Gibraltar originally joined the EU under the British Treaty of Accession in 1972. On the evening of Friday 31st January 2020 at midnight Central European Time the departure from the European Union at the appointed time the UK formally ceased being a member state.
James Glancy, the number two listed Brexit Party candidate for the European Elections in the South West and Gibraltar region was visiting here today and paid a courtesy call on the Gibraltar Government.
The Gibraltar Parliament unanimously passed legislation to enable Gibraltar to vote in the European election in May should this become necessary because of delays to Brexit. The parliament approved an amendment to primary legislation to ensure the electoral register for the European Union election is ready despite the short window of time available.
The European Council has been branded “irresponsible” over its inflexible position on draft legislation approved by the European Parliament on Thursday in which Gibraltar, at Spain’s insistence, was described as “a colony”.
In its proposal for post-Brexit, ‘visa-free travel’ the European Council on Friday has described Gibraltar as a “colony of the British Crown.” HM Government of Gibraltar is grateful to the Prime Minister for her comment that such a description is “completely unacceptable.”
After the end of the European Council meeting, the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union, Ambassador Sir Tim Barrow, has written to the Secretaries General of the Council and Commission of the European Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May took a personal interest in Gibraltar on Sunday evening, attending the Gibraltar Government’s reception at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham and delivering a clear, unequivocal message: “We back Gibraltar.”
The UK said it continued to work with Gibraltar towards a Brexit deal that “fully recognizes the priorities of the Rock”. The Department for Exiting the European Union made the statement after the seventh meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar Governments, which took place in London at the Cabinet Office on Monday morning.
Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has again underlined the EU’s position that the Brexit deal must “fully respect” the terms of the Gibraltar veto granted to Spain in the bloc’s negotiating guidelines.
Spain hopes to reach an agreement with the UK over Gibraltar by the summer, its foreign minister has said. Alfonso Dastis said Spain would defend our position but the two sides were working towards an agreement as soon as possible. The UK says informal talks are going on about Gibraltar's post-Brexit future with Spain.