Albares and Cameron fail to close the agreement on Gibraltar although they claim to be “close”

Upon arrival at the meeting in Brussels, the Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albaresstill saw it possible to close an agreement on Gibraltar with David Cameron this same Thursday. But after six hours of “intense” negotiations in which “every minute has been taken advantage of,” there has been no white smoke. Of course, all parties have committed to continue working and they assure that the pact is “closer”.

The chief minister of Gibraltar also participated in the four-way meeting, Fabian Picardo; and the vice president of the Commission responsible for relations with the United Kingdom, the Slovak Maros Sefcovicwhich negotiates on behalf of the European Union.

“Today’s negotiation has taken place in a constructive atmosphere, with important progress and new areas of agreement. All parties reaffirm that the agreement is closer and that they will work together and quickly on the most relevant aspects“says the joint statement signed by the four participants.

[El posible acuerdo con la UE sobre Gibraltar divide a los ‘tories’: “Disminuye la soberanía británica”]

The negotiators have reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a Treaty between the EU and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar that serves to “provide confidence, legal security and stability” to the inhabitants of the region. In this Thursday’s meeting they achieved advances in matters of commerce, economy, mobility, environment and social well-being“while safeguarding the legal positions of each of the parties,” reads the statement.

Finally, the four politicians have agreed to “remain in close and constant contact”, but have not set any date for a next meeting. Vice President Sefcovic He did not want to clarify what are the obstacles that remain to be resolvedbut he has insisted that he hopes for a definitive solution “as soon as possible”. The important thing is not the deadlines but that the result is “good,” she alleged.

For his part, Albares has reported that The parties have agreed not to give details on the negotiation until all points are closed in order to “protect what has already been agreed and continue advancing in those aspects that still need more technical development.”

This is the second meeting held with this four-person format at the highest political level, which It is uncomfortable for Spain for placing the chief minister of Gibraltar as an interlocutor at the same level as the rest. The first meeting of this type took place on April 12, but no photo or video was published of all the participants sitting at the same table. Also this time, the only images there are of the four are standing.

The objective of the agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar is definitively dismantle the fence with the purpose of facilitating the transit of the more than 10,000 Spanish workers who cross the border every day and create an “area of ​​shared prosperity” with Campo de Gibraltar.

The controls will be moved to the port and airport of Peñón and they will be carried out by the European border guard (Frontex), although Gibraltar will not formally enter the Schengen area. The concrete solutions to put these changes into practice have been the main problem since the beginning of the negotiation. The Treaty must also cover airport management and the transit of goods.

To make the agreement possible, Madrid and London have agreed put aside the dispute over the sovereignty of Gibraltar. Spain and the United Kingdom already reached an agreement on the status of the Rock on New Year’s Eve 2020, but transferring it to EU legislation – which at first seemed like a mere formality – has been a much longer, more complex and controversial process than expected.

In fact, cfour Years after the United Kingdom left the European Union, the status of Gibraltar is the only issue with Brexit that has not yet been resolved. So far there have been 18 rounds of dialogue at a technical level, without any concrete results being known. In fact, the negotiation over Gibraltar is one of the most opaque in memory in Brussels.

At the previous political meeting on April 12, the United Kingdom and the EU agreed on the “general political lines” of the future status of Gibraltar, covering the three most sensitive points: airport, goods and border controls.

The announcement that the agreement on the Rock is close has unleashed in recent weeks anger among the most eurosceptic sectors of the British conservative party, which supports the Government of Rishi Sunak. A controversy that could complicate the closing of the deal.

The president of House of Commons Europe Scrutiny CommitteeBrexiteer Bill Cash, has written a letter to Cameron and Sunak in which he maintains that the draft pact that is on the table would mean “a serious diminution of UK sovereignty“.

The most eurosceptic conservatives are particularly concerned that Frontex guards may deny British and Gibraltarian nationals entry into Gibraltar, which they define as “an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.” Or that the same thing will happen with military personnel from the United Kingdom and its NATO allies who enter Gibraltar to deploy to British military installations.

The brexiters They also do not want the EU to register and store the biometric data of British/Gibraltar nationals within the framework of the new Entry and Exit system of the Schengen area, which will begin to operate at the end of the year. Or that the time that the British spend in Gibraltar counts towards the 90 days allowed in the EU for non-EU citizens without a visa.

Bill Cash’s letter also protests the possible CJEU oversight of Gibraltar and the dynamic alignment with EU laws, particularly those of the Schengen area, for example those that facilitate hot pursuit of criminals. “There would be few things more illustrative of diminished sovereignty than Civil Guard agents entering Gibraltar whenever they please“, he complains.