LONDON – Britain is on the verge of agreeing a new treaty for Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relationship with the European Union, following successful talks in Madrid with the Spanish government.
Negotiations to redefine Gibraltar’s relationship with the EU after Britain’s exit from the bloc took place on two tracks: one between Spain and the United Kingdom, responsible for Gibraltar’s foreign policy, and more recently between the European Commission and the UK government.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Wednesday evening that the Spanish and British governments had agreed to “make progress as soon as possible” to settle their differences over visa-free travel between people from Britain’s Gibraltar and the Schengen Area .
This would mitigate the impact of a hard Brexit on the people living in The Rock and on those who commute to work on the Spanish side of the border on a daily basis.
“Spain is ready to conclude a deal,” Albares said during a joint news conference with his British counterpart James Cleverly after a hastily arranged meeting between the two men in Madrid. Gibraltar Prime Minister Fabian Picardo attended via conference call.
Wednesday’s discussion centered on a detailed proposal presented by the Commission last month and approved by Spain to remove the fence at the land border with Gibraltar and move customs checks to the airport and port of Gibraltar. The fence has been the source of much historical controversy.
“We are closer [to a deal] now that at the beginning of the meeting”, said Albares, adding that the talks “are proceeding at a good pace”.
Shortly before the press conference, a beaming Albares was caught on camera shaking Cleverly’s hand at Madrid’s Viana Palace and saying, “We made it, we made it.”
Clever told the news conference that “a lot” of progress had been made on the Gibraltar talks, but there were still some areas of disagreement. He said he is confident it is “possible” to reach a treaty that respects the respective positions of the UK and Spain on Gibraltar’s sovereignty. “We are fully committed to concluding an agreement as soon as possible,” he said.
Their meeting comes as EU and UK officials gather in Brussels to make progress on draft legislation to formalize a post-Brexit relationship with Gibraltar.
The negotiations have officially been ongoing since 2020, but have been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and two changes in the British prime minister.
Officials involved in the talks said there was now a strong appetite for a solution in Spain’s left-wing coalition government as the country prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2023, and also in view of the general election and a series of elections addresses the regional elections in the new year.
Polls in Spain predict that a coalition between the conservative People’s Party and far-right Vox – which has called for the border with Gibraltar to be closed – could win an outright majority, potentially leading to a catastrophic shift in Gibraltar’s negotiations if it doesn’t At this point the case is closed.
However, officials warn that a bilateral deal between Spain and Britain on the hottest issues could still be delayed until early next year. Picardo, speaking at a separate news conference in Gibraltar, said Spain’s electoral calendar “could obviously have an impact” on the negotiations, but he was optimistic a deal could be finalized before the general election.
Picardo called for patience, adding: “We can’t pretend that 300 years of disagreement can disappear in an instant.”
On Thursday, Smartly will travel to Brussels for a face-to-face meeting with Commission Vice-President and Brexit expert Maroš Šefčovič on UK-EU affairs.
