The Minister for Health, Care and Business, who also holds responsibility for Public Utilities, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, has welcomed the cross-party support for the Electricity Infrastructure (Damage) Bill 2025, which was passed unanimously in Parliament earlier today after being brought forward by the Minister under a certificate of urgency from the Chief Minister.

The legislation introduces strict liability for damage caused to Gibraltar’s critical electrical infrastructure and empowers the Gibraltar Electricity Authority (GEA) to issue financial penalties of up to £100,000 in cases where such damage results in a power outage.

The Bill was debated and passed on an urgent basis following a number of recent serious incidents which left large parts of Gibraltar without power for several hours as a result of a contractor striking through cables.

The main objective of this new law is to act as a strong deterrent against careless or negligent work, ensuring that those responsible for avoidable damage are held fully accountable.

The Minister for Public Utilities, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: “I welcome the Opposition’s support for this Bill, albeit guarded, which sends a united message that this kind of disruption will not be tolerated.

“In recent months, Gibraltar has endured entirely avoidable power outages caused by carelessness near critical electrical infrastructure. These incidents were not the result of a lack of power generation, they were, unfortunately, the result of individuals failing to exercise the duty of care required when working around our electricity network.

“This legislation is decisive, proportionate and necessary. Importantly, it provides a clear deterrent and establishes real consequences for those who damage our infrastructure.

“Alongside this law, Minister Cortes and I are also reviewing the service clearance regime to ensure it is watertight, transparent and properly enforced. Protecting Gibraltar’s critical national infrastructure should never be a partisan issue, and I am pleased that the Parliament has unanimously supported this important piece of legislation.”