MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Gibraltar begins domestic round of assessment to determine impact of no access to EU membership
The Gibraltar government has started an assessment to determine the impact of not having access to membership of the European Union and of the consequences of an exit. The assessment will look at every area of government business with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo asking all ministers to look at every sphere of their ministerial responsibilities and report back to him and to the Deputy Chief Minister by the end of August. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesI think Garcia Margallo will be told to take to the the ICJ, where he will lose.
Jul 21st, 2016 - 09:09 am - Link - Report abuse 0Or will be over-ruled by more sensible voices in the EU.
High/low initial offers from bojo and Jose.
Jul 21st, 2016 - 12:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They will likely both excuse themselves and pass the reigns to lower powers.
Real business to do.
The GiB residents will then be seen to negotiate their own terms on a x for y basis. Nice and fair, and non-interrupty.
Those GiB residents living across the border would be an issue of course.
Residence rights for residence rights. 1 for 1. Or not. Your choice, and vote.
ICJ doesn't really come into it, access to Spain/the EU isn't a right for noncitizens.
Sovereignty is the remit of the ICJ and other international law disputes.
Jul 21st, 2016 - 01:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0EU can have strong opinions, but final judgements mean The Hague.
Yes, access will be negotiated etc. with other factors & opinions considered.
According to some statistics, Britain is a net importer from Spain, so the money is in Spain's favour.
A strong negotiating point for Britain.
Where does the Spanish hothead want this to go?
Or it just more distraction while forming a coalition government in Spain?
It's obviously not going anywhere, as the years gone by have proved.
Margallo won't be going to the ICJ on this matter. Why would he.
Jul 21st, 2016 - 02:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This is business now, as you say there will be negotiations. And I'm sure GiB will elevate their importance, as high as they can get, in those talks, and I'm sure UK will score something on gibs behalf.
However it will likely be a settlement with accommodation to both sides.
Neither the EU nor the UK will want this distraction in the way.
Nobody is compromising international trade over this, and that very much includes Westminster. So don't worry about who's a net importer/exporter or other macro factors.
UK won't be cutting off its 60 million+ nose for 30,000 expats.
Calling it a distraction, reminiscing on the past, calling Margallo names won't help. Brexit happened, and in Gibraltar that means a dilemma. Ask Fabian Picadillo.
A closed front with the greater part of the economy's labor force (including Brits of GiB origin), and most vital supplies on one side. Or increased integration on both sides of a more open border. Your choice, cucumber or carrot.
Mr Vestige
Jul 21st, 2016 - 04:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“UK won't be cutting off its 60 million+ nose for 30,000 expats. ”
Britain has been making decisions and trade deals with continental Europe in its various forms, Spain in its Fascist and Populist guises, both before and after WWII.
The U.K. has to consider what is best for all its components, yet it has always supported Gibraltar whether it is convenient or not.
How does your tiny mind draw the conclusion that Gib will be sold out?
Do you you often regurgitate your wishful thinking out loud?
@2. No “offers”. Spain will have to accept that it ceded Gibraltar to Britain, in perpetuity, in 1713. The EU will have to accept that it recognised British sovereignty when it acknowledged entry to the EU for Gibraltar.
Jul 21st, 2016 - 06:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@4. Margallo has just about run his course. He's a typical loose cannon. Britain has never backed away from Gibraltar in more than 300 years. It won't do so now.
Unless Gibraltar backs away from the UK. In which case, it's on its way out. But Gibraltar should consider its real position. Without the “big stick” of the UK behind it, is the EU going to protect it against Spain? Best to contemplate slightly longer trade movements and labour movements from Morocco. Spain can always be handled.
6 - I thought we discussed this before, the issue of imported Moroccan labor.
Jul 21st, 2016 - 07:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0IIrc it ended with your Moroccan workers living on a giant cruise vessel in their thousands and/or making their morning commute by hovercraft.
A perfectly reasonable and cost effective plan if it was surgeons and cfo's being recruited rather than waiters and cashiers.
Giant cruise vessels being kinda expensive.
Nobody is trying to take or deliver GiB. However as a result of brexit GiB now will have a choice of more Europe than it likes or no Europe at all.
I think the GiB born residents of la linea, and their families, and small business owners in GiB, probably already have an idea which way they would vote.
All thank to ukip. :)
Veto away Mr Margallo!!!! This should be a laugh, and no doubt popular in the parts of the EU intent on damage limitation.
Jul 22nd, 2016 - 03:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As things stand, there isn’t going to be any trade deal worth the name, back to WTO base rules suits us. Veto irrelevant.
As for the mechanics of leaving, this is going to happen whatever Spain may say, unless of course the EU want to continue funding projects in the UK long after we have left, because the Spanish refuse to sign the internal EU paperwork.
Most of the rest can be sorted by bilateral agreements, like the British border being in Calais or Everyone in N. Ireland having the right to an Irish Passport.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, some 300,000 Brits, mostly retired, living in Spain spending money, some 6-7m Brit tourists visiting Spain every year, spending money, tourism being the only part of the Spanish economy not on its knees, oh and not to mention the economy of La Linea and beyond.
Where Spain may be the only country without any legal framework with the British, including Gib, and is the country with probably the most to lose.
Veto away Mr Margallo!!!! You’re playing for what are very high stakes for you, and without a card in your hand.
The difference between Margallo and a paper Dragon, is that a paper Dragon at least be used as a decoration, he is neither use nor ornament.
The Spanish are asked if their dispute over Gibraltar is legally or politically based:
Jul 27th, 2016 - 03:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.gbc.gi/news/spain-needs-decide-gibraltar-argument-says-sir-peter-32788
“. Caretaker foreign affairs minister, Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo, ”
Jul 29th, 2016 - 08:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Not a solid foundation for a political platform-not even Boris is 'a caretaker'
Margallo, we can support Catalonian independence, we can buy our tomatoes from somewhere else, and try getting your Spanish trawlers in UK waters when we leave EU. The UK is more value to the EU economy OUT of it than Spain (the SCROUNGER) is within the EU.
Margallo, ever heard of the term a 'foundation of sand'?
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