A FLUID Gibraltar border has taken a massive step forwards after Brussels formally adopted proposals to finally apply the last June’s post-Brexit treaty.
The provisional application acts as a legal workaround to bypass the lengthy formal ratification process that could have taken many months.
The urgency is being driven by the looming launch of the Entry/Exit System, or EES, on April 10.
This automated digital system will register travellers from non-EU countries every time they cross an external border.
If the treaty is not active by the deadline, British and other third country nationals – including potentially Gibraltarians – will face strict biometric checks and passport stamping when crossing into Spain.
The European Commission is racing against the clock to avoid this outcome, and ensure the 15,000 workers who cross the frontier every day from Spain are protected from impending reciprocal measures that would see gridlock at the border.
Under the terms of the agreement, physical barriers will be removed and a new 15% transaction tax will be applied to goods on the Rock.
READ MORE: Spain’s former king told British diplomats ‘we don’t want Gibraltar’, new book claims
Dual border controls will be set up at Gibraltar airport and the port, with Spanish authorities overseeing the European Schengen zone checks.
Such a scenario would create a disastrous bottleneck and effectively build a hard border overnight.
But while Europe hits the accelerator, the political storms in London could threaten to derail the entire rescue operation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure after former US ambassador Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed, while conservative politicians have seized on this weakness to launch a fierce rebellion against the treaty over sovereignty concerns.
Shadow ministers Priti Patel and Wendy Morton have demanded immediate clarity on the deal, furious that the text finalised in December remains hidden from the British parliament.
The Tories are particularly outraged by the prospect of Policia Nacional officers operating inside Gibraltar and have branded the lack of transparency as ‘unacceptable’.
“The recent diversion of a UK flight to Malaga shows the real risks created by this uncertainty,” the politicians wrote in a joint letter demanding answers.
Under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the treaty must be presented to parliament for 21 sitting days before it can be ratified.
While opposition members cannot legally veto the deal, they possess the power to pass resolutions that would force significant delays.
Click here to read more Gibraltar News from The Olive Press.
