The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia has declared that the status quo is not an option in the context of Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union. Dr Garcia was speaking to a group of Members of Parliament in the Gibraltar APPG in Westminster this afternoon. 

The Deputy Chief Minister explained that the choices on the table were a treaty outcome or a non negotiated outcome (NNO) and he made clear that both of those routes would require deep changes to the way in which Gibraltar interacted with the EU and with Spain. Gibraltar will not be able to remain as it is at present, and change will come through one route or the other. 

Dr Garcia reaffirmed that Gibraltar remained firmly committed to negotiate a treaty to govern its future relationship with the EU. In the event that this was not possible, he outlined contingency plans for an NNO which were designed to mitigate the impact within policy areas which the Government controlled. 

The Deputy Chief Minister, who is the Minister responsible for relations with the Commonwealth, is also in London for a series of Commonwealth related meetings. He discussed the contribution which small countries can make to the organisation with the Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Dr Arjoon Suddhoo, and outlined how Gibraltar had found and developed economic niche markets in the digital sphere. 

Dr Garcia, as part of this round of Commonwealth engagement, took the opportunity to brief and exchange views with the representatives of a number of Commonwealth nations including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.