John Culatto
GIBRALTAR might have to follow EU rules on goods and migration if a post-Brexit treaty is agreed over Gibraltar, its political leader told a local television station.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo had an in-person meeting with officials to further iron out some of the red lines that are preventing an EU treaty.
Picardo told GBC he had ‘extraordinarily complex’ discussions in the British capital on issues relating to taxation and whether the final deal would be ‘beneficial’ for Gibraltar.
Talks between the UK, Spain and the EU have been ongoing all last year.
He said that it could be ‘uncomfortable’ to accept EU regulation on even more areas than before.
“We’re going to go into a relationship with the European Union, which means that the EU’s areas of regulation may apply in certain aspects of what we do in Gibraltar,” Picardo told GBC.
“One of the areas that we will be dealing with is goods
“Some of you may be familiar that to get the border because you have no control of the accessing of goods from the EU to Gibraltar or from Gibraltar into the EU.”
The Rock has always sold duty-free products that are not in line with Customs Union prices.
With the EU treaty seeking to remove the frontier altogether, not changing this would create an unequal price comparison with neighbouring Spain.
“In the context of how we regulate immigration we have to do it in a way that is agreed with our Schengen partners,” Picardo said.
“They need to have confidence in our immigration and we have confidence in their immigration instead of causing each other problems.”
Recent political and civil society pressure from Spain has urged Madrid to continue negotiation of the treaty.
READ MORE:
- ‘DEVASTATING’: Cross frontier group slams politicians for not reaching a deal on Gibraltar’s EU treaty
- Cadiz politician calls for ‘courage’ to clinch EU treaty ‘utopia’ on Gibraltar as Spain digs in on demands
- EU treaty talks on Gibraltar likely to roll into 2023 as disagreements continue between UK, EU and Spain
