This morning the UK-Gibraltar Readiness NNO Board met in Gibraltar for the first time. The role of the Board is to coordinate preparations between the UK and Gibraltar Governments in the event of a Non Negotiated Outcome.

The UK Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas Wendy Morton MP opened the hybrid meeting which was chaired jointly with UK by the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia.

A team of officials from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, who are here on a familiarisation visit, participated together with officials from other UK departments who joined the meeting virtually.

On the Gibraltar side, the Board included the Civil Contingencies Coordinator, the CEO of the Department of the Environment, the Parliamentary Counsel, the Director of Gibraltar House in Brussels, the Commissioner of Police, the Collector of Customs, the CEO of the Borders and Coastguards Agency , the Captain of the Port as well as the Principal Secretary and PA of the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that it was sensible and prudent, as had happened since 2016, to make plans for no agreement, even though the Government remained fully committed to an agreement on the future relationship of Gibraltar with the European Union.