Gibraltar Government holds UK–EU Treaty briefings for business and cruise sectors

The Government of Gibraltar is stepping up its engagement with the local business community ahead of the implementation of the UK–EU Treaty, with sector-specific briefings already underway and a meeting at Grand Battery House scheduled for this Wednesday.

The Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism, Christian Santos, has already briefed representatives of the local cruise, shipping and shore excursion sector on the operational arrangements relating to the treaty. The aim of the briefing was to provide clarity to the industry ahead of treaty implementation, ensuring operators are fully informed of the specific requirements that will affect cruises calling at Gibraltar.

The Government has sought to reassure the cruise sector that Gibraltar remains a well-established and competitive cruise destination, and does not expect any operational arrangements to have a material impact on cruise activity.

This sector briefing follows an earlier engagement held last week by the Minister for Business, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, together with the Attorney General, Michael Llamas, with the Business Transition Advisory Group. That meeting focused on the position following the conclusion of negotiations on the EU–UK Treaty in respect of Gibraltar, with particular emphasis on the transitional arrangements that will apply during the implementation phase.

Now, the Government is opening the conversation to the wider business community. A briefing on the treaty will be held at Grand Battery House on Wednesday 4 February at 2.30pm. The event is intended to provide businesses with a direct opportunity to hear from Government on the treaty, its implications, and the preparations underway to support a smooth transition once the agreement comes into force.

The Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, the Minister for Business, and the Attorney General will all be present at the briefing and will be available to answer questions from members of the business community.

The meeting is open to anyone from the business community who wishes to attend. Those wishing to attend are asked to register their interest in advance by emailing the Ministry for Business at MHCB@gibraltar.gov.gi.

The Minister for Business, The Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: "Over the past week, the government has moved quickly to brief key stakeholders on the implementation phase of the treaty. This town hall briefing builds on that work by opening the conversation directly to the wider business community. Businesses rightly want clarity on what comes next, how transition arrangements will work in practice and how Government is preparing for implementation."