills are unique.
There are strict laws and procedures to control employment
and little scope for evasion.
8.2 Are there special arangements for high net worth individuals?
a. Yes, you should consult a Gibraltar lawyer for details.
There are a list of laywers on www.gibnet.com
9. WEBCAMS
9.1 I want to see what its like in Gibraltar NOW!
a. There is a WEBCAM on http://www.fsc.gi showing the Rock.
The frontier webcams have ceased operation. There is also
a good one on www.llanito.net with a fast update.
10. MARRIAGE
10.1 Can I get married in Gibraltar?
a. You can get married in Gibraltar but you must contact the
registry office in advance. You must prove that you are single
and of different sex. However the registry office can only
process four ceremonies per day, as resources are limited.
Their telephone number is 78303 and you should contact them
for full information.
If your need is less urgent you can write to them at:
The Registry of Births. Marriages, and Deaths
Sir Joshua Hassan House
Gibraltar
Europe
Famous people married in Gibraltar include John Lennon and
Yoko Ono and more recently Sean Connory.
For full details see:http://www.gibnet.com/marriage
Before contacting the registry office as it contains most of
the information you need to know.
There is currently no provision in law for same sex marriage.
11. THE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
11.1 Whats all the fuss about the nuclear submarine ?
a. For some time Gibraltar has had a 'Z Berth' which means it
has facilities for accommodate nuclear submarines on
recreational visits. This facility has been used regularly
by British and American submarines, including Trident boats.
The British Trafalgar class nuclear powered attack submarine
HMS Tireless arrived in Gibraltar in March 2000 after sustaining
a leak in its primary cooling system whilst near Sicily.
The scope of the defect was originally described as a pinprick
but turned out to be a larger and generic defect. Despite local
protests, it was decided on the grounds of safety to repair it in
Gibraltar.
The Government of Gibraltar commissioned their own report on
safety and permitted the repair to take place.
The submarine finally left on 7th May 2001.
In 2004 it returned on a routine visit. There was a lot of
complaint in the Spanish media but no protest locally.
12. ACCOMODATION
12.1 Can I find somewhere to live in Gibraltar ?
a. Traditionally finding somewhere to live has been the number one
problem in Gibraltar. During WW2 the population was evacuated
and there was a delay in repatriation due to lack of suitable
accommodation, much having been taken over by the military.
Several housing estates were built, however this remained the
largest local political issue, until the reclamation project
when the new private estates built and the Government estate
coupled with the release of MoD property no longer used, has
largely solved the problem for local residents.
Renting housing remains a problem as the private sector is
expensive and there is more demand than supply.
12.4 What about living in Spain ?
a. Many non-Gibraltarians working in Gibraltar live in Spain which
has the advantage of size and space.
The problems are the frontier, where the delay to cross by car
can be considerable, although many park their cars in La Linea
and cross on foot.
Living in Spain is easier for EU nationals now that Spain is
a full member, but the issues are beyond the scope of this FAQ.
13. TALKS WITH SPAIN
13.1 What dialogue is there with Spain ?
a. In 1980 as a democratic government emerged in Spain the British
initiated a process of discussion culminating in the BRUSSELS
AGREEMENT of 1984. This is a Bi-lateral forum which does not
explicitly recognise the Government of Gibraltar as being the
legitimate representative of the people of Gibraltar.
13.2 Why does the Chief Minister not attend these 'Brussels' talks ?
a. Sir Joshua Hassan did attend talks until the 1987 Airport
agreement was entered into above his head.
Joe Bossano, his successor, consistently refused to participate
in a process he believes to be structured towards a sell-out
to Spain.
The current Chief Minister, Peter Caruana believes in dialogue
providing it is safe and he can participate fully. He has stated
he will not attend talks under the Brussels agreement.
13.3 What are the Tri-lateral talks about ?
In December 2004, the new Spanish Socialist Government agree to
engage in trilateral talks where Gibraltar would have equal
standing. The topics covered are believe to be joint use of the
Airport, restrictions on telecommunications, and pension increases
for former Spanish workers who lost their jobs when the border
was closed.
At a historic meeting in Cordoba in September 2006, the parties
announced an agreement on the issues discussed, leading to flights
from Madrid, the removal of restrictions on telecommunications
better movement at the frontier and a deal for Spanish pensioners.
13.4 What about talks on a local level ?
a. The Gibraltar Government regularly holds talks with the mayors
of neighbouring Spanish communities about issues of mutual
interest.
The Government is committed to "good neighbourly relations with
Spain"
13.5 Why were Gibraltarians upset with Jack Straw ?
a. Mr Straw stated that he 'is the foreign secretary for Gibraltar'
although he was never elected him to that office here.
On the 12th July 2002 the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in a
formal statement in the House of Commons, said that after twelve
months of negotiation the British Government and Spain are in
broad agreement on many of the principles that should underpin
a lasting settlement of Spain's sovereignty claim, which
included the principle that Britain and Spain should share
sovereignty over Gibraltar.
The above was the wording of the 2002 referendum and the
question was:
Do you approve of the principle that Britain and Spain should
share sovereignty over Gibraltar?
With a massive turnout 99% said they did not.
14. DEMONSTRATIONS
14.1 Why are Gibraltarians so often seen in the streets demonstrating ?
a. Its a locally accepted democratic method of expressing the view
of the people, after all elections occur only every four years,
and most protests are about issues supported by the Government.
Gibraltar demonstrations are noted for being very peaceful events
attended by a wide section of the community from the very young
to the pensioners.
15. THE PORT
15.1 What happens in the Gibraltar Port ?
a. The Straits of Gibraltar are one of the most active shipping
routes in the world and the Bay of Gibraltar is a popular
location for picking up supplies, making crew changes, and
the refueling of ships - known as 'Bunkering'.
Most ships simply anchor in the bay unless they are unloading
containers of cargo destined for Gibraltar itself.
In order to try and damage the economy of Gibraltar the Spanish
government publishes false accusations, including in November
2002 the accusation that Gibraltar was in some way responsible
for the MT "Prestige" disaster. In fact the only connection was
that ship once took on fuel in the Bay.
16. THE EUROPEAN UNION
16.1 Is Gibraltar part of the EU
a. Gibraltar joined the EEC under the British Treaty of Accession
in 1973, with certain derrogations in relation to the Customs
Union and agricultural policy.
16.2 Why is there no VAT/IVA
a. As Gibraltar is not part of the Customs Union, import duty is
applied to all goods locally which replaces the need for this
tax at the point of sale.
16.3 Does Gibraltar elect a MEP ?
a. In 1994 the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG) started
a campaign for Gibraltarian participation in elections for the
European Parliament. This was not supported by HMG and the case
taken to the European court of Human Rights (ECHR) following its
decision, and despite opposition from Spain the UK enacted
legislation for Gibraltar to vote as part of the South West
region of the United Kingdom.
The first election took place in June 2004 producing a landslide
win for the Conservative Party.
17.1 Why are there so many internet casinos and gambling sites in
Gibraltar ?
a. This was identified as a growth market and Government offered a
good infrastructure and tax climate to encourage operation of
Internet gambling sites.
17.2 How are they regulated ?
All gaming operations in Gibraltar require licensing under the
Gaming Ordinance. Gaming licences, including for telephone and
internet betting, are issued by the Office of the Financial
and Development Secretary on behalf of the Government.
17.3 Is it easy to get a licence ?
The Government only licences companies with a proven track
record in gaming, of reputable standing and with a realistic
business plan. Licences are generally difficult to obtain.
18. What is the dispute with the MoD
In January 2007 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the
company SERCO had been appointed to provide services to the Naval
Base against an 'in house' bid by the existing workforce. The
unions promise continued industrial action.
19. What happened with UEFA
Gibraltar made an application to join UEFA, the European
governing body for football, some years ago. Although its
membership rules were changed to exclude Gibraltar, after
Spanish pressure, the Court for Arbitation in Sport (CAS)
ruled Gibraltar must be admitted. After further lobbying by
Spain, the application was rejected. This is the subject of
ongoing legal action
Speaking at the UEFA conference, Spanish FA president
Angel Maria Villar Llona told delegates: "This is a political
problem".
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This FAQ (c) Jim Watt 2009 may be reproduced in whole only
with no addition or alteration.
Information is believed accurate, however no liability
whatsoever is accepted.
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