Brussels Agreement, 1984
TheBrussels Agreement, 1984,was an agreement between the governments of theUnited Kingdomand ofSpainconcerningthe territorial disputeoverGibraltar.The agreement was criticised byGibraltar politiciansfor limiting the participation ofGibraltariansin theirself-determination.
Background
[edit]TheLisbon Agreement, 1980,did not provide an immediate solution to the problems resulting from the blockade of Gibraltar that had been imposed byFrancisco Francoin 1969. The border did not reopen as planned, andLondonandMadridcontinued to disagree over the interpretation of the agreement. Spain's admittance toNATOand theEECprovided the impetus that finally broke the deadlock in 1984.[1]
Terms
[edit]The Brussels Agreement was concluded in November 1984 and implemented in February 1985.[2]Spain's application to join the EEC proved to be the key factor since Britain linked Spain's membership with the opening of the frontier withGibraltarand threatened to veto the application otherwise.[2]TheBrussels Agreementclarified and reactivated the earlier Lisbon Agreement, which had been subject to widely-differing interpretations, complicated Anglo-Spanish relations and delayed the full opening of the border.[3]Under the agreement, the United Kingdom and Spain would hold talks over Gibraltar, and the British were prepared to negotiate on sovereignty.[2]The agreement was signed by theForeign and Commonwealth Secretary,SirGeoffrey Howe,and the Spanish Foreign Minister,Fernando Morán López.[4]
These were key points of theBrussels agreement:
- Provision of equality and reciprocity of rights for Spaniards in Gibraltar and Gibraltarians in Spain.
- The establishment of the free movement of persons, vehicles and goods between Gibraltar and the neighbouring territory.
- The establishment of a negotiating process aimed at overcoming all the differences between Spain and the United Kingdom over Gibraltar.
Criticism
[edit]The agreement was vocally criticised in Gibraltar[5]since the Gibraltar government was invited to participate, but only as part of the United Kingdom's delegation.[6]Another major deficiency from Gibraltar's perspective was that it did not allow for the discussion of differences between Gibraltar and Spain.[6]The agreement was also criticised by Gibraltar politicians as the Gibraltar delegation was expected to form part of
the delegation of the colonising power from which it seeks in its own decolonisation.
Aftermath
[edit]In the key 1988 elections, theGibraltar Socialist Labour Partycalled forself-determination,expressed its opposition to the negotiations over the sovereignty and future of Gibraltar between Spain and the United Kingdom and opposed any transfer of sovereignty to Spain.[7]It also asked for the withdrawal of the negotiations on the Brussels Declaration and opposed the Airport Agreement.[7]The GSLP got 8 seats and a 58.2% of thepopular vote.[7]
See also
[edit]- Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969
- Lisbon Agreement, 1980
- 2002 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum
- Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006
- Cordoba Agreement, 2006
References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^Melissa R. Jordine (November 2006).The Dispute Over Gibraltar.Infobase Publishing. pp. 120–122.ISBN9780791086483.Retrieved19 May2011.
- ^abcAldrich & Connell, 1998,pp. 19.
- ^Haig, 1992,pp. 127.
- ^Brussels AgreementThe Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Geoffrey Howe, and the Spanish Foreign Minister, Fernando Morán López, held a meeting in Brussels on 27 November 1984 during which they agreed the way in which the Spanish and British Governments will apply the Lisbon Declaration of 10 April 1980 in all its parts.
- ^Kellerman, 2001,pp. 19
- ^abcJoe Bossano, The Fight for Self-Determination, Speech to UN Decolonization Committee, 1994
- ^abcGold, 2005,pp. 101.
Bibliography
[edit]- Dodds, Klaus (December 2004). "Solid as a Rock? Britain and Gibraltar".BBC History:18–21.
- D. S. Morris; R. H. Haigh (1992).Britain, Spain, and Gibraltar, 1945-1990: the eternal triangle.Psychology Press.ISBN9780415071451.Retrieved3 February2011.
- United Nations (October 2007).Yearbook of the United Nations 2005.United Nations Publications.ISBN9789211009675.Retrieved3 February2011.
- Anja Kellermann (2001).A New New English: language, politics, and identity in Gibraltar.BoD – Books on Demand.ISBN9783831123681.Retrieved3 February2011.
- William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1990).The Rock of the Gibraltarians: A History of Gibraltar.Gibraltar Books.ISBN9780948466144.Retrieved4 February2011.
External links
[edit]- "Gibraltar: Little Territory, Lot at Stake".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-05-15.Retrieved2011-02-03.
- Garcia, Dr Joseph."Political History of Gibraltar".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-21.Retrieved2011-02-03.
- Miller, Vaughne (22 May 2002)."Gibraltar's Constitutional Future"(PDF).International Affairs & Defence Section.House of Commons Library.Retrieved2011-02-04.