La Línea to publish strategic document on treaty impact

The Mayor of La Línea, Juan Franco, has announced plans to publish a strategy document addressing the city’s future after the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relations with bloc is ratified.

The document, which is not public yet, will be formally submitted to Spain’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Monday, but was outlined by Mr Franco at a press conference on Thursday.

It outlines the challenges posed by the border changes envisaged in the treaty and proposes a range of measures aimed at transforming these into opportunities for development.

Mr Franco said the city council is calling for direct dialogue with the Spanish central government to address matters that extend beyond the remit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The memorandum, which is both political and technical in nature, is a working document and will be open to public input.
Citizens in La Linea will be able to submit suggestions via a dedicated email address, participate in a survey launched on social media, and attend meetings organised with groups directly affected by the proposed changes.

The document outlines two potential scenarios in response to the removal of existing border checks, one with specific measures in place, and one without.

In the absence of strategic action, risks for La Linea include a decline in active population, loss of consumers, strain on public services, and a weakening of the city’s urban identity.

To mitigate these outcomes, the memorandum puts forward proposals including the creation of a special economic zone – a longstanding claim for La Linea - a logistics terminal, a housing plan, and targeted financial mechanism.

Mr Franco highlighted that a new urban model is emerging, shaped by the interaction of 120,000 residents from two territories operating under different legal frameworks, and by the uncertain status of the 36,000 square metres currently comprising the customs area adjacent to the border.

Among the fiscal proposals tabled by the council in the document, La Linea suggests that Gibraltar be removed from Spain’s list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, something the Spanish government agreed to do following the Tax Treaty signed in 2019 but which it has yet to do.

It also proposes a funding mechanism to compensate the La Linea council for services provided to the city’s floating population, which includes many non-registered foreign residents. A campaign will be launched to encourage EU citizens to formalise their residency registration.

On mobility, the document supports integrating La Línea into the proposed Algeciras–Nerja coastal railway via a branch line.

It notes that La Línea is currently the only city in Europe with over 100,000 inhabitants and no train station.

The memorandum also addresses social policy, proposing enhanced cooperation on health, education, and social protection.

This includes a bilateral agreement to secure future pensions for cross-border workers, as well as coordinated measures for the protection of minors and victims of gender-based violence.

Additional proposals include joint waste treatment, shared use of sports facilities, collaborative academic programmes with Andalusian and Gibraltarian universities, and a budget framework to expand local services.

From Monday, the memorandum will be accessible on the council’s website, alongside a Facebook survey seeking public feedback on priorities such as mobility, commerce, and housing.

The aim, La Linea’s city council said, is to refine municipal initiatives through participatory input.