Spain looks into Gibraltar ahead of the Brexit European Summit

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Spanish reserves on Friday prevent the European Union from crossing the last hurdle before a summit that must approve on Sunday the block agreement with the UK on Brexit.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will take over Saturday evening during her talks in Brussels with Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman of the EU's executive board.

National negotiators from the 27 EU states remain united after Brexit and reached no agreement on Gibraltar on Friday.

Four months before the departure of Great Britain, the divorce treaty and the accompanying political declaration must be approved in Brussels by May and the 27 other European leaders so that it will be possible for the European Union to agree to the divorce. they can then go to the respective parliaments.

Spain requested that changes be made to the draft treaty of withdrawal and the accompanying statement on future relations, to clarify that any decision regarding Gibraltar, British territory rocky overseas and peninsular, claimed by Spain, would be taken only with Madrid.

Spain said that Britain had given the corresponding assurances before publishing its latest draft.

At Sunday's summit, EU leaders are waiting to approve the treaty and approve the statement by consensus, which means that Spain actually has the power to slow down the process.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Thursday: "After my conversation with Theresa May, our positions remain very far apart," adding: "If there is no change, we will veto Brexit. "

May's spokeswoman said May would work with the Spanish government on Gibraltar.

PRESSURE

In Germany, a government spokesman said he was confident that a solution would be found in time for Sunday's summit.

Berlin had previously stated that there could be no more technical negotiations at the summit and that Chancellor Angela Merkel might ignore them if not all the texts were ready in advance.

If everything goes as planned and if the Brexit package is approved on Sunday, the EU will also commit to get the European Parliament a speedy ratification "to allow an orderly withdrawal", according to a draft declaration seen by Reuters.

However, the biggest obstacle to the agreement on Brexit is the vehement opposition to the British parliament. Without its approval, Britain could leave the bloc on March 29 without an agreement to mitigate the economic and legal turmoil.

The former Brexit Minister, Dominic Raab, said Friday that he was expecting the House of Commons to rule in favor of the agreement.

May replied that Britain would not get a better deal with the EU if it did not take this one.

ROCK AND FISHING

Determined not to let a new draft risk jeopardizing the fragile process, EU states want to address Spain's concerns in a separate statement made Sunday by the 27 leaders, which would not be part of negotiations with Great Britain.

It could refer to the EU's mandate for the Brexit 2017, which stipulated that after Brexit, "no agreement between the EU and the UK can apply to the territory of the EU. Gibraltar without the agreement concluded between Spain and the United Kingdom ".

This would make it clear that the EU reading of the corresponding paragraphs of the Divorce Treaty and the Declaration on Future Links is exactly that.

According to a draft reviewed by Reuters, other clauses in this separate statement indicate that the bloc would like an agreement on fisheries with Britain to be a priority in the negotiations on expanded trade relations, to be agreed "well before" the end of Britain's status quo after Brexit.

He added that any such agreement would be based on the current access of European Union vessels to the rich British fishing waters, which London wants to control firmly.

It also highlights the European Union's demands that Britain should not reduce labor, environmental or labor standards. He stressed the need to preserve the rights of expatriates, as well as the Paris agreement on the climate.

European diplomats have expressed hope that an agreement will be reached Friday night, but fears that Sanchez still wants to debate at the highest level on Sunday to demonstrate his determination at home before the December regional elections.

"It will only be done by the leaders," said a diplomat.

The Brexit agreement deals with the Financial Regulation, the rights of citizens and the Irish border, as well as the definition of a project for future trade and security relations.