The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, presented to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday a report on the measures promoted by the Foreign Ministry to make progress towards the full integration of the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla into the European Union. He also spoke personally on Wednesday about this European plan with the President of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, and the President of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda, and today wrote to the ministries with which the various measures under the plan must be coordinated, ahead of its imminent formal presentation.
“First, dialogue with the Autonomous Cities, which is why I spoke with their Presidents; then with the Spanish institutions and the various ministries with which we need to coordinate and engage in dialogue; and immediately afterwards we will submit the formal proposal to the European Union without further delay, as I indicated to them during the meetings I held in Brussels last Tuesday and Wednesday,” the Minister said.
According to Albares, during the conversations both Presidents showed that they were “in agreement” with the approach, and he reiterated the need for unity among all political forces so that the plan can become a reality as soon as possible.
Ministerial coordination
To coordinate all the planned measures within the Government, the Minister has written to the Ministers responsible for Economy, Finance, Agriculture and Territorial Policy to take the necessary steps to enable Ceuta and Melilla to participate in the Customs Union, such as including the Autonomous Cities within the scope of the relevant EU directives and certain European Union policies.
The aim is to determine jointly, and in consultation with the authorities of Ceuta and Melilla, the most appropriate arrangements for addressing the geographical and socio-economic specificities of both cities.
European unity and solidarity
At the Council of Ministers, Albares also reported on the various meetings he held with senior officials from the European institutions last week, during which he stressed the need for the European Union to demonstrate unity and solidarity, as well as the importance of treating all European Union borders equally, both those in the east and those in the south.
The Minister stressed that these measures seek to ensure that both cities receive treatment appropriate to their geographical specificities, particularly taking into account that Ceuta and Melilla constitute the European Union’s only southern border on the African continent, with the resulting implications for migratory pressure on both cities.
European package
The measures announced to the Council of Ministers include establishing a permanent seat for Ceuta and another for Melilla on the Committee of the Regions; a greater Frontex presence in both Ceuta and Melilla—with an initial aid package announced last week—and steps towards integrating Ceuta and Melilla into the customs territory of the European Union.
The aim is to ensure that the European Union institutions take into account the “very special” geographical circumstances of Ceuta and Melilla, “which constitute the European Union’s only land border with Africa and the most unequal and, therefore, the most complex border we have”.
To promote recognition of their geographical specificities, the Minister detailed the steps required to ensure that, under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, Ceuta and Melilla receive treatment equivalent to that afforded to other land borders benefiting from specific funding, such as the European Union’s eastern borders.
In the words of Minister Albares, “the aim is to ensure that Ceuta and Melilla, both of which hold a special place in the hearts of all Spaniards, also hold a special place in the heart of Europe”.
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