Algeciras mayor receives British ambassador and demands information on the agreement with Gibraltar

The British Ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, met with the mayors of Algeciras and La Línea during his visit to the area on Monday.

The mayor of Algeciras José Ignacio Landaluce conveyed the situation of "uncertainty" in the Campo de Gibraltar following the announcement of the agreement reached between the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom and the European Union regarding Gibraltar.

"We live in constant uncertainty because neither the Spanish government nor the European Union have clearly told this region anything. We do not know the details of what is being agreed and, without this information, we cannot make any kind of assessment," the mayor stressed.

After the meeting the British ambassador stressed that the agreement will benefit the Campo de Gibraltar area. “It was a pleasure to visit Algeciras and La Línea, and speak with their mayors, José Ignacio Landaluce and Juan Franco, to gain first-hand insight into the situation in the Campo de Gibraltar. I’m convinced that the agreement reached by the United Kingdom and the European Union, together with the government of Spain and Gibraltar, will be highly beneficial for both Gibraltar and the Campo," he said.

He added, "The agreement will ensure fluidity at the border, safeguard the jobs of the 15,000 workers who cross into Gibraltar each day, support economic growth and investment, and prevent a hard border.”

However the mayor of Algeciras said after the meeting that "transparency in this process is fundamental", and that "so far the institutional representatives of Campo de Gibraltar have not received any official document or sufficient explanation to clear up any doubts about the real terms of the agreement".

"We want clarity, knowledge and respect for this region. Here we are the first to want the best of agreements, but we need to know what measures are going to be applied to ensure that this future is not, once again, that Gibraltar wins and the Campo de Gibraltar loses," insisted Landaluce.

In this sense, he listed issues such as the creation of a special economic zone, environmental cooperation, the balance of fiscal and port conditions, the control of contraband and the impact on local trade, issues "which continue without a concrete response from either of the two governments".

He also stressed that the agreement cannot be detrimental for businesses, workers, consignees, customs agents, petrol stations or tobacconists, nor for the activity of the port of Algeciras. "The environment must be looked after on both sides: the waters in which the people of Campo de Gibraltar bathe, such as those of Rinconcillo or the Levante beach in La Línea, are also part of our quality of life and deserve the same protection," he pointed out.

Similarly, he warned of the risks of a possible increase in the cost of housing in the region as a result of an unbalanced agreement, and stated that "the only thing that interests the Campo de Gibraltar is a future that brings wealth in employment, investment and fiscal competitiveness, which must also stay here. Anything else is worthless, because it will harm the interests of the people of Campo de Gibraltar".

"We are still expectant about the terms in which the agreement with the United Kingdom and the European Union has been signed and which affects Gibraltar and our region," said Landaluce, who added, "We have asked the Spanish government and we have expressed our doubts to representatives of the British government." "We need guarantees that the Campo de Gibraltar will not lose out again with this agreement," he concluded.