<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, has admitted that, in the event that an agreement is reached with the EU on the future arrangement of the colony after Brexit, the Rock will have to incorporate European rules that it “never” had to apply before entering Schengen or the Single Market, especially on immigration, arrival of goods and sales tax.</strong></h4> “In this last term in office as your Chief Minister, I am determined to resolve the key outstanding issues that remain,” Picardo said on Monday during his New Year's Message. “Of course, the greatest challenge we continue to face is the finalisation of the negotiation on our future relationship with the EU,” he added. “Last year, I told you in this address that the final stages of any negotiation require ‘patience and stoic calm’,” he continued. “I know how important these arrangements are for all sectors in Gibraltar. I know how urgent the promised fluidity is for some, not least for the Campo’s resident cross frontier workers. But I also know that I will never compromise on the fundamentals that you elected me to defend,” he warned. “We are very, very close to a deal, but there is great technical complexity in aspects of this negotiation and there can be derivatives of sovereignty in some details,” said the Chief Minister. “We have proposed solutions that protect the security of Schengen and the integrity of the Single Market. Our proposals also protect our fundamental positions. And if our proposals are accepted, we can do a deal tomorrow,” he said. “But even then,” he warned, “whichever way the negotiation ends, we will have a very different manner of interaction with the EU in future.” “A treaty will also mean that we have to change how we do things,” explained Picardo. “It will mean introducing parts of the European rules that we never belonged to when we were members of the EU but not in Schengen or the Single Market. It will mean the introduction of new arrangements for immigration that will deliver maximum fluidity at the frontier. It will mean the introduction of new rules for the arrival of goods into Gibraltar and a sales tax,” he added. “We will enter into those arrangements if they are the safe and secure option we need to protect our people and our nation. But not otherwise. We will enter into those arrangements if they are going to be beneficial to our businesses and preserve our way of life. But not otherwise,” he warned. “Because when I tell you on National Day each year that I will not sacrifice one breath of our air, one drop of our water or one grain of our land, I mean it. So, when others talk about being able to do better deals more quickly, I know that you realise that they can only be lying to you,” he added. “However fed up you and I may be, I know you will not want us to give up on trying to negotiate the right deal,” he said.
