The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, has called upon the Prime Ministers of the YK and Spain to engage in dialogue to resolve their dispute over Gibraltar and has apparently informed Prime Minister Rajoy that any toll introduced for people entering or leaving the Rock would be illegal.
The EC president reportedly held very similar telephone calls with David Cameron and Mariano Rajoy and advised both that they must resolve the dispute between them, through dialogue, and that both must abide by applicable EU laws.
The EC is currently planning to send a technical mission to the Rock to observe the border controls for themselves.
The dispute has, at least temporarily, focused media attention away from various domestic problems which, according to pundits in both countries involved, could have been the primary motive for the situation.
rON says:
THE ONLY REASON THIS ISSUE HAS COME TO THE FORE IS THAT THE SPANISH PRIME MINISTER IS IN TROUBLE