Apr 29 - Government Reacts To Final EU Negotiating Guidelines

Written by YGTV Team on 29 April 2017.

The Government has this afternoon reacted to the final version of the European Council negotiating guidelines which were confirmed in Brussels earlier today.

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, said: "No one in Gibraltar will be surprised that former draft clause 22 (now clause 24) has been retained by the European Council at the express insistence of Spain's right wing Partido Popular Government.

“The treatment proposed for Gibraltar by clause 24 of the guidelines is discriminatory and unfair. It flies in the face of the principle of sincere cooperation which the EU is committed to and which it repeats elsewhere in the guidelines.

“The People of Gibraltar are clear and united in not accepting any attempts by the Spanish Government to advance its stale sovereignty claim. That will not stop us from continuing to seek dialogue with our neighbour, but never on matters which impinge on sovereignty, jurisdiction or control.

“Gibraltar is leaving the European Union with the United Kingdom. Our future beyond the EU will be a prosperous and international one in respect of which the Spanish Government will have no say or veto."

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