Statement following the meeting of the Specialised Committee on Gibraltar between the European Union and the UK Government via videoconference

Met dank overgenomen van Europese Commissie (EC) i, gepubliceerd op woensdag 27 mei 2020.

The first meeting of the EU-UK Specialised Committee on the Protocol on Gibraltar was held today, hosted by the EU and co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government. Officials from Member States, including Spain, participated as members of the EU Delegation.

The Committee was established by the Withdrawal Agreement to facilitate the implementation and application of the Protocol on Gibraltar included in the EU Withdrawal Agreement, which is a key priority for the EU. The cooperation foreseen in the Protocol on Gibraltar is based on the work of the coordinating committees as detailed in the four Memoranda of Understanding concluded between Spain and the United Kingdom and mentioned in that Protocol.

The EU and the UK exchanged updates and views on progress against the key elements of the Protocol and examined the level of fulfilment of the obligations with regard to Gibraltar. We share the objective of ensuring the timely and correct implementation of the Protocol to provide continued security and prosperity to Gibraltar and the surrounding area, in particular the territory of the municipalities that make up the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar in Spain.

The EU and the UK reaffirmed their commitment to continued progress towards the commitments outlined in the Protocol. The proper and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and of its Protocol on Gibraltar remains a key priority for the EU.

The co-chairs agreed that the Specialised Committee will meet again towards the end of the year to follow the progress of implementation.