Hopes for agreement over Gibraltar's relationship with the EU by or soon after Easter

On Tuesday the chief minister, Fabian Picardo, and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment jointly hosted a lunch at St James' Palace in London for a delegation from all the parties represented in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gibraltar. The Governor of Gibraltar, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, was also present.

During the lunch, Picardo thanked the group for their continued support for Gibraltar in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords, and went through some of the latest developments in Gibraltar on matters related to Covid and the arrival of refugees from Ukraine to the Rock. He also told them of his " strong optimism" that there might be an agreement in a UK/EU Treaty in relation to Gibraltar before the Easter break, or shortly thereafter, despite the setbacks to the timetable of negotiations caused by the current security situation in eastern Europe.

For their part, the group reiterated that they were ready to support Gibraltar as required, in the event that the government felt any action were to be required in the Commons or the Lords.

If agreement can be reached between Gibraltar, UK and EU about the future relationship, it will then be formulated as a Treaty between the UK and EU because the UK is legally responsible for Gibraltar's foreign affairs. However, it was the Gibraltar government that planned the details of the agreement it wishes to reach and has been fully involved with all the negotiations with Spain and the rest of the EU right from the start.