The Diplomat
The ambassadors of the EU-27 in Brussels yesterday approved the mandate that sets out the red lines for the European Union’s negotiations on its future relationship with Gibraltar after Brexit.
The mandate includes the offer to London that, in the event that the disappearance of the border fence is agreed, controls on the entry of passengers and goods from outside the EU through the colony’s airport and port will be carried out during the first four years with the assistance of Frontex agents, according to diplomatic sources.
After the approval of the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER), the mandate must go through the legal process of being formally approved at a forthcoming meeting of EU ministers, which could be next week’s ECOFIN meeting of economy and finance ministers. Negotiations between Brussels and London can then begin.
The main change with respect to the mandate initially prepared by the European Commission is the inclusion of Frontex’s participation in the controls for accessing the Schengen area via Gibraltar, something that had been agreed by the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom at the end of last year. The absence of any mention of the participation of personnel from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) caused British and Gibraltarian dissatisfaction, because it left control exclusively in the hands of Spanish agents.
At the request of the Spanish government, the offer to be made to the UK is that for the first four years, control of ports and airports will be carried out by Spain, but with the assistance of Frontex.
