The arrival to the Government of United Kingdom from the labor party Keir Starmer Nor has it served to bring to a close the endless negotiations on Gibraltar’s status in the European Union after Brexit. Although now the three Executives (Spain, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar) They belong to the same socialist political familythis alignment has not been enough to achieve the white smoke. After four hours of dialogue this Thursday in Brussels, the negotiators have separated without agreement, although they speak of “further progress on complex issues of negotiation, particularly in matters relating to persons and property.”
This was the third meeting in Brussels at ministerial level, but the first since the change of government in London. On the part of the European Union, the interlocutors have not changed: the Vice-President of the Commission, Maros Sefcovicand the Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel AlbaresThe novelty was the British Foreign Secretary, David Lammywhich has replaced David Cameron and with whom Albares met on Monday in London. The British delegation also included the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo.
For the first time, a picture of the four negotiators sitting around the table has been released. A photograph that is uncomfortable for Spain for placing the chief minister of the Rock as an interlocutor on the same level as the rest. In the two previous meetings, the only images that exist of the four are standing.
[Albares y Cameron no logran cerrar el acuerdo sobre Gibraltar aunque aseguran estar “cerca”]
“Based on the significant progress achieved at the meetings of 12 April and 16 May, the talks held today have been constructive and productive“resulting in further progress on complex negotiating issues, in particular on issues relating to people and property,” reads the joint statement issued by the United Kingdom and the EU at the end of the meeting.
“The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment to reaching an EU-UK Agreement that brings confidence, legal certainty and stability to the population of the entire region, safeguarding the legal positions of each of the parties“(The negotiators) have agreed to remain in constant contact and that the teams will work closely and intensively on the outstanding issues,” the brief statement concludes.
Although the current Commission’s mandate ends on 31 October, none of the negotiators have set a deadline for concluding the agreement. More than 4 Years after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union took place, Gibraltar’s status is The only loose end of Brexit that has not yet been resolved. So far there have been 18 rounds of dialogue at a technical level, apart from the three at a political level, without any concrete results being known. In fact, the negotiation on Gibraltar is one of the most opaque that Brussels can remember.
“We have made progress in the fundamental aspects, the freedom of movement of people and also the freedom of movement of goods. There is still technical work to be done on very practical aspects. We have agreed to continue working and redouble the intensity in the coming weeks. so that we can finally conclude this agreement as soon as possible.“, Albares said at the end of the meeting.
Gibraltar negotiators during Thursday’s meeting in Brussels
“On the part of Spain, our totally constructive position has been made clear, totally in favour of reaching this agreement. And making it clear that we consider it to be good for Gibraltar and for the 300,000 Andalusians from the Gibraltar countryside demand freedom of movement of people and goods. But at the same time we have to ensure that the controls within the Schengen area and freedom of movement, and within the customs union and therefore the freedom of movement of goods, are respected and applied in exactly the same way as in the rest of the Schengen area or the customs union,” said the head of Spanish diplomacy.
The new Starmer government has set itself the goal in its negotiations with the EU on Gibraltar protect the sovereignty and military autonomy of the United Kingdom and to ensure the prosperity of the Rock and the region. London now has two red lines that cannot be crossed: not to enter into any agreement under which Gibraltar would come under the sovereignty of another State and never to enter into a negotiation process with which the Rock is not happy.
The aim of the EU-UK agreement on Gibraltar is to permanently dismantle the Fence with the purpose of facilitating the transit of more than 10,000 Spanish workers who cross the border every day and create an “area of shared prosperity” with Campo de Gibraltar.
Controls will be transferred to the port and airport of El Peñón and will be carried out by the European Border Guard (Frontex), although Gibraltar will not formally enter the Schengen area. Concrete solutions to implement these changes have been the main problem since the start of the negotiations. The treaty should also cover airport management and the transit of goods. The taxation of goods is another stumbling block in the dialogue.
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