The Diplomat
The Vice President of the European Commission responsible for relations with the United Kingdom, Maros Sefcovic, assured yesterday that he shares with Madrid and London the objective of reaching an agreement on the EU’s future relationship with Gibraltar “during the first quarter of next year”.
“Progress has been made in the first four rounds that took place since October this year,” Sefcovic said during a press conference in Brussels dedicated, above all, to the negotiations with the United Kingdom on the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. “They have been very constructive and reflected the strong willingness of the two sides to reach an agreement,” he continued. “We will continue these negotiations in the New Year, and enter the decisive phase as soon as possible,” Maros Sefcovic assured. “We share with the UK and Spain the objective of concluding an agreement during the first quarter of next year,” he concluded.
Last Wednesday evening, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, received in Madrid his British counterpart Elizabeth Truss, with whom he discussed the state of negotiations between the Commission and the United Kingdom on the future agreement between the EU and Gibraltar.
During the meeting -the first bilateral European visit of the British minister in her first hundred days in office-, the two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the 2020 Policy Framework and agreed that “the first four rounds of negotiations have achieved significant progress”. They also welcomed “the constructive nature of the negotiations,” which are being conducted on the basis of the Commission’s mandate and the proposals put forward by the UK, and agreed that it is “in everyone’s interest to conclude these talks in the first quarter of 2022.” “The UK maintained its position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar,” the British Embassy added, for its part.
Although the political framework was agreed on December 31, 2020, the actual negotiation process did not begin until October 2021. According to the Foreign Office, the process has progressed more slowly because of the complexity of the issues involved and the COVID-19 pandemic. The negotiations have covered all areas, including the free movement of people, exchange of goods, conditions of fair competition, environmental issues, coordination of social security systems and citizens’ rights, “without losing sight of the fact that the future agreement must respect the acquis communautaire and the legal positions of Spain and the United Kingdom,” added the Department headed by Albares.
Both ministers also discussed the extension of the validity of the Memorandums of Understanding between Spain and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar on Police and Customs Cooperation, Environmental Cooperation and Tobacco and Other Products, whose validity ends next December 31, in order to ensure an appropriate framework for cooperation until the new agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom regarding Gibraltar and the appropriate complementary bilateral understandings are signed.
For its part, the Government of Gibraltar stated that same day that “all parties are determined to move forward in a positive and constructive manner to find solutions to the complex political and technical issues being addressed” and that the objective “at this time” is to conclude an agreement before Easter.
