Convoking the Mayors of Campo de Gibraltar and the Junta
On the government’s agenda, the name of Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, did not appear. “Jose Manuel Albares is meeting with the European Commission’s executive vice president, Maros Sefcovic, and the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary, David Lamy, in Brussels.” The Llanito’s absence in photos released by the Spanish Foreign Ministry highlighted Spain’s displeasure at elevating Picardo to a status near that of a head of state and seating him at the high level negotiating table that is shaping the future role of the British colony within Spain and the wider European space after Brexit.
But Picardo was there, at the third gathering to negotiate a Gibraltar Treaty in this format and the first since the Labour victory of Keir Starmer in the British elections. Spain wanted to confirm that the United Kingdom, with the new government, accepted what had been agreed so far across the different aspects of the future deal and to push to advance as much as possible. Madrid intended to maintain a “generous and balanced” agreement that allowed freedom of movement for people and goods while respecting Schengen controls and the customs regime.
After the meeting, little additional information emerged. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares asked for patience about what came out of the talks on this day, noting that all sides agreed to maintain discretion. Typically, the gibraltarian side leaks more details, but Picardo remained silent for the moment.
“We have made progress on the issues that are now the core concerns: freedom of movement for people and freedom of movement for goods,” stated the Spanish foreign minister. “There is still technical work to be done on practical aspects, but we will continue to work and intensify efforts in the coming weeks so that this agreement can be concluded as soon as possible.”
Convoking the Mayors of Campo de Gibraltar and the Junta
What is evident is that the agreement has slid away from negotiators’ reach since New Year’s Eve 2020, when London and Madrid asked Brussels to begin talks to dismantle the barrier separating the colony from the peninsula and to create a zone of shared prosperity with Campo de Gibraltar. Setting aside sovereignty questions over the Rock and its surroundings, which Spain claims and the United Kingdom rejects, the aim shifts toward improving the welfare of the Llanitos and the roughly 300,000 Andalusians who live in Campo de Gibraltar.
Albares will, as in previous rounds, convene both the Campo de Gibraltar mayors and the Andalusian regional government to explain the situation in the wake of this meeting. “And they will understand,” he said. “We want freedom of movement for people and goods, but, of course, we must also guarantee checks within the Schengen area and the customs union.”
The road to an agreement remains tangled because there are many knotty issues that seem almost unsolvable. One major point is how to control the passage of soldiers and military materiel through the Gibraltar port and airport. The other is the joint management of the Royal Air Force airfield there. Tax disparities between the two sides (lower taxes on the Gibraltar side, viewed by critics as a kind of tax haven), pensions for Spanish workers (lower than those of the local residents because many rely on a public fund), and waste management are among the additional obstacles to overcome.