‘EU is UNACCEPTABLE!' Gibraltar Minister demands the rock be INCLUDED in transition deal
GIBRALTAR has been “singled out” by the "shameful" European Union during Brexit negotiations, Gibraltar Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia has said.
Minister Joseph Garcia demanded Gibraltar be treated the same as the UK after an EU document said it will be excluded from a transitional Brexit deal unless an agreement on the land border can be reached with Spain.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Gibraltar should have the same transition period as England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, Mr Garcia said: “We feel we are entitled to the same treatment and same process as the United Kingdom itself.
“If the UK is going to benefit from a transitional period of two years - keeping the existing terms of the existing relationship with the European Union - then that should apply to Gibraltar also.”
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We feel we are entitled to the same treatment and same process as the United Kingdom itself
Mr Garcia hit out at the Brussels bloc and said its deal is “totally unacceptable”.
He said: “96 percent of us voted to remain in the European Union - it’s shameful that these pro-European people who live in Gibraltar are treated by the European Union in this way.
“We don’t feel we should be discriminated against or singled out for special treatment for a transition in the withdrawal agreement.
“Withdrawal applied to Gibraltar, therefore we do not see why Spain or Brussels should seek to single out Gibraltar in this way for this discriminatory treatment.”
A UK Government source slammed the bloc’s inconsistency on the transition period – arguing the EU had already laid out a contradictory position on Gibraltar.
The insider said: “If Britain’s overseas territories aren’t included in the transition guidelines it would be a total contradiction in the EU’s own position.
“The April guidelines made clear that the article 50 negotiations applied to our overseas territories, and that transition is part of that process.
“They are also explicit a transition period should use current terms, structures and the acquis – consistency and clarity must flow both ways.”
However, speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May said she would not neglect the rock – and that Gibraltar would be part of any brokered deal.
She said: "We and the EU have been clear that Gibraltar is covered by the withdrawal agreement and the Article 50 negotiations.
"We're not going to exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations for either the implementation period or the future agreement."
