Cross-border group meets La Linea’s mayor ahead of July 15 

La Linea mayor Juan Franco met with the Cross Frontier Group on Monday to discuss changes, challenges and opportunities arising from the removal of border controls on July 15. 

Mr Franco met representatives of the group including its president, Darren Cerisola, and its vice president and spokesperson, Lorenzo Pérez Periañez, to explain La Linea’s vision for urban planning and mobility measures for the area around the frontier. 

A priority for the local authority is the drafting of a masterplan to organise all municipal spaces bordering the frontier area, including a study of traffic flows once border controls are dismantled. 

The planning also includes projects such as the promotion of a technology centre and the start of technical cooperation with the Government of Gibraltar . 

Mr Franco said the council had already held meetings with the Government to set up a working team to analyse issues affecting both administrations and plan for different scenarios. 

“New situations are going to arise that none of us have experienced previously because the current situation dates back more than 100 years, and we now need the breadth of vision required to work together,” he said. 

Mr Franco added that further meetings would be held with the Cross Frontier Group to report on progress and hear its views. 

The Cross Frontier Group, which represents business and labour organisations on both sides of the frontier, said it was ready to work with authorities here and in Spain on logistical or labour-related matters. 

Mr Pérez Periañez welcomed the meeting and said the organisation would support joint business links and advice for cross-border professionals. 

“From now on we are going to grow and there is no alternative but for us to be together in this important new chapter,” he said. 

“Although we may face technical problems at first, we need to start working now, for the [border] fence to disappear, and I believe we will have a very hopeful future.” 

The group’s president, Mr Cerisola, said the discussion with Mr Franco had explored potential challenges that might arise after July 15 and how these could be addressed. 

He underlined the importance of “communication, consultation and transparency” so that businesses and workers alike understood the changes that were coming and were able to adapt to them. 

“This was about building bridges and trying to be proactive and constructive in order to understand the challenges both sides face and how we can work together to overcome them,” he told the Chronicle.