Great Britain has won one more battle in its long-term struggle with Spain on the status of Gibraltar. On Tuesday the European Court recognized the electoral right of Gibraltar dwellers, which now may take part in all-European elections like the citizens of EU member-states.

Up to now, the citizens of this British overseas territory have not been electing European parliamentarians. Great Britain has included the citizens of Gibraltar into its northern-western electoral district, which provoked harsh reaction of Madrid. In 2003 Great Britain has introduced alterations into its legislation related to electoral right, which allowed Gibraltar residents to participate in European elections even if they are not the citizens of the European Union.

Spain has filed a complaint to the Court aiming at proving the illegality of this action. As a result, the Court ruled out that it is within the jurisdiction of every country to single out those who are granted the right to elect the members of the European parliament. The Spanish side underscored the fact that Great Britain had violated the European legislation by including Gibraltar into its northwestern electoral district. The judges turned down the plea. Spain, which has for three hundred years laid claims to Gibraltar, filed a protest to the European Court.

Notwithstanding the abovementioned, the Spanish side and Great Britain are holding talks on Gibraltar. On Monday in the city of Cordoba Great Britain, Spain and Gibraltar signed a tri-party agreement, one of the most significant clauses of which is the historic decision on common exploitation of the airport of Gibraltar. The agreement was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos, the British Minister on European Affairs Geoffrey Hoon and the head of the government of Gibraltar Peter Caruana. The agreement is the outcome of preliminary two-year talks, taking place within the tri-party forum on Gibraltar grounded in 2004 after the Socialist Working Party of Spain came to power. The situation over Gibraltar has remained tense after the rejection of the common Spanish-British administration plan at the 2002 referendum.

Gibraltar, British colony to the south of Spain, passed to the United Kingdom in 1713 in accordance with the treaties of Utrecht. Despite that Spain has all through the history been laying claims to the territory. Every day about four thousand Spaniards cross the border of Gibraltar. The current agreement will facilitate the solution of the problem of Gibraltar airport common exploitation, simplify border crossing with no passport control, the payment of pensions and the process of communications modernisation.