The Line
In 2016, on June 23, the United Kingdom proposed leaving the European Union, after a referendum in which, by the way. Gibraltar voted massively against that exit. Since then, there has been talk about how this exit occurs and the situation in which territories such as the British colony of Gibraltar would remain. As the year ended, on December 31, 2020, what was called the New Year’s Eve agreement was reached. The pact provided for the application of the Schengen treaty in the new relationship with Gibraltar. Border control would be moved to the port and airport and the border crossing would be open, which would especially benefit the thousands of citizens who must access Gibraltar every day to find a livelihood.
However, almost four years later, things remain the same, or worse, given the uncertainty of what may happen if an agreement is not finally reached. In fact, we must remember that yesterday the exhaustive controls at the gate would have begun, with the mandatory use of the passport, biometric controls, etc… that would mean a serious problem for those who work there and for those who go to visit, due to the logical loss of time.
Today from the halls of FLAVI, the federation of residents of La Línea, we have analyzed this situation, the social and economic repercussions of an agreement for the treaty of Gibraltar. In this special program were the president of FLAVI, Alfonso Torres, the regional secretary of CC OO Manuel Triano, general director of the Bahía de Algeciras Campus of the University of Cádiz and professor of international law Jesús Verdú and John Isola, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Gibraltar.
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For John Isola the situation is worrying, “we have had years of uncertainty, we cannot make decisions about investments, yes on a day-to-day basis, but not knowing what could come to us in three months, six months or a year. Companies need to plan for the future. There is a lot of interdependence between Campo de Gibraltar and the region. In 2013 the Chamber of Commerce did a study that showed how the two communities are linked in economic issues. “Mostly 15,000 Spanish workers, and those are only direct jobs. Then there are many indirect jobs from companies that provide their services in Gibraltar.”
For his part, Manuel Triano, from CC OO, understands that there is an economic relationship between businesses and cross-border workers that has an important impact. “Apart from the study that John Isola was talking about, the report itself justifying the 112 measures for Brexit that the Andalusian Government approved, made a fairly detailed analysis of the economic interdependence of what that volume of workers represents. It is an element key that must preside over the negotiations and push the political and institutional leaders to an agreement that gives certainty to the companies and these workers. Triano has highlighted a fact that is not given enough attention. These are “Spanish companies and workers whose main client base is Gibraltar.”
Jesús Verdú reflected on interdependence. “This economic and social interdependence goes much further, it has generated a unique space between Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar that has resulted in a type of border society, enormously rich and diverse and that generates dynamics and problems that must be addressed. see in its entirety. That is, overcome that solely economic vision of what the relations between Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar are, which I believe transcend and are more important” Verdú, in addition. Throughout the program, he expressed his astonishment because Spain had not planned a plan B in the event that an agreement was not reached, “which the Government of Gibraltar has done.
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The neighborhood leader, Alfonso Torres, regretted the disregard “for the social representatives of La Línea. This neighborhood federation that we have been raising these issues for many years has not been called to the last meeting, nor the Working Group for La Línea that It is a unitary platform where political parties, unions and social groups meet. There is representation from CC OO and ASCTEG but it seems insufficient to us. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commits a lack of rigor by not giving it. interlocution to the affected parties. Of course, the Port of Algeciras was represented. La Línea is the first interested and affected and the feeling is that our interests are not on the table in this whole matter.
These are some of the concerns of our guests who continued to argue throughout the hour-long program. Issues such as the socioeconomic interdependence of Gibraltar and the region, the particularities of La Línea in this situation caused by Brexit, the current situation of negotiations, the repercussions for the area of a no agreement or the perspective of an agreement and the Zone of Shared Prosperity.
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