Almost forgotten, but Brexit is now back on the agenda

Leaving the European Union has now become a relatively trivial subject, yet involved administrations are now catching their breathe placing Brexit back on the agenda.

On 9 June talks involving Chief Minister Fabian Picardo with delegations from Spain and the UK was held in Malaga. The discussions were described as positive, although there could be room for more progress on the issue of mobility, further meetings are planned this month.

Also, the Specialised Committee on Gibraltar, set up under the Withdrawal Agreement, met virtually on 27 May.

Just before the deterioration of the public health situation, the four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) committees met in Algeciras in February.

This follows the agreement of two years ago where the UK and Spain agreed the MoUs on four sensitive areas with regard to Brexit, tobacco, the environment, customs and policing cooperation and the rights of cross-border workers.

HURDLES

As for what the specific and most difficult hurdles that need to be overcome in relation to coronavirus and Brexit, a government spokesperson reflected: “There is now a cautious return to face to face meetings. This will help to move the post-Brexit discussion forward.”

“Gibraltar has already left the European Union, together with the United Kingdom on 31 January. The UK and EU discussions now centre of the future relationship that may materialise when the transitional period comes to an end on 31 December.”

“It is also relevant to Gibraltar to establish what its future relationship with the EU will be, in particular with our closest EU neighbour – Spain.”

On 5 June the European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier, spoke of his frustration that there has been little progress over Brexit. In particular over the areas of fisheries, competition rules, governance and police cooperation.

MORE PRESSURE

Potentially, the effect of coronavirus could place more pressure on the transition timetable, for Brexit to be worked out by the end of this year.

Yet Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have already agreed that the transitional period will not be extended.Leila Simona Talani is Professor of International Political Economy at King’s College in London, explained just how Covid-19 has shifted the Brexit kaleidoscope yet again.

In an article for think tank The UK in a Changing Europe Talani emphasised that Britain has already turned down offers of a transition extension, and has threatened to let talks end without a deal as Covid-19 has progressed.

“One might speculate that this is just a negotiating strategy on the side of the UK, designed to maximize its interests before caving in and finally accepting an extension,” she wrote.

A no deal is more likely, if the UK is to get its economy back on track due to coronavirus Talani believes, as Britain will feel the need to gain as much regulatory freedom as possible.

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18-06-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR