European Parliament backs the Rock over ‘colony' issue

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 Thursday, February 21, 2019 - 11:14

There was a major row about Gibraltar in the European Parliament yesterday, with the Spaniards incensed to the extent of again derailing Brussels preparations for Brexit.

The dispute is over whether Gibraltar should be described as a “colony” in the EU’s statute book. 

Spain has insisted, with the reluctant support of the other 26 member states, that a footnote containing the contentious description of the disputed territory is added to the legislation.

But on Wednesday morning the European parliament rejected the language proposed by the council of the European Union, the body that represents the member states.

It is the third time the member states’ proposal has been sent back by MEPs and casts doubt over whether the legislation can be salvaged in the next few weeks.

Madrid was accused of “playing with fire” after crunch talks on the EU’s no-deal Brexit plans broke down in Brussels yesterday morning. Officials warned “time is running out” after the negotiations between the European Parliament, Commission and Council were “unsuccessful”.

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