This is being preceded by an imminent meeting in Gibraltar itself of the UK/Gibraltar transport inter-ministerial committee to consider the situation in situ.

The Spanish Government had been urging that Brexit talks be held on the Gibraltar issue, but after the recent visit to the Campo area of the Spanish foreign minister Alfonso Dastis, a more cautious approach has become manifest, and while a date for the Anglo-Spanish meeting has now been pencilled in, Madrid appears to have realised that Spain's traditional policy on Gibraltar faces serious obstacles, not only from Britain, but from interested Spanish parties in the Campo area itself.

Even though some signs have appeared on the Spanish side of the frontier, which would indicate that initial Spanish thinking has been to provide preferential treatment for Spanish workers, it has now dawned on them that this would be seen as discriminatory by the UK/Gibraltar side and certainly unacceptable.

The Spanish workers themselves are against action that could affect their daily lives if Madrid were to give preference to their political aims over Gibraltar. The number of frontier workers tend to fluctuate, but there are around 13,000 at present, mainly Spanish, but also from other EU countries.

ANACHRONISTIC CLAIM

It is being recalled that no sooner had Brexit become a possibility, the Spanish Government had placed up front their anachronistic territorial claim which has no legal validity, by seeking to take advantage from what they thought could emanate from Gibraltar and Britain's exit from the European Union.

The EU has indicated that Spain must be consulted on Gibraltar issues emanating from the Brexit negotiations, but Britain has taken a rock-solid stance on Gibraltar which raises questions in Spanish minds if a precipitate and premature position could not work against Spanish interests, not only in the Campo area but in the wider context of Anglo-Spanish political and economic relations.

In the wake of Dastis' Campo sojourn, Madrid has decided to put pen to paper and add up the consequences that could face it if it rushed into seeking a Rock return.

Sources in the Campo area say that it is not only the fate of the Spanish workers that Spain faces, but other considerations as well, which would flow from a hard frontier on commercial and other business interests. The Spaniards are concerned about an exodus from the Campo and beyond of Gibraltar-owned property interests, all of which could have a negative impact in an area which is already quite dependent for jobs and other revenue sources on Gibraltar.

The Spanish Government is also cognisance of the repeatedly strong UK assurances given to Gibraltar up to Prime Minister level.

Just before Christmas, Prime Minister May took a definite stand on the inclusion of Gibraltar in the negotiations for both the transitional period and the future agreement as the UK prepared to leave the European Union.

There is also the unequivocal commitment given by Secretary of State David Davis that the UK ‘will not do the deal’ with the EU on future trade if it does not include Gibraltar.

And there is no question of a deal on sovereignty, as foreign secretary Boris Johnson has made pellucidly clear.

STRENGTH OF SUPPORT

Taken together, these assurances are a demonstration of the strength of the support for Gibraltar from the British Government and the widespread backing for Gibraltar in the UK parliament, which would result in serious consequences for the UK Government if there was any attempt at wriggling out of such assurances, which is not being contemplated.

Even though the upcoming technical talks are bilateral, and not trilateral as Gibraltar would have preferred, the point being made is that EU matters are between EU member states - but Gibraltar has been assured by the UK in no uncertain manner that the Gibraltar position will prevail when Gibraltar issues are at stake.

03-01-18 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

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