Picardo assures in La Línea that there would be an agreement “tomorrow” if Spain and the EU accepted his proposals

Eduardo González The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabián Picardo, made an “unofficial visit” to La Línea de la Concepción on Wednesday, where he met with the mayor of the town, Juan Franco, and assured that the agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom on the future arrangement of the colony after Brexit could be reached “tomorrow” if “Spain and the European Union accepted the terms” proposed by his Government. According to the Gibraltarian Executive in a press release - the La Línea Town Hall does not provide any information about this visit, neither on its website nor on social networks - Picardo took advantage of this opportunity “to take a walk through the centre of the neighbouring town, where he had the opportunity to greet several businessmen and citizens”. Also, the same source continues, the mayor organised a lunch in a well-known bar restaurant in the city centre, where the guests were able to “exchange opinions with the Chief Minister about the current situation”. “The desire to reach an agreement on the post-Brexit situation and how this affects the area was a key theme in the talks,” the Gibraltarian government said. “All those present expressed their desire to reach a satisfactory agreement as soon as possible,” it added. “I was delighted to meet Juan Franco in La Línea and to have the opportunity to discuss with him how important it would be for us all to have a safe and beneficial agreement not only for Gibraltar, but also for La Línea and Campo de Gibraltar,” Picardo said, quoted in the press release. “I reiterated that the progress and proposals we have made could be translated into a Treaty tomorrow if Spain and the European Union accepted the terms we have proposed, designed to be safe and beneficial for Gibraltar, while guaranteeing the security and integrity of the Schengen area and compliance with the obligations relating to the free movement of goods area and the single market,” he continued. “If these were accepted, we could reach an agreement tomorrow,” he concluded. Negotiations have been bogged down for months due to the rejection of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom to the presence of Spanish authorities on the Rock. The aim of the agreement is the creation of a zone of shared prosperity between Gibraltar and Campo de Gibraltar, which would include the removal of the Fence, as Spain accepted with the signing of the New Year's Eve agreement in 2020. However, the agreement would imply the transfer of access controls to the Schengen area to the port and airport of Gibraltar. The Spanish Government defends the presence of Spanish police officers at these entry and exit controls, something that is not liked by the British and Gibraltarians, who see it as a step backwards in their sovereignty. To overcome the rejection of the presence of Spanish authorities, the controls could initially be carried out by Frontex, the European border agency. Other pending points are the use of the airport and the military base on the Rock, apart from other issues, such as fiscal harmonisation between Gibraltar and the EU or environmental management.

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