European Union - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (23.11.18)
Q. – The Spanish government has said it will support the agreement on the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union only if it obtains sufficient clarity on the legal and political implications of Article 184 and the consequences for Gibraltar. What is France’s position on this possibility and its implications? What is your view and advice on the issue?
A - The guidelines adopted by the European Council (Article 50) on 29 April 2017 are still fully valid. They hold, among other things, that “after the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no 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”. Article 184 of the withdrawal agreement must be understood in the light of these guidelines.