Gibraltar's Eastside Development

Gibraltar & El Campo
21

The lease for the transfer of the Eastside reclamation plot to TNG Global Foundation was completed last Friday and the Gibraltar Government has been paid the agreed £90m cash consideration agreed when the deal was first announced, No.6 Convent Place said in a statement.

The relevant lease was signed by the Governor on Friday and the Gibraltar Government has now provided TNG with vacant possession of the site.

TNG last year secured outline planning permission for an ambitious plan to construct a mix of residential and hotel accommodation on the site next to a marina and a new botanical garden.

The £90m payment is part of a wider deal announced in October 2021 under which TNG will also undertake further works in the area valued at a further £240m, including sea defence works, affordable housing, berths and public parking.

TNG, a foundation linked to the Vietnamese businessman who owns Trusted Novus Bank, secured outline planning permission last year for the development of the Eastside reclamation.

The government says the project will be hugely beneficial to Gibraltar but residents of Catalan Bay fear it could have a detrimental impact on the environment.

In granting outline planning permission, the Development and Planning Commission stressed that each phase of the project will be subject to full planning applications.

“Since the announcement in October 2021, TNG has undertaken a huge amount of work to get to a position to be able to sign the agreement with the Government last Friday,” said TNG’s Adrian Olivero.

“We have already invested considerable amounts in developing our plans for the area, obtaining outline planning permission as well as carrying the cost of the construction of the revetment to the north of the site, to enable phase two of Hassan Centenary Terraces to progress.”

“We now look forward to starting work on the site to make those plans a reality for TNG and, in particular, for the people of Gibraltar who will benefit from a magnificent new and modern development on the Eastside.”

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the transfer of land was “a very positive step” toward delivering a project that would benefit the whole community.

“The plans that have been given outline planning permission will deliver a whole host of new facilities for our people,” he said.

“Additionally, the finalising of this transaction demonstrates a huge amount of confidence in Gibraltar and its economy.”

“Sir Joe’s estimation in 2021 was that the development had a potential economic impact of £2.5 billion, the whole value of the GDP again.”

“Given inflation, the economic impact of the project is now likely to exceed £2.75 billion.”

“The benefits to the Gibraltar economy and all entities within it will be massive and the completion of this transaction with a Group that has a demonstrable track record in Gibraltar will therefore be something for everyone to celebrate.”

“Importantly, an area that has been derelict for some years and an eyesore will be transformed by the commencement of works and development into a residential and leisure area without comparison, turning a negative into a positive for all the people of Gibraltar.”

No.6 said TNG has already made “huge progress” on the revetment required to enable works on phase two of Hassan Centenary Terraces to commence.

The value of these works to the taxpayer is over £9m to date, No.6 said.

These works will be followed by coastal protection works that will require the construction of a revetment costed at over £100m.

“These are essential works for the protection of the existing reclamation, without which the project would not be able to proceed,” No.6 said in the statement.

TNG is involved in a number of projects around Gibraltar, including the construction of two new schools on Europort Avenue which are near completion.

The foundation is also poised to file plans for the development of the old Bayside School plot.

In the statement, the Chief Minister thanked everyone involved in finalising the Eastside deal.

“For the Government, I want to thank Albert Mena, who as Financial Secretary started this negotiation; Hector Montado, the Chief Technical Officer; and John Paul Fa and the legal team at Isolas, led by Peter Isola, Christian Hernandez, Mark Isola and Samantha Grimes, for their extraordinary work and diligence,” Mr Picardo said.

“I also want to warmly thank Adrian Olivero for TNG, who has been committed to getting this transaction done and the TNG legal team led by Ian Felice, Gemma Vasquez-Arias, Nick Howard and Tania Rahmany at Hassans.”

“Finally, I want to thank GJBS for their work in clearing the site in time for completion and JT Security for the removal of derelict vehicles.”

22

The £90m paid by the TNG Global Foundation to the Gibraltar Government for the Eastside reclamation plot is sourced entirely from the foundation and involves no public money, the Gibraltar Government said last night as it responded to questions raised by the GSD.

The GSD had earlier said that the payment of the premium on the last day of the financial year “leaves open the question as to the source of monies”, adding the issue required “further exploration” given the Government’s “track record of opaque use” of Credit Finance, the Gibraltar Savings Bank and “public funds generally”.

The GSD called on the Gibraltar Government to confirm that none of the £90m was provided by the Savings Bank, Credit Finance or any government entity, and that no public or savers’ monies had been used on this project.

No.6 Convent Place was swift to respond to what it described as the GSD’s “unfounded claims”, which it said “could potentially harm Gibraltar's reputation”.

“The Government emphasises that all funds paid as the £90m premium for the Eastside project have been sourced from TNG Global Foundation and are entirely independent of the Government, Credit Finance Company Limited, and the Gibraltar Savings Bank and are not otherwise connected to any sources of funds originating from the Government,” No.6 said in a statement.

“Additionally, the lease in question will be registered and publicly available, providing full transparency of the terms of it.”

“The GSD's assumptions and allegations are, therefore, as usual, entirely erroneous and incorrect.”

The GSD has also questioned the timing of the announcement and the period of negotiation of the Eastside deal.

It said the project was adjudicated “with much fanfare” in October 2021 by the Government to TNG, an entity which “had not even submitted a bid” within the expressions of interest process conducted in relation to the Eastside.

“Indeed it was a company that did not even exist when the expressions of interest process closed,” the GSD said.

“That in itself raised serious questions at the time [and] 18 months on very little has substantively happened on site.”

The GSD said the deal was announced in 2021 and heads of terms signed at the time, but that just three weeks ago, responding to questions in Parliament, the Chief Minister accepted that there were still aspects under negotiation.

“The payment of the premium on the very last day of the financial year with the lease signed the same day shows how much of a last-minute scramble all this has been to save the Government from presenting an even bigger hole in its budget,” the GSD said.

“The Government should now publish the full set of contractual arrangements entered with TNG in relation to this site. If it does not do so a future GSD Government will.”

But the GSD’s position was dismissed by the government, which underscored that TNG had already invested millions of pounds on the Eastside project, covering professional fees for planning and the construction of the revetment for Hassan Centenary Terraces Phase Two.

“Once more, the GSD demonstrates its willingness to resort to any means during an election year to unjustly discredit the Government, even at the expense of Gibraltar's reputation,” Mr Picardo said.

“The public will not be deceived by the constant and unconstructive GSD sniping.”

“What will be evident for all to see is that all funds paid in this regard originate from TNG Global Foundation, and that the Government has secured an outstanding deal for Gibraltar and its citizens with this project which will herald huge, positive economic impact for decades to come.”

“The GSD’s unfounded criticism, however, will be no more enduring than second hand fish and chip wrapping paper tomorrow.”

“The transformation of the Eastside will be remarkable and will significantly benefit our community.”

“That is what the Government has delivered and what TNG Global Foundation has financed for itself, without any Government or Government related financing sources.”

“What is hugely disappointing for everyone in our community is that instead of being pleased for the benefits for Gibraltar and for Gibraltarians of all political parties, the GSD instead immediately reach for the standard criticism press release, whatever the negative effect on Gibraltar.”

TNG, a foundation linked to the Vietnamese businessman who owns Trusted Novus Bank, last year secured outline planning permission for an ambitious plan to construct a mix of residential and hotel accommodation on the site next to a marina and a new botanical garden.

The £90m payment is part of a wider deal announced in October 2021 under which TNG will also undertake further works in the area valued at a further £240m, including sea defence works, affordable housing, berths and public parking.

After numerous failed attempts in the past to find developers for the site, Mr Picardo expressed confidence that TNG’s project would develop the Eastside plot “into a new city for Gibraltar” that would have knock-on benefits across the community.

“I think this is now a runner, it's a goer, it's happening,” he said.

“They can do it, and they want to do it.”

The Chief Minister said Sir Joe Bossano, the Minister for Economic Development, had calculated that the project, which will take a decade to complete in different phases, would generate an economic impact of £2.5 billion, perhaps more given inflation.

“Whether you are directly in the construction trade or not, this is going to have a positive effect in economic terms,” he said.

He noted too that TNG had a track record in Gibraltar through its ownership of Trusted Novus Bank and was already nearing completion of construction of the new Bishop Fitzgerald and Governor's Meadow schools, which will be handed over to the government in coming months.

TNG also secured the rights to develop the plot of the old Bayside School.

“You're dealing with a very solvent entity here that is able to deliver against the sort of macro project that you're going to see on the Eastside, which is, in effect, the development of a new city for Gibraltar and will provide for expansion for Gibraltar for many years,” Mr Picardo said.

“So I think the important issue here is that this is a group that is proven in Gibraltar, is solvent and can deliver against an ambitious project like this one.”

He also played down the GSD’s concerns about the fact the deal was signed last Friday, the last day of the financial year.

“It’s not unusual in commercial transactions of this sort that the negotiation goes to the wire,” he said.

“Every time you look at a lease, you realise that there’s something else to change and that you need to perfect it in some way.”

‘We could have signed three weeks ago, but it was a question of perfecting documents and making sure that it was in the form that lawyers wanted to see it.”

23

Following the recent announcement of the Eastside development, the ESG has issued a statement highlighting their concerns.

A statement from the ESG follows below:

The ESG has seen media announcements regarding financing for the Eastside development.

The group would like to take this opportunity to raise a few important issues regarding this major development in the hope that more information will soon be shared with the community.

At a key DPC meeting last year, where outline planning permission was granted for the land and marina projects, the general understanding was that concerns made over environmental impacts had been heard. Recommendations were made that ongoing monitoring would be required over the lengthy period of time of construction – (some 10 years cited) to ensure that EIA outcomes, currently predicting no real impact on the marine environment, or water quality, were in fact, accurate. The ESG believes there are grounds for some of the concerns raised that requires further analysis.

Additionally there was broad support for the reduction of small boat berths to half (200) of what was planned (400), and discussion on whether this would lead to reconfiguration of the marina, reduction in size, etc. The group asks whether plans are being revised or not.

The ESG notes that each step of the development will see specific plans, materials and information presented to the DPC. Notwithstanding, it believes that projects of such a transformational nature, changing the face of the Caleta area forever, should see additional promotion and public outreach outside of the planning process itself, by way of public exhibitions and models. This would enable dialogue and a fuller appreciation of the project vision, and hear concerns and questions from the community. This request was raised and responded to positively by TNG at the DPC meeting.

The group hopes to hear of such steps being taken soon.

24

TNG Global Foundation has announce that its subsidiary, TNG Realty (Eastside) Limited has reached an agreement to award a contract involving “a significant financial commitment,” for the coastal protection works at Eastside.

The contract was awarded to a joint venture entity comprising marine works contractor, Roverpol and local civil engineering company MacMillan Limited.

The award of the contract will kick-start the extended reclamation and coastal protection works on the Eastside project. This agreement has been reached following a thorough tender process, and year-long negotiation,” said a statement from TNG Global.

Adrian Olivero, CEO of TNG Realty (Eastside) Limited and spokesperson for the TNG Global Foundation, said that he was very excited that work on the project could now start in earnest, and was grateful to all parties in the negotiation for reaching an agreement that will finally see the removal of the rubble mountain and the visible birth of this transformational project for Gibraltar.

“It has been a while since we announced the launch of the Eastside project, following our agreement with HMGoG,” he said.

“Since then, there has been a considerable amount of hard work done behind the scenes to progress matters, leading to today’s announcement.”

“I would like to thank the team at TNG Global, our property management consultants, ANS, as well as Hassans, our legal advisors, for their input and support in achieving this important milestone.”

25

Spanish Ecologist Group Concerned over Gibraltar Eastside Works

image

Verdemar says that Gibraltar is going to transport stones from Casares in Malaga to gain ground from the sea.

Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción has stated that Gibraltar is going to transport stones from Casares (Málaga) to build a breakwater with the intention of gaining ground from the sea and has warned that it will be vigilant against "these new fills" to the east of the Rock, in Zona of Special Conservation of the Eastern Strait.

In statements to Europa Press, the spokesperson for Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción, Antonio Muñoz, has indicated that the stones. For environmentalists, the stones from the breakwater will be used for the Eastside project in Gibraltar and "they will dismantle almost 50,000 tons to carry out breakwaters and transform the coastal front".

In this sense, the spokesperson for the environmentalists recalled that "Gibraltar has been trying to transfer protected species such as Patella ferruginea into that area for years."

Muñoz has pointed out that the project was announced by the Government of Gibraltar when it made a lease contract for the transfer of the Eastside land to the group of companies The TNG Global Foundation (TNG), which paid the Government 90 million pounds for said project. (Gibraltar Government seals Eastside deal with TNG Global valued at £330m)

Finally, he has indicated that Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción is investigating the legal origin of the retaining wall valued at 100 million pounds, in case the contributions of stones from almost 100 trucks a day could come from illegal quarries.

Background:

26

Verdemar denounces the arrival of tons of construction waste from Gibraltar to a quarry in Los Barrios

Environmentalists demand from the Andalusian Government documentation on the traceability, quantity and nature of the debris accumulated next to the Hassan towers, largely coming from the tunnel built under the airport

Verdemar Ecologistas en Acción has reported to the Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy of the Junta de Andalucía the export of tons of construction and demolition waste from Gibraltar to an old quarry in the municipality of Los Barrios.

In a letter sent in December 2023 to the territorial delegate in Cádiz of the aforementioned ministry, the environmental association focuses on a technical report published by the Board to authorize a non-hazardous waste treatment center in the former Arenas de Castrillón mining facility. . The objective of this center is to produce recycled aggregate from construction and demolition material from Gibraltar, "in such a way that it serves to improve the living conditions of its inhabitants and strengthens good relations between Spain and the United Kingdom", according to the aforementioned official report.

The Arenas de Castrillón plot, located 4 kilometers northeast of the urban center of Los Barrios, changed ownership in March 2022, becoming the property of the so-called Campo de Gibraltar Environmental Agency, which despite its pompous name is a limited company. 100% private capital with headquarters in La Línea de la Concepción.

Verdemar's fear is that the contaminated earth from the tunnel will now end up in Spain, in the Los Barrios quarry, camouflaged among other works remains.

Verdemar points out that the Board, in its technical report, does not specify the exact nature of the Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) sent from Gibraltar to that quarry nor that these, once processed in the latter, will be used to "manage the landfills." " that they have been denouncing for years on the east face of the Rock in order to gain ground from the sea. The construction of the Eastside Project is planned on these landfills, a complex with luxury homes, parking, a marina, shops and hotels, in addition to Sovereign Bay and Vantage Cape.

Dangerous residues

The environmental group adds in its complaint that Gibraltar has for some time been piling up rubble of all kinds a few meters from the Hassan Centenary Terraces, including possible dangerous waste from the large tunnel that runs under the ground of the airport runway as part of a 1-mile highway. .24 kilometers.

According to Verdemas, the Llanito Government terminated the original contract with OHL - responsible for drilling the gallery - in 2011 when the Spanish construction company objected to the surpluses from these excavations, where tons of contaminated soil appeared that made the initial project substantially more expensive: it does not cost It is the same to remove a truck of inert materials as one with contaminated waste, although the neighborhood authorities refused to increase the budget.

The Eastside Project has been carried out on land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea in a Special Area of ​​Conservation (ZEC) since 2012

Verdemar's fear is that the contaminated earth from the tunnel will now end up in Spain, in the Los Barrios quarry, camouflaged among other works remains.

For all these reasons, the conservation group has demanded from the Board - so far, without success - documentation of the traceability, physicochemical parameters, treatment and number of tons of this waste coming from Gibraltar. Southern Europe has also contacted the Territorial Delegation of the aforementioned ministry without having received a response regarding the possible permits granted, the composition of the debris or its current situation. He has not received a response either.

The Gibraltar landfill

Verdemar Ecologistas en Acción - whose complaint about the landfills was accepted for processing at the time - has denounced on several occasions that the Eastside Project has been carried out on land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea in a Special Conservation Area (ZEC) since 2012.

According to this environmental group, Gibraltar has been exporting contaminated material to Campo de Gibraltar for years - with hydrocarbons and remains of aviation fuel, as well as heavy metals - from the tunnel built under the airport and also from the mountain of rubble located on the east side of the Peñón, hiding behind the fact that all protocols for cross-border transfers are complied with.

During a meeting with those responsible for the Environment of the Board, Verdemar already put on the table that between 25 and 30 trucks had carried for nine days, in September 2015, thousands of tons of non-hazardous industrial waste to a recycling plant in the Gamasur company, located in the area of ​​Majadal de Bustos, also located in Los Barrios. This landfill had been closed in April 2013 as a precautionary measure by the Andalusian Administration after detecting serious irregularities in its operation.

Construction industry is second only to road transport for large particle pollution in the UK

The construction industry is responsible for 18% of large particle pollution in the UK according to a new report from Impact on Urban Health (IoUH) and the Centre for Low Emission Construction (CLEC), a figure which rises to 30% in London.

The report discovered that 97% of people working in the construction industry believed air quality was either an ‘extremely or very important’ environmental health concern. However, it also revealed frustration with a lack of ambition, action and policies to address the problem.

27

TNG Subsidiary Assigned Eastside Fill Tasks to a Joint Venture in June

On June 18, several local Gibraltar media outlets reported the official announcement by TNG Global subsidiary TNG Realty of the awarding of "coastal protection works" related to the Eastside project to a "joint venture entity" - which we would understand here as a UTE - formed by marine works contractor Roverpol and civil engineering company MacMillan Limited. TNG Realty (Eastside) Limited CEO and TNG Global spokesperson Adrián Olivero stated that this would allow “the removal of the rubble mountain and the visible birth of this transformation project for Gibraltar.”

As public broadcasting chain GBC recalled, “the TNG contract for the Eastside project was announced in October 2021. Since then, the developers have paid a premium of 90 million pounds to the Government's coffers, and the project was presented to the Planning and Development Commission in May 2022.” Until then, there had been no visible progress, but Adrián Olivero of TNG says that a lot of work has been done “behind the scenes.”

Now, weeks later, with the start of this fill activity, doubts have arisen, expressed in recent days by various groups, mainly environmentalists, first over the possible toxicity of the aggregates used in these fills and their origin; and this Thursday, Verdemar Ecologistas en Acción pointed out the possibility that the Gibraltar breakwater was using stones from “illegal quarries.”

All this, combined with the repeated protests by conservationists about carrying out these fills in a special conservation area and, from a more political perspective, leaders like the popular José Ignacio Landaluce, reminding that Gibraltar continues to gain ground from the sea contrary to what is established in the Treaty of Utrecht.

29

The Gibraltar Port Authority has issued a notice to mariners that there are planned works around the East Side Reclamation.

The Authority posted the notice on social media site ‘X’, formerly known as twitter, that works will be carried out neat East Side Reclamation via barge for one month.

The barge will be lit and manned during the night and maritime users (including paddle boards, kayaks, etc) are requested to keep clear of the work, the Authority said.

30

The Government of Spain will have to answer in the Senate about the landfills in Gibraltar

(Translated into English below)

José Ignacio Landaluce (PP) asks the Executive if it has authorised the land reclaimed from the sea on the east side of the Rock for an urban macro-project.

The PP want to know how it controls the passage of waste through the border "mixed with polluting elements" and if it has raised any "international protest".

The Government of Pedro Sánchez will have to answer in the Senate about what measures it has adopted to prevent Gibraltar from continuing with the landfills intended to cement a macro-urban project in a maritime space whose sovereignty Spain has always defended as its own. This is what the senator of the Popular Party José Ignacio Landaluce will ask, who has registered several questions in the Upper House to find out the position of the Spanish Executive, which for the moment remains silent.

Landaluce will also ask if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by José Manuel Albares has raised any "international protest" about these landfills and if it considers that the territorial expansion in Spanish waters "violates both what is established in the Treaty of Utrecht and any European and international legislation on the matter."

In addition, he will question the Government about whether it has given permission for these actions within the framework of the negotiations that the European Commission and the United Kingdom are maintaining on Gibraltar after leaving the European Union.

This Monday, Gibraltar continues with the landfill work in the eastern area of ​​the Rock for its ambitious Eastside Project in the waters whose sovereignty is claimed by Spain. According to this newspaper, there has been some activity in the area where the waste is stored, which remains next to the coast. There, several excavators were carrying out earthworks on the ground.

What is not known is the presence of the floating barge that the Gibraltar Port Authority announced would remain in the area for approximately one month. As a warning to prevent other vessels from approaching, it asked all maritime users (including rowing, kayaking, paddle surfing and others) to keep a wide distance from the vessel and the works in progress while they last.

Faced with this situation, the Popular Party senator and mayor of Algeciras, has presented a series of questions to the Spanish Government in the Upper House, to which Europa Sur has had access, which are in parliamentary procedure and which the Government must respond to in writing. "How does the Spanish Government intend to defend compliance with environmental regulations, not only national, but also those of the European Union, and protect the citizens of Campo de Gibraltar in this regard?" asks Landaluce.

In the questions, Landaluce asks the Government whether it considers that these landfills violate the provisions of the Treaty of Utrecht and other legislation, as they are located in Spanish waters that Gibraltar assumes as its own. "It is unacceptable that Pedro Sánchez and his Executive look the other way and remain silent in response to proven facts that represent a serious harm to Spain and its interests," said the president of the Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee on July 17.

The environmental issue

One of the points that has caused the most controversy in the context of the landfills, beyond the activity itself, is the transfer of the waste accumulated on the eastern side of the Rock to Spain to be treated in a dump in Los Barrios - according to Landaluce in his question - as it may contain possible contaminating elements. These would come from the large tunnel that runs under the ground of the airport runway, such as hydrocarbons and remains of aviation fuel, as well as heavy metals, as denounced by Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción. Later, they would return to the Rock to form part of the work.

Senator Landaluce asks if the Government is aware of the accumulations of debris, how the supervision of the return of the materials to Gibraltar will be carried out and the control of the same at the Spanish border crossing, being a Schengen zone, and if it knows that "this material is mixed with contaminating materials."

There is currently no date for the presentation of the questions in the Upper House, although, if they do not obtain a response, the Popular Party plans to appeal to European authorities, presenting motions in Brussels, according to sources from the party.

For their part, the environmentalists of Verdemar, who first warned that Gibraltar was planning to use stones from quarries in the Casares area, do not plan to present new complaints for the moment. According to Antonio Muñoz, president of the conservationist entity, the corresponding complaints were filed with the Civil Guard, although the investigations are delayed by the paralysis of the work. "If they had not happened, everything would go faster," he tells this newspaper.

Regarding the possibility of appealing to European authorities, Muñoz rules out this route for the moment, taking into account that the United Kingdom and, therefore, Gibraltar, are no longer under the umbrella of the European Union. "We have already presented several complaints in Europe and they did not pay attention to us, imagine now that they are not there," the president of Verdemar ironically says.

The project

The Eastside Project aims to build a residential complex with luxury apartments in skyscrapers, commercial facilities, a hotel and a marina on the waters of the Strait. This urban development, which has all the permits to begin construction, is planned in an area where Spain has repeatedly protested against the landfills carried out by the Rock, some 45,000 square metres.

According to Verdemar in its complaint, the project was announced by the Government of Gibraltar when it signed a lease contract for the transfer of the Eastside land to the group of companies The TNG Global Foundation (TNG), which in return paid the Government 90 million pounds in cash.

In July 2014, the European Commission ruled, after complaints received from the Spanish Government, that it had not been able to identify a violation of environmental regulations in these Eastside landfills.

Gibraltar is British.

31

PS: This video is 2 years old.

Group of Catalan Bay residents protest against Eastside Development Marina

Group of Catalan Bay residents protest against Eastside Development Marina

32

Catalan separatist returns to Barcelona

33

Gibraltar Port Warns Mariners: Eastside Land Reclamation Continues in September

Local Notice to Mariners 2024 LNTM 0026(a)
Works around East Side Reclamation will continue to be carried out, via sea, by a floating barge.
The barge will remain in the area for the foreseeable future. The barge is lit and manned during the nighttime.http://Gibraltarport.com pic.twitter.com/5x5na6xtBZ

— Gibraltar Port (@gibraltarport) September 2, 2024

The companies responsible for Gibraltar's Eastside megaproject continue to accumulate land reclamation on the eastern face of the Rock. A notice to mariners posted on the social network X by the Gibraltar Port Authority, warning that the work will continue in the coming days, confirms what was an open secret.

This contradicts the initial plans of the firm responsible for this initiative, which envisages a residential complex with luxury apartments in skyscrapers, commercial facilities, a hotel, and a marina. Initially, the tasks were supposed to be carried out throughout the past month of August and until September 2, according to an earlier notice to mariners issued by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

"The works around East Side Reclamation will continue to be carried out via sea by a floating barge. The barge will remain in the area for the foreseeable future," says the post by the Gibraltar Port Authority (without providing a specific date).

They go on to state that "the barge is lit and manned during the nighttime," the post concludes.

The land reclamation has caused significant controversy, as according to information obtained by this outlet, toxic waste may be being deposited on the reclaimed land. The responsible companies could be profiting significantly from this, avoiding the costs of transporting waste to recycling plants in Spain and its subsequent treatment.

34

VerdesEuropa blames Gibraltar for attacks on the Natura Network of the Strait with landfills

Verdes de Europa-Tarifa states that, in light of the potential new damage that could occur to the Natura Network in the protected area known as Eastern Strait (ES6120032), which is under the responsibility of the Spanish government, and given the use of stones from illegal Spanish quarries denounced by Verdemar Ecologists in Action, they have conducted corresponding investigations.

The spokesperson for the political group, Rosmarie Hennecke, points out the lack of information and continued inaction by the Spanish government, violating Article 45 of the Spanish Constitution, which establishes the right of citizens to enjoy an adequate environment.

Having informed the European Union of these facts, the political group was advised by European institutions to contact the authorities responsible for managing the Natura 2000 area and for resolving potential diplomatic conflicts that might arise from this management. According to the Habitats Directive, Spain must set conservation goals and measures to ensure effective protection, and it also has to establish measures to prevent habitat deterioration and significant disturbances to protected species for which the area was designated.

In response to the group's request, the Directorate of Biodiversity, Forests, and Desertification, in an email dated September 5, 2024, stated: "Regarding your inquiry dated September 2, 2024, concerning activities carried out in the Natura 2000 protected area 'Eastern Strait' (ES6120032), and more specifically, the actions taken by this Ministry regarding activities carried out in the marine area by the Government of Gibraltar, we would like to inform you that a detailed assessment is being conducted of the issues that may affect marine biodiversity in this area. This assessment is being coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation (particularly with the Gibraltar Affairs Office) to determine any necessary measures to prevent significant harm to the values of the protected area."

The green group highlights that it is incomprehensible that it was not until this year—and only after their complaint—that the national government began to assess Gibraltar’s land reclamations.

For this reason, they are making this information public so that the population, both in Gibraltar and Spain, can directly use the open channels of information and actively participate in defending our citizen rights, protecting nature and our environment, and putting an end to the abuses of power that have been committed over the years.