NATIONAL READINESS ACTION PLAN TO COMBAT ‘NO DEAL’ BREXIT
The Members of the Brexit Select Committee are aware of the options as they have been briefed.
The contingency plans of the Government are based on a reasonable worst case scenario. This does not mean that this is going to happen.
MOVEMENT OF PERSONS: LEGAL FRAMEWORK AT THE BORDER WILL NOT CHANGE
The EU legal framework at the border will be the same before Brexit as after Brexit. This is the Schengen Border Code which applies today.
The Code makes it clear that Schengen Borders must be properly resourced by Member States.
It provides for a review of the operation of particular borders, including the suspension of the Code, in the event of disproportionate delays at an EU – Non-EU border.
It provides a discretion for border guards to waive through regular crossers.
The difference is that British Citizens will cease to be EU nationals and will become third country nationals subject to a different regime.
It has already been agreed that British Citizens will not require a visa to enter the EU for a defined period of time.
All the indications are that wet-stamping of passports will be necessary in order to be able to determine the time spent in the Schengen Area.
The Spanish Government have indicated that it will maintain border fluidity.
It should be noted that Gibraltar already has what is known as a hard border. Controls are exercised on both the movement of persons and the movement of goods.
MOVEMENT OF GOODS: CUSTOMS PROCEDURES
Gibraltar is not in the EU Customs Union. We have no manufacturing industry, no agriculture and no fishing industry.
This means that existing customs procedures will remain largely unchanged.
There are 300 trucks entering Gibraltar by land every day. Some 20-30 of these contain food products.
There will be a new requirement that perishable goods (sanitary and phytosanitary) from the United Kingdom bound for Gibraltar enter the EU through a Border Inspection Post (BIP) and exit through another Border Inspection post.
This means that perishable food products from Spain or other EU countries are unaffected.
It should be noted that Gibraltar imports some 1.5 billion euros worth of goods annually from Spain.
The nearest Border Inspection Post is in Algeciras.
PART FOUR TOMORROW
03-09-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
