MONITORING DESK
\nLONDON
\nGibraltar, a rocky speck of British soil clinging to Spain\u2019s southern tip trumped fishing and even trade rules on Friday to become the last sticking point in preparations to endorse Britain\u2019s EU exit deal.
\nAs senior diplomats from European Union member states met Friday to put the finishing touches to plans for Sunday\u2019s summit to give the Brexit divorce papers the nod, \u201cThe Rock\u201d loomed over their efforts.
\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has threatened to \u201cveto Brexit\u201d if it is not made clear that Madrid and London must resolve their differences over Gibraltar before any eventual future partnership bilaterally.
\nIn Madrid\u2019s view, neither the 585-page withdrawal deal nor the accompanying 27-page framework for future ties guarantees this, so diplomats are trying to negotiate another text to clarify the issue.
\n\u201cGibraltar is the only open issue,\u201d a European diplomat said as the so-called \u201csherpas\u201d met in Brussels to finalise preparations for Sunday\u2019s summit between British Prime Minister Theresa May and her 27 EU colleagues.
\n\u201cWe are working hard,\u201d chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier said, as his team attempted to hammer out an annex to the summit texts with the Spanish delegation.
\nIn strictly legal terms, Spain\u2019s objection would not halt the deal being endorsed on Sunday, but politically it would be a blow if a major member state like Spain prevents the EU from demonstrating consensus.
\nAnd if Spain\u2019s concerns are not addressed in the months to come, then Madrid could still veto the adoption of any future relationship agreement that London and Brussels manage to negotiate after Brexit.
\nIn April 2017, when Brussels and London began the marathon task of negotiating the terms of Britain\u2019s departure under Article 50 of the EU treaty, the member states endorsed very clear guidelines.
\n\u201cNo agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom,\u201d it said.
\nNow, however, the formal withdrawal agreement only says that the EU and the United Kingdom \u201ctook note\u201d of the April guidelines, where Spain\u2019s right to veto appears, in order to conclude the divorce.
\nSpain does not think that this is enough, but member states and EU officials have refused to reopen the summit texts, preferring to seek an annex that would address Spain\u2019s concerns.
\nMay is due in Brussel on Saturday, the eve of the summit, for her second last-ditch meeting of the week with the head of the EU executive, Jean-Claude Juncker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MONITORING DESK LONDON Gibraltar, a rocky speck of British soil clinging to Spain\u2019s southern tip trumped fishing and even trade rules on Friday to become the last sticking point in preparations to endorse Britain\u2019s EU exit deal. As senior diplomats from European Union member states met Friday to put the finishing touches to plans for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-36865","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n