Lord Cameron set for Brussels talks on Gibraltar and Northern Ireland
Concerns about Gibraltar’s relationship with the EU remain unresolved.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Lord David Cameron is set to hold further talks on the future of Gibraltar during a visit to Brussels on Thursday.
The Foreign Secretary is due to meet European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic, Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares and Gibraltar chief minister Fabian Picardo for a second round of discussions about the territory’s relationship with the EU.
The nature of that relationship remains unresolved following Brexit, with rules governing Gibraltar’s border with Spain understood to be a major sticking point.
Sir Bill Cash, a Eurosceptic Conservative MP and chairman of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee, warned last week that negotiations over Gibraltar risked becoming “Northern Ireland Protocol 2.0”.
In a letter to Foreign Office minister David Rutley, he said proposals outlined to his committee represented “a serious diminution of UK sovereignty”.
Of particular concern was the possibility that EU border checks could be carried out at Gibraltar’s airport, which Sir Bill said would “erode UK sovereignty to the point of meaninglessness”.
The Foreign Office has previously said the UK remains steadfast in support for Gibraltar and will not agree to anything that compromises sovereignty.
Lord Cameron will also co-chair a meeting of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council and a meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee with Mr Sefcovic.
The meetings will focus on the UK’s relationship with the EU, the implementation of the Windsor Framework and other issues including citizens’ rights and support for Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary’s visit comes against the backdrop of continued concerns about the EU’s influence in Northern Ireland.
Belfast’s High Court ruled on Monday that sections of the Illegal Migration Act, which includes powers to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, should be disapplied as they were incompatible with human rights protections guaranteed in Northern Ireland by post-Brexit arrangements.
The Government has said it will appeal against the decision, which some Conservative MPs have strongly criticised.