<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has awarded the Commendation of Isabella the Catholic to the senior officials who negotiated with their British counterparts and made the final agreement on Gibraltar possible, according to diplomatic sources reported to The Diplomat.</strong></h4> The ceremony took place this Thursday at the ministerial headquarters in the Viana Palace, in Madrid. Those honored were: State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío; State Secretary for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro; Director of the Minister's Office, Sergio Cuesta; Director General for Foreign and Security Policy, Alberto Ucelay; Secretary General for the European Union and Diplomat, Carlos Moreno; and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the EU, Marcos Alonso. On June 11, José Manuel Albares, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy reached "a final political agreement on the key aspects of the future Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom in relation to Gibraltar" after meeting in Brussels in the presence of Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo. The Agreement, which safeguards the respective legal positions of Spain and the United Kingdom regarding sovereignty and jurisdiction, according to the joint declaration adopted by the three parties, guarantees the free movement of people by eliminating borders and controls between Gibraltar and Campo de Gibraltar and establishes that the Spanish National Police will be responsible, on behalf of the European Union, for carrying out full Schengen controls at the Gibraltar port and airport. In the area of goods, the parties agreed on the principles underpinning the future customs union between the EU and Gibraltar, maintaining close collaboration between the respective customs authorities and eliminating controls on goods. They also reached an agreement on the principles of indirect taxation to be applied in Gibraltar, including tobacco, which will avoid distortions and contribute to the prosperity of the entire region. Other important aspects of the future EU-UK Agreement include commitments to a level playing field in the areas of state aid, taxation, labor, the environment, trade and sustainable development, anti-money laundering, and transport. including the airport, cross-border workers' rights, and social security coordination. Specific cooperation on the environment will also be included, and the creation of an appropriate financial mechanism to promote cohesion and support training and employment in the region has been agreed upon. The European Commission (with direct participation from Spain) and the UK government have been negotiating the agreement for Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU after Brexit for five years, based on the so-called New Year's Eve Agreement reached by the Spanish and British governments on December 31, 2020. Last June's meeting was the fourth tripartite meeting at the political level.
