Following the 31 December agreement reached by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain referred to Gibraltar, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said…
In November, the European Union and the United Kingdom concluded the terms of an agreement for the orderly departure of the UK from the European Union. Gibraltar was part of that agreement. The Withdrawal Agreement includes a transitional phase until the end of 2020, which also covers Gibraltar.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez both sent positive signals about the progress of Brexit talks relating to Gibraltar, effectively confirming the Rock’s inclusion in any withdrawal and transitional arrangements to soften the process of leaving the EU.
The Government of Gibraltar has stated that it is not surprised by the reference to Clause 24 in a footnote to the draft legal text on the Withdrawal Agreement published by the European Union27 on Wednesday. However, it nonetheless constitutes a disgraceful affront to a small British country that voted by 96% to remain in the European Union.