Verdermar complaints: European Commission acknowledges Gibraltar falls outside EU legal remit

The European Commission says Gibraltar’s sewage discharges, land reclamation, bunkering, and tuna fishing are a source of concern, but admits there’s a legal vacuum, as Gibraltar falls outside the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

The Commission’s comments came during a session of the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee, where Spanish environmental group Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción renewed its long-standing complaints against Gibraltar.

The group accused Gibraltar of years of environmental “impunity”, accusing the Rock of sewage discharges, toxic land reclamation, and unregulated maritime activity in protected waters.

Today, MEPs from across the political spectrum backed Verdemar’s petition and called for action, asking emphatically for action not after, but before a future Gibraltar treaty is finalised.

While Verdemar’s claims aren’t new, this is the first time Brussels has openly acknowledged the EU currently lacks the legal tools to enforce its environmental standards in Gibraltar and says any oversight will depend on a future Treaty.