After meeting Doughty, Cross Frontier Group again urges speedy resolution to treaty negotiation

The Cross Frontier Group reaffirmed the urgent need for a resolution of negotiations on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit after meeting the UK’s Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London on Thursday.

The meeting offered an opportunity for the group, which brings together unions and business organisations from both sides of the border, to underscore its concerns directly to the minister.

It also allowed group representative to hear directly from those at the negotiating table.

The group’s delegation including president Darren Cerisola, from the GGCA; Unite the Union’s Christian Duo; Manuel Triano, from leading Spanish union Comisiones Obreras [CCOO]; Loren Periañez, representing small and medium-sized businesses in La Linea; and Alfred Bassadone on behalf of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia.

Manuel Triano, from Spanish union CCOO, said the current situation had “an expiry date”.

The entry into force of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System later this year “means this cannot drag out”, he told Cadena Ser radio.

He acknowledged the goodwill on all sides in the negotiation but said that despite that political consensus, “this is a treaty of significant technical complexity because there is no precedent in the EU”.

That sentiment was echoed by Unite’s Christian Duo, who told the Chronicle that the legal complexity of the issues under negotiation could not be underestimated.

He said negotiators were “very close to a deal, but it is very legally complex”.

Mr Duo acknowledged there was wide concern in the community about the shape and implications of any agreement.

But he noted too that the incident last year, in which a Spanish police inspector triggered chaos at the border when he unilaterally tightened controls, had put a stark spotlight on the implications of not agreeing a deal.

And he echoed Mr Triano’s warning against delaying much longer.

“The current status quo is not sustainable,” he told the Chronicle.

In a statement, the Gibraltar Government said the meeting had been positive.

“There was a very useful discussion with representatives of trade unions and business organisations from both sides of the border,” No.6 Convent Place said.

No.6 said that separately, the Chief Minister took the opportunity to thank Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard following “robust references” to Gibraltar in the Strategic Defence Review published earlier this week.

Mr Picardo and Dr Garcia had further meetings on Thursday connected to the negotiation of a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar’s future relationship with the bloc.