After Spain’s recent announcement that it would step up checks at the border, a spokesperson for the UK Government has said that the problems affecting border flow are raised on a regular basis in “high-level conversations” with the Commission. The statement says that these exchanges have intensified in the run-up to the Commission’s six-month deadline.

In addition to this diplomatic pressure, it has also been revealed that the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has spoken to Commissioner Malmstrom and the Minister for Europe has spoken to Johannes Laitenberger, Head of Cabinet to President Barroso about the issue.

The UK Government says it has stressed the need for the Commission to “put pressure on Spain” to return border checks to “reasonable and proportionate levels.” The possibility of further follow-up visits (both announced and un-announced) by the Commission to the border has also been proposed by the UK.