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Gibraltar agreement could be reached in a matter of days, according to officials
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Spain is confident a new agreement governing the Rock’s border controls could be signed very soon
The Secretary of State for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro, indicated on Tuesday April 30 that the Spanish Government hopes to close the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom for the framework of relations with Gibraltar "in the coming days", four years after Britain left the European bloc.
In statements to the Spanish press before the informal meeting of European Affairs ministers held in Brussels, Sampedro explained that the bilateral meeting two weeks ago between Spain, the UK and the European Commission, paved the way for a formal agreement.
The process was almost derailed earlier this month when EU Commissioner Margaritis Schinas stirred controversy by jokingly referring to Gibraltar as Spanish, a fatal faux pas in the middle of some of the tensest negotiations over the Rock’s future.
When asked for his thoughts about Gibraltar, Schinas light-heartedly replied “Español”, prompting gales of laughter from the listening crowd. But not everyone say the funny side. The term "Gibraltar Español" actually originates from the Franco era and is frequently invoked by those advocating for Spain's ownership of the territory.
Sampedro has played his cards close to his chest so far and refused to commit to any firm agreement date, but he did say that "if everything goes well," we can expect another ministerial meeting very soon. This time, EU negotiator, Community Vice President Maros Sefcovic, will be present to seal the pact.
Since October 2021, EU and UK delegates have worked cooperatively under the auspice of the New Year's Eve Agreement signed by the Spanish and British governments on Dec 31, 2020.
This arrangement calls for removing physical barriers and integrating Gibraltar into the Schengen Zone via strategic placement of border checks at ports and airports. Disputes arise over UK resistance to employing Spanish officials for conducting border patrol duties, prompting a proposal for temporary involvement of the European Border Agency (Frontex) over a four-year transition phase.
Image: Archive
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