Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s packed-out Brexit Agreement Town Hall meeting. GFSB Chairperson Owen Smith welcomed everyone, kicked off the discussion, and emphasised that the meeting aimed not to provide concrete answers but to hold space for views and concerns on the current status of the Brexit agreement negotiations. Joining Owen at the front of the room were Louis Montegriffo (BMI Group), Lloyd DeVincenzi (Appleton Luff International Lawyers), Brian Reyes (Gibraltar Chronicle) and Jimmy Coelho (AbeGon), each of who brought their own experiences to the discussion.

La Linea’s Mayor, Juan Franco, leads a protest later under the slogan "La Linea matters—we are not invisible." The demo seeks a Brexit deal that addresses local needs and urges investment in infrastructure and protection for workers, businesses, and pensioners. Starting at Plaza Fariñas at 8pm, the march will end at the frontier, with speeches following. Franco encourages Gibraltarians to attend, highlighting the shared impact of Brexit on both communities.

If you’ve been following the news, all signs point to EU/UK Treaty negotiations ending soon. Lines are drawn and tensions are high. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo called on Spain to accept Gibraltar's “reasonable and well-balanced” treaty proposals, warning that failure to do so would “condemn us all” to difficult border controls. In contrast, Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, insisted the UK and Gibraltar must choose between the “comprehensive, balanced, and pragmatic” EU/Spain proposals or face the consequences of stricter EU border controls from November.

GFSB Board Member Carmel Khalilian was in Madrid yesterday to represent GFSB members during a Cross Frontier Group meeting with Spain’s Foreign Minister.  Following the meeting, the Cross Frontier Group has issued a statement emphasising the urgent need for a treaty to promote economic development and cooperation between Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo emphasises patience in what he calls Gibraltar's 'most intricate treaty negotiations' with the UK and EU. In a meeting with the Cross Frontier Group, representing unions and businesses from both sides of the border—like the GFSB, Unite, and the Campo de Gibraltar Chamber—the focus was on border fluidity and a perceived lack of progress.

There has been no deal yet despite yesterday’s high-level round of EU/UK negotiations in Brussels. Whilst some Spanish media reports had suggested a deal was unlikely to be reached at the meeting, this does leave us wondering, what now?

To quote GBC’s Brexit coverage, "We’ve heard it all before," but recent developments suggest renewed agreement-related activity. The Chief Minister met with David Lammy, with further UK-Spain ministerial talks expected. The FCDO held an ESS/ETIAS briefing in Gibraltar, and the UK’s Ambassador to Spain also paid us a visit this week.