EU struggles to agree on Gibraltar before Brexit summit

[webfact]

EU struggles to agree on Gibraltar before Brexit summit

 

FILE PHOTO: Tourist binoculars offer users the chance to pay in pounds or euros, on top of the Rock in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, historically claimed by Spain, November 15, 2018.

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union negotiators meet on Friday to try to clear the last hurdle before a Sunday summit is due to endorse the Brexit deal, but Spain's eleventh-hour objections over Gibraltar mean the final text could not be ready until the last minute.

 

Four months before Britain leaves the EU, the legal divorce treaty and an accompanying political declaration on the two sides' future ties are ready to be rubber-stamped by British Prime Minister Theresa May and the leaders of the 27 union states staying on together after Brexit.

 

Spain has asked for changes to the withdrawal treaty and the declaration on a new EU-UK relationship to make clear any decisions about the disputed British overseas territory of Gibraltar would only be taken in direct talks with Madrid.

 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday that Spain will veto the draft deal on Britain's exit from the European Union, if there are no changes made.

 

"After my conversation with Theresa May, our positions remain far away. My government will always defend the interests of Spain. If there are no changes, we will veto Brexit", Sanchez said in a tweet.

 

Under EU rules, the withdrawal treaty is adopted by qualified majority and not unanimity, so a single state cannot block it. EU leaders, however, seek unity on this most politically sensitive matter.

 

The Brexit package faces vehement opposition in the British parliament, which must vote in favour for it to take effect. Otherwise Britain risks crashing out of the bloc on March 29, 2019, without an agreement to mitigate economic disruptions.

 

Determined not to allow any redrafting of either of the two texts and risk derailing the fragile process, EU states have instead proposed to address Spain's concerns in a separate statement by the 27 leaders on Sunday that would not be part of negotiations with Britain.

 

The national leaders' EU negotiators - or 'sherpas' - meet at 0900 GMT on Friday in Brussels and May will then come for talks with the head of the bloc's executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, on Saturday evening, just hours before the summit.

 

EU diplomats hope a text could be agreed by Friday evening but they also fear Sanchez would want to make a case of discussing it at the top level on Sunday to show determination and win points with voters at home ahead of a December regional election.

 

The Brexit deal covers financial settlement, expatriates' rights and the sensitive Irish border, as well as setting a blueprint for future trade and security ties. It must also be backed by the European Parliament to come into force next year.

 

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-23

[Basil B]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

Spain has asked for changes to the withdrawal treaty and the declaration on a new EU-UK relationship to make clear any decisions about the disputed British overseas territory of Gibraltar would only be taken in direct talks with Madrid.

Not supersized...

 

But possession is nine tenths of the law. 

 

Maybe the Moors have a better claim to it as it was theirs first? also Granada and Seville...

Edited November 23, 2018 by Basil B

[terryw]

May is so desparate that she could decide to give Gibraltar back to Spain to get a future Trade Deal.

[Basil B]

25 minutes ago, terryw said:

May is so desparate that she could decide to give Gibraltar back to Spain to get a future Trade Deal.

She knows that if she concedes Gibraltar, she has not a hell's chance of getting it through the Commons.

[dick dasterdly]

We all know that Spain's claim to Gibraltar will not last a nano-second if Germany/France agree the 'leave in name only deal'?

[Retiredandhappyhere]

57 minutes ago, terryw said:

May is so desparate that she could decide to give Gibraltar back to Spain to get a future Trade Deal.

Nonsense!  Remember the Falklands, when another woman was in charge.   I suspect that at least some of the aggression in Parliament against Theresa May is based not only on her agenda but also on her gender, just as it was with Mrs Thatcher, who turned out to be a hell of a lot tougher than most of the men in her Cabinet and party.  I wonder how many of her parliamentary colleagues and members of the opposition parties could have come up with a better deal than May has, despite all their blustering. 

 

How many concrete alternatives acceptable to the EU have been proposed, other than a straight "no deal", which most of the opposition regard as a disaster.

[sandrabbit]

They've had a nice time at all these meetings at the taxpayers of Europe's expense, every time it seems there is going to be a solution another road block is thrown in the way. It doesn't look like there can ever be an agreement so why continue talking?.

[mfd101]

Well, how to choose between what remains of British neo-imperialism and Spanish revanchism?

 

As in the case of the Malvinas woops Falklands, the only modern & democratic way to decide the fate of The Rock is to let its current inhabitants choose. And, as with the south Atlantic, we know in advance what the answer would be.

 

But, given the wonders that Brexit is already wreaking on the British economy and society, the answer might possibly be different in both cases in another 10 or 20 years. (Yawn)

[RandG]

and this is unfortunately why the EU will never be able to reform. Too many participants pulling in too many directions. When they were trying to get the Canadian deal signed off (after 10 years!!!), it was blocked by one part of Belgium, until such time as they were suitably bribed with some regional support money or similar, to allow it to go through.

[HHTel]

17 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

As in the case of the Malvinas woops Falklands, the only modern & democratic way to decide the fate of The Rock is to let its current inhabitants choose. And, as with the south Atlantic, we know in advance what the answer would be.

That's already been done in 2002.  More than 98% voted to remain British.

[bristolboy]

46 minutes ago, RandG said:

and this is unfortunately why the EU will never be able to reform. Too many participants pulling in too many directions. When they were trying to get the Canadian deal signed off (after 10 years!!!), it was blocked by one part of Belgium, until such time as they were suitably bribed with some regional support money or similar, to allow it to go through.

I can't speak for you of course, but many (most?) Brexiteers who applaud this sentiment also speak of the tyranny of Germany. How does that work exactly?

[The traveler]

Eu tyranny and their dangerous intentions.. this was the plan for the beginning, lure countries to be members and take their sovereignty step by step.

 

rest of the world should boycott EU totally because of their anti- Democratic bullying behavior...

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Spain's eleventh-hour objections over Gibraltar mean the final text could not be ready until the last minute.

The so-called "eleventh-hour objections have been ongoing for quite some time.

The Spanish government is just looking for some national notoriety for internal politics and likely has no serious issue over Gibraltar.

[melvinmelvin]

38 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

The so-called "eleventh-hour objections have been ongoing for quite some time.

The Spanish government is just looking for some national notoriety for internal politics and likely has no serious issue over Gibraltar.

Spain has very serious issues re Gibraltar, very serious.

 

But, I agree, this time around it's about building image/face to be used in domestic politics.

 

[BigBadGeordie]

Go eff yourself Spain

[Trouble]

Would have been nice if the Reuters article had given some hint of the main dispute Spain has with the deal.  As usual with the press these days no depth to the article.

[StreetCowboy]

1 hour ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Go eff yourself Spain

I reckon the EU should stick together and absolutely condemn any claim by one country on the territory of another.  And, as I recall, they pretty much stood by us with the Falklands.  

 

How much more secure will Gibraltar be after Brexit?

WIll that bring us further away from War With Spain, or closer?

 

Which side will the EU take?

 

SC

[melvinmelvin]

2 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

I reckon the EU should stick together and absolutely condemn any claim by one country on the territory of another.  And, as I recall, they pretty much stood by us with the Falklands.  

 

How much more secure will Gibraltar be after Brexit?

WIll that bring us further away from War With Spain, or closer?

 

Which side will the EU take?

 

SC

 

to the extent, EU will take a collective stance, after Brexit,

I can hardly see that it will be pro UK

 

[melvinmelvin]

12 hours ago, Trouble said:

Would have been nice if the Reuters article had given some hint of the main dispute Spain has with the deal.  As usual with the press these days no depth to the article.

Spain wants text inserted in the deal that secures Spain the right to veto

any further agreements after Brexit that affects Gibraltar.

 

[Srikcir]

18 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

Spain wants text inserted in the deal that secures Spain the right to veto

any further agreements after Brexit that affects Gibraltar.

 

EU remains united:

The UK and Spain reached an agreement Saturday over the status of Gibraltar once the UK has left the European Union.

The accord over the British territory paves the way for approval by 27 EU governments at a summit Sunday on the withdrawal terms of the UK from the bloc next year.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/24/uk/may-brussels-brexit-gbr-intl/index.html

 

[Kiwiken]

On 11/23/2018 at 6:48 AM, terryw said:

May is so desparate that she could decide to give Gibraltar back to Spain to get a future Trade Deal.

There is more chance of Britain stationing nukes there than giving it back

[melvinmelvin]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

EU remains united:

The UK and Spain reached an agreement Saturday over the status of Gibraltar once the UK has left the European Union.

The accord over the British territory paves the way for approval by 27 EU governments at a summit Sunday on the withdrawal terms of the UK from the bloc next year.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/24/uk/may-brussels-brexit-gbr-intl/index.html

 

yes

and next hurdle will be the UK parliament

 

[mfd101]

3 hours ago, Kiwiken said:

There is more chance of Britain stationing nukes there than giving it back

I wouldn't count on it. The Little England that's just being born will have little will & little capacity in a few years to look after the remaining reminders of Empire.