Verdemar takes Gibraltar case to EU

The European Parliament is set to hear from a Spanish environmental group next month over claims about Gibraltar’s activities in the Strait.

The group, Verdemar, says post-Brexit gaps in oversight are putting protected marine zones at risk.

The European Parliament will hear environmental group Verdemar’s allegations against Gibraltar over practices the group says are harming the waters of the Strait and threatening a protected marine ecosystem.

Antonio Muñoz, president of Verdemar, will present the group’s case to the European Commission’s Committee of Petitions on September 25th, calling for urgent action.

Verdemar’s complaints include a collision last December between two large vessels—the Gloria Maris and the St Petersburg tanker—in a protected marine area. However, Spanish Salvamento Marítimo reported no injuries or pollution from the incident, which occurred about 5.5 miles southwest of Europa Point, well outside British waters.

The group also objects to what it calls unauthorized land reclamation on Gibraltar’s Eastside, the discharge of untreated sewage, and the docking of nuclear submarines at the naval base, which it says lacks adequate safety measures.

The group says all these activities violate environmental protections which Gibraltar is expected to uphold, especially after Brexit.

As Verdemar prepares to take its case to the European Parliament, the debate over Gibraltar’s environmental impact enters the EU’s political arena — but with jurisdictional limits and competing interests, how far that message will go remains to be seen.