Rush has reached the negotiating table agreement governing Gibraltar’s relationship with the European Union. 13 months have passed since London and Brussels sat down for the first time to find a solution to a problem that also brought to the top Spain, the only EU country that shares a physical border with the Rock.

A few days ago, a new round of negotiations between the UK and the EU took place in the community capital, the tenth since October 2021. Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albaresurged the Vice President for Inter-Agency Relations, Maros Sefcovicthat meetings occur more frequently.

In addition, Albares presents Sefcovic, who is in charge of relations with England, with a “Spanish global proposal” for the Batu and Campo de Gibraltar regions. “There is a global proposal that I have presented to you and that the European Commission should make it on its own and provide the content of the agreement,” the minister said.

There is “political will on both sides” and “negotiations are progressing at a good pace,” according to Albares, who urged European Commission to quickly draw up an agreement. Engineers from the UK and EU have approved 90% of the expected 300 articles of the agreement. However, the rest can ruin everything, not without reason Gibraltar is preparing’non-negotiable outcome’ (Non-Negotiated Results, NNO, in English); that is, the no-deal scenario.

Spanish optimism

«What I feel from the meeting we held was also positive; but, obviously, to tango you need two and, despite our best will and global proposals in this regard, Great Britain needs to take it. commissioner [Sefcovic] have agreed to intensify the pace of negotiations”, commented José Manuel Albares.

Spain’s optimism is shared by the Government of Gibraltar, which stated in early November that “more rounds are expected in the last quarter of 2022. Negotiations have taken place in a constructive and cooperative atmosphere and, although progress has been made, talks need to continue in order for the parties to try to resolve the remaining complex issues.

However, the possibility that, in the end, there will be no agreement between London and Brussels regarding Gibraltar’s relationship with the European Union This is real although neither side wanted to reach such a stage.

Based on new year’s eve dealsigned by Spain and the United Kingdom on 31 December 2020 to avoid border chaos from 1 January 2021, the European Border Control Agency (Frontex) will manage the Gate, as the UK requested.

However, the European Commission, in the proposed negotiating mandate for Twenty-sevenleaving responsibility for controlling border crossings exclusively in the hands of Spanish authorities, something to the ire of the British Government, which deemed this extreme measure “unacceptable”. Gibraltar wants no checks at the Gates.