Moreno Bonilla says ‘agreement better than dispute’ but insists Spain’s sovereignty aspirations are ‘non-negotiable’

The president of the Junta de Andalucia, the Partido Popular’s Juanma Moreno, voiced support on Tuesday for the “dismantling of the fence” that separates Spain from Gibraltar, stressing that “agreements are always better than a bad dispute”.

Mr Moreno asked for “detailed” information about the treaty after a political agreement last June 11 laid the groundwork for the Rock’s future relationship with the EU.

“We need understanding between the Campo de Gibraltar and the colony, but we also need information,” he said in statements to the media during a visit to the Archidona Town Hall in Malaga.

According to Moreno, “the physical fact that the fence no longer exists will contribute to more shared economic development,” and that he viewed Gibraltar as “a part of our territory.”

Mr Moreno insisted that Spain’s position on Gibraltar’s sovereignty will remain non-negotiable, but he also emphasised the practical importance of the agreement for over 10,000 workers from the Campo de Gibraltar who cross the border daily to work.

“That forces us to seek understanding and real solutions,” he underlined.

Alignment with the mayors of Campo de Gibraltar

Mr Moreno agreed with the mayors of Algeciras and La Línea, who on Monday demanded greater transparency on the treaty’s contents and plans to remove immigrations controls at the border as early as January next year.

He said the Junta wanted to see “detailed information about what the procedure will be and, above all, how taxation will be handled on both sides of the fence”.

In this regard, he warned that “there cannot be a special tax regime in Gibraltar and a different one in the Campo de Gibraltar, because that clearly harms the interests of the citizens living in the area.”

Mr Moreno defended the need to ensure “equality in terms of taxation, opportunities, and investments,” so that economic development can be shared.

The Junta president also called on Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to urgently convene a meeting with the region’s representatives to explain “step by step” the procedure and the timeline that will be followed “to finally tear down, demolish, and remove the fence.”