The Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue, and Administrative Simplification, Antonio Sanz, along with the Mayor of Algeciras, José Ignacio Landaluce, held a meeting in the city of Algeciras with the Cross-Border Group, composed of trade unions and business organizations from Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar, where they conveyed that the position of the Andalusian Government is to reach an agreement, «the best agreement,» with the United Kingdom that benefits the Campo de Gibraltar area.
Antonio Sanz emphasized that the meeting was «productive, constructive, and clarifying, because that was the purpose, to align ourselves on how to better defend the interests of the region, but also to find that agreement that leads to the shared prosperity we desire both concerning Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.» He also highlighted that there is a historic opportunity for all parties that should not be missed.
In this regard, the Minister stressed that «an agreement is beneficial for all of us, and the Andalusian Government is in favor of the agreement, but not just any agreement, we want the best agreement.» At the same time, he once again demanded transparency from the central government in the negotiations and an alternative plan, «a plan B,» which should involve strengthening the economic and social position of the Campo de Gibraltar by considering the support of the European Union for the establishment of a special fiscal status for the area to balance both territories and avoid unfair competition and disadvantage when attracting investments, as explained by the Minister of the Presidency.
Antonio Sanz denounced the «opacity» with which the negotiations between the Spanish Government, the United Kingdom, and Gibraltar are being conducted, demanding more information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because the terms of the agreement have been communicated in a general manner, «without truly knowing where a proposal for an agreement may exist or the details of it, or where there are obstacles.» Four years later, the Minister insisted, the opacity remains regarding the main guidelines set by the negotiation of the long-awaited international agreement to mitigate the consequences of Brexit (voted on in a referendum in 2016), concerning both the Rock and the region.
The Minister of the Presidency emphasized that «we cannot abandon the residents of the Campo de Gibraltar if there is no agreement, because instead of shared prosperity, as the minister says, if these issues are not resolved, we would be talking about shared inequality, and we cannot agree on that.» Furthermore, he reiterated that the position of the Andalusian Government is «in favor of the agreement, but not just any agreement, but the best agreement.»
The Government has also demanded clear measures regarding the environment concerning landfills, waste, water purification, and an economic and social support plan for the region with the funding from European funds, as well as the protection of the Port of Algeciras against commercial aggressions related to fees or anchorage.