Nov 15 - Withdrawal Agreements “Are Not About The Future” - Government
The Government has clarified that the entire Withdrawal Agreement and transitional period is about leaving the EU but contains very little about the Rock’s future relationship with the bloc beyond December 2020.
The Government says it has noted that the GSD have issued an initial reaction to the publication of the UK- EU Withdrawal Agreement and has said that a fuller reaction will come when the full set of documents are available.
A statement fro Number Six in reply to the GSD continued: “The Deputy Chief Minister has briefed the Brexit Select Committee of the Gibraltar Parliament at intervals throughout this process. Indeed, they were further briefed this week, by both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, as was the leader of the GSD himself.
“The GSD have described the agreements in the following way:
- this agreement provides very little to Gibraltar in terms of anything enduring.
- it is a sticking plaster at best for the period until December 2020.
- lost the opportunity to recalibrate our relationship with the EU on a more permanent basis.
“Dealing only with this aspect of what the GSD have said, it is important to clarify that these Agreements are precisely only about leaving the European Union and establishing a transitional period.
“Therefore by their very nature these are all time-limited. They are not agreements about the future.
“The Withdrawal Agreement, the Gibraltar Protocol and the Memoranda of Understanding that flow from this all come to an end at the end of December 2020.
“Only some parts of the citizens‘ rights provisions would be the only ones to remain from the entire Withdrawal Agreement.
“The Government wishes to clarify and reiterate, in order to avoid confusion, that the entire Withdrawal Agreement and transitional period is about leaving.
“The discussions on an enduring permanent relationship have not yet commenced.
“This was the choice of the EU in respect of the whole of the negotiation with the UK.
“The Government, nonetheless, remains happy to continue to engage positively with the GSD and the Opposition and to answer any questions they may have in the coming weeks as and when all relevant documentation is published.
“The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister continue in London at the centre of the action, making sure that the position of Gibraltar is understood.”
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