article_detail

Despite the political agreement reached in June, between the European Union, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Government of Gibraltar, which pointed to January as the moment when changes at the Gibraltar border would begin, the fence itself remains firmly in place, and with it a growing sense of unease on both sides.

 

The region initially breathed a sigh of calm when the agreement was announced last June. It was presented as a diplomatic breakthrough, designed to protect the free movement of people and goods, align the crossing with Schengen and the single market, and prevent imbalances in taxation, public aid, labour rules and environmental standards. The announcement was also seen as paving the way for the eventual removal of the border fence, a step long linked to a future post-Brexit deal.

 

Months later, however, daily life at the border remains unchanged. The treaty text has not yet been published and there are still no confirmed dates for its implementation. As a result, initial calm has slowly turned into frustration among workers, businesses and local authorities, all waiting for clarity.

 

From Gibraltar, the message has been one of confidence. In his New Year address, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that “the negotiation phase of the Treaty between the United Kingdom and the EU has finally concluded”, describing ratification and implementation as “the final step in its work for the community”. The words are intended to reassure, even as the process continues behind closed doors.

 

At ground level, the mood is more mixed. Darren Cerisola, president of the Cross-Border Group, says there is “a sense of calm in the sense that things are underway”, but admits that this calm is fragile.

 

“The uncertainties, the anxieties, those still exist, so people are worried because there are still not many details,” she explains. Cerisola also warns that the effects of the agreement will not be the same for everyone. “It could be negative, it could be positive, because not everything will be positive,” she says, underlining the need for more information to allow people to prepare.

 

Businesses are taking a similarly cautious stance. Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce president John Ísola says that “business owners have been reassured since the political agreement was announced”, but adds that until the details are known, its real impact remains unclear. “In general we are positive, because the alternative would have been very negative,” he notes.

 

On the Spanish side, La Línea de la Concepción is watching closely. Mayor Juan Franco believes early timelines were unrealistic. “When it was announced that the matter would be resolved by autumn, I felt that was a very rushed timeframe,” he says. For him, the eventual resolution represents a rare chance to tackle long-standing issues, but only once the final texts are made public.

 

In the Campo de Gibraltar, the fence has become more than a physical barrier. It now symbolises a long wait for certainty in a process that promises change of enormous magnitude, but has yet to deliver it.

 

 

Image: wikicommons