Gibraltar is set to face “tense” negotiations with Spain and the EU as it issues a final ultimatum to Spain amid a dispute over British sovereignty.
The British overseas territory’s deputy prime minister has said Gibraltar is preparing to challenge the post-Brexit treaty.
Relations between Spain and Gibraltar have changed since the UK left the EU in 2020.
However, Gibraltar is no longer part of the Schengen travel zone, meaning free travel to and from EU countries is blocked.
Cars lined up at Gibraltar border/immigration checkpointP.A.Deputy Premier Joseph Garcia warned that 2024 “will be a year in which we will face many challenges.”
However, it added that efforts were continuing to reach an agreement that “will govern our future relations with the European Union and with Spain, the EU’s closest neighbor.”
“The next few weeks are expected to be critical here,” he told the Gibraltar Chronicle.
“It is true that many self-imposed deadlines have come and gone.
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“However, the European Parliament is scheduled to dissolve ahead of new elections in June, effectively creating an interim committee until a new one is formed in the autumn.
“All of this means that negotiations cannot continue forever. Time is running out and Gibraltar will reach a crossroads sometime in 2024.”
He added that Gibraltar should either agree to a path forward “protected by the treaty” or “settle for the harsh reality of life without a treaty”.
“The overriding consideration in entering into a treaty is not to cross the red lines of sovereignty and jurisdiction,” Garcia said.
“Prime Minister Fabian Picardo and I have both been clear that this will never happen, otherwise there will be no treaty.
The Gibraltar flag flies above the Foreign Office in Whitehall, London on Gibraltar’s National DayP.A.
“Indeed, the UK has also said it will continue to stand firm on the issue of sovereignty. So you can rest assured that if we manage to conclude a treaty, it will be safe, secure and beneficial for all of us. right.”
“If it doesn’t meet these criteria, we won’t support it.
“The four countries involved – Gibraltar, the UK, Spain and the European Union – each had their own views, interests and policies to defend as detailed negotiations progressed.
“Obviously the product that could end up being the result of a lot of different positions thrown into the melting pot.
“One of the prizes we can grasp is that as a result of the Schengen area and a common travel area, relations with neighboring countries are moving away from centuries of conflict and conflict and toward new relationships without border queues. That can change.”