The Andalusian Government agrees a plan with 112 measures to minimize the effects of Brexit

The Governing Council has approved an Andalusian Programme of Preparatory Measures for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, which includes 112 preparedness and contingency measures in order to minimise the effects and consequences of Brexit, especially in the Campo de Gibraltar.

On 12 March 2019, the Governing Council agreed to formulate the aforementioned programme, for the preparation of which a Brexit Analysis Committee was set up, made up of one person representing each of the departments of the Board’s Administration.

The Andalusian Executive considers that there is no doubt that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom will have important consequences for the life of citizens, in the activity of companies and in that of public administrations, so it is necessary to adopt measures at different levels to ensure the best possible transition to this new reality.

For this reason, the Government of Andalusia is firmly in favour of an orderly exit from the United Kingdom, in order to guarantee the rights of British citizens and economic operators, with the implementation of initiatives that will allow the incidence of Brexit to be faced once the transitional period ends.

The approved document contains a specific block intended for areas particularly affected by Brexit, such as the area comprising the municipalities of Campo de Gibraltar. The measures have been classified into several blocks: 62 support measures; 6 promotion measures; 12 information measures; 11 specific monitoring measures; 15 requests to other administrations; and 6 specific measures.

Among the support measures contemplated are a contingency plan for each company individually through Extenda for companies affected by Brexit and support for companies wishing to relocate from the United Kingdom; the reinforcement of incentives for hiring people affected by Brexit and self-employed; guarantees for affected SMEs; comprehensive relocation plans: business or territorial.

With respect to the Campo de Gibraltar, a support fund for municipalities in the area is established with 4 million euros, the implementation of an economic innovation strategy, a business implementation plan, as well as local cooperation initiatives (ITI employment) and a tramway system.

The promotional measures refer to agreements with tourism stakeholders and communication campaigns or participation in professional meetings and tourism fairs; while the information measures include information and advice from all the groups specifically affected and, with respect to the Campo de Gibraltar, a citizen and business information window in La Línea de la Concepción and another window of information and attention on the repercussions of Brexit, located in the Subdelegation of the Government of the Campo de Gibraltar, in Algeciras.

Specific monitoring initiatives include the study of specific measures of the impact of Brexit on EU regulations or financing; the monitoring and follow-up of compliance with social obligations with regard to Andalusian workers by the Gibraltar authorities and a permanent channel of contact with companies established in logistics areas of autonomous interest to detect possible impacts.

With regard to measures required of other administrations, it is stated that the Andalusian Government will demand the improvement of the activity of the border inspection point of the port of Algeciras Bay; the constitution of a single authority to coordinate the activity of border inspection points in Andalusian ports; an EU Emergency Fund for Brexit; the doubling of the N-340 in the Vejer de la Frontera-Tarifa-Algeciras section and the improvement of the renovation of the Bobadilla-Algeciras line with duplication of track in the Ronda-Bobadilla section.

Impact on the Andalusian economy

The impact of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union on the Andalusian economy could be between 500 and 1,200 million, depending on a soft or hard Brexit. Current account revenues from the UK can be quantified at 4,078.3 million euros in 2018, representing an exposure equivalent to 2.4 per cent of Andalusian Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Andalusia was the fourth Spanish autonomous community in exports to the United Kingdom in 2018 with a volume of 2,281 million. From the point of view of tourism, the United Kingdom is the main market for tourists to Andalusia, which in 2018 received 2,872,409 British tourists.

In 2018, 18,470 Andalusians resided in the United Kingdom, while 75,372 British citizens resided in the Community, mainly on the Costa del Sol. The Brexit will have a special significance in the Campo de Gibraltar, with 9,726 Andalusian frontier workers.

Source: Junta de Andalucía