EMEA News
Gibraltar Minister: Spanish Bunkering Ban is "Huge Escalation"
Meeting with UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Fabian Picardo, the chief minister of Gibraltar said that a move by Spain to fine bunkering companies operating around the peninsula would be "an act of absolute bad faith," UK newspaper the Telegraph reports.
"This is Spain legislating extraterritorially for something that is beyond the jurisdiction of Spain," the Picardo said.
"If the Spanish government decides to take that line, it is a huge escalation of the way that they are dealing with this issue."
Cameron said the UK will defend Gibraltar in the dispute and would "always stand up" for the British territory.
Spanish police unions also demonstrated in protest of physical and verbal abuse by commuters who have had to wait in traffic for as much as eight hours to cross the border after Spain implemented new checks as part of an escalation of tensions over the past two months.
Spanish officials have said they will introduce a ban on bunkering in protected waters that they claimed would cover much of the area around Gibraltar, although UK and Gibraltar officials argue that Spain has no authority in the area.
