The Diplomat
Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo yesterday ended up very satisfied with both the British Government’s stance against the EU negotiating mandate and the Spanish Government’s commitment to stick to the New Year’s Eve Agreements and request Frontex assistance in Schengen border control.
“Government of Gibraltar notes and welcomes the very clear position on the EU negotiating mandate set out by the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, at his first meeting with the new Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares”, the Picardo Executive said in a statement.
“The Government of Gibraltar also notes and welcomes Albares’ remarks committing to the New Year’s Eve Agreement and recognising that the potential treaty between the UK and the EU in relation to Gibraltar would be good, not just for the Campo de Gibraltar, but also for Gibraltar”, it added.
Albares made a visit to London last Wednesday, just a day after the European Commission made public the mandate for negotiations with the UK on the future status of Gibraltar, whose basis is the pre-agreement signed by Spain and the UK last December 31. The main sticking point of the mandate is the establishment of “control and surveillance” of the external borders of the Schengen zone “in the port, airport and waters of Gibraltar” and their assignment to “Spanish border guards” in application of “existing EU rules”. However, the mandate takes “note” that Spain has expressed its desire to request the collaboration of the European Agency for Borders and Coasts (Frontex) to control the port and airport of the Rock, as agreed by the Spanish and British governments in the New Year’s Eve pre-agreement to avoid tensions. In this regard, Albares personally told Raab in London that Spain will “comply with everything agreed on December 31 and will request the assistance of Frontex”.
In its statement, the Government of Gibraltar assures that it will “never accept a treaty that in any way resembles the mandate issued by the EU Commission”. “The Government of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom are entirely at one on this issue”, said Fabian Picardo. “I am very gratefulto the Foreign Secretary for having set out so clearly the position of the UK, which is wholly aligned with us”, he continued.
“Gibraltar remains fully committed to the New Year’s Eve Agreement” and the UK “has already said they remain fully committed also” and, for that reason, “I very much welcome Jose Manuel Albares’ statements in London yesterday recommitting Spain to the terms of the New Year’s Eve Agreement and to the Frontex aspects of it in particular”, added Picardo.
