Sir Joe Bossano says UK-EU Treaty has his full support, no red lines crossed

Sir Joe Bossano has told GBC the UK-EU Treaty for Gibraltar has his full support.

The Minister for Economic Development told Viewpoint no red lines have been crossed. But he warned against complacency and an over-dependence on cross frontier workers.

Immigration arrangements not dangerous  

In a wide-ranging live interview, Sir Joe said the Schengen shack at the north of the airport - a common operating area for both Gibraltarian and Spanish law enforcement officers - may present some issues, but not enough to put Gibraltar in danger.

He stressed the right to move freely across Schengen will be for Gibraltar residents. In answering a question from a viewer about non-resident Gibraltarians and the 90-in-180 days Schengen rule, Sir Joe said nobody could ever stop a non-resident Gibraltarian from choosing to reside on the Rock again.

He confirmed that a new residence card may be needed, possibly electronic, to make it harder to counterfeit. 

How might the Treaty change our economy?

On the economy, he did not sugar coat his answer when a viewer asked if the deal may not be great for the retail and wholesale sectors. Sir Joe said economists agree when a market is changed there are usually some winners and some losers.

He said AI and automation are changing the world much more than this treaty and successful businesses will grasp that opportunity.

The 86-year-old said the treaty's transaction tax wouldn't be introduced in one go and he confirmed it would be the Gibraltar Government that takes the benefit of that tax revenue. 

Equalising pensionable age 

He confirmed the treaty outcome was such that the Government can now equalise the pensionable age for men and women in Gibraltar, bringing the retirement age for men down to 60.

Asked if he thought the treaty agreement could endure for many years, Sir Joe said that's possible... but not guaranteed.

The veteran politician said the treaty could help make Gibraltar very prosperous, but cautioned this too is not guaranteed.

What is guaranteed, he said, is that we won’t be worse off. 

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WATCH: click here to watch Jonathan Scott's full Viewpoint interview with Sir Joe Bossano.