Gibraltar and Spain finally reach agreement to move mounds of rubbish to Andalucian landfill

THERE is relief on the rock after an agreement was struck to move mounds of rubbish that have piled up due to a stalling in post-Brexit negotiations.

Prior to Brexit, an agreement between the UK and Gibraltar provided for around 30,000 tonnes of rubbish to be sent to the Los Barrios landfill in Cadiz every year.

However, Brexit ended the free movement of waste across the border, to the detriment of Gibraltarians.

It has meant the government of Gibraltar has had to use hydraulic drills to compact the waste to prevent it from spreading into the sea. 

Spain’s government has now approved a permit that will see the waste transported over the border.

Nonetheless, it remains unclear how long it will take for the overflow to be cleared given the two months’ build up of waste.

In addition, the agreement as it stands is only provisional.

Environmental group Verdemar has highlighted this issue for months, recently describing it as “an episode of environmental pollution for the entire bay”.

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