The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, will hold meetings with several community officials to probe the timelines, procedures, and political viability of the measures announced by Pedro Sánchez in Congress.
The agenda includes meetings with the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and with the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner. The trip will last for two days and also includes contacts with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and with the Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič.
The political objective is to turn the Spanish southern border into a European issue and to strengthen the presence of Ceuta and Melilla in community institutions and policies.
A stable seat in the European Committee of the Regions
One of the proposals consists of ensuring a stable representation of Ceuta and Melilla in the European Committee of the Regions, the advisory body that brings together regional and local representatives from the member states.
Spain currently has 21 positions. Seventeen correspond to the autonomous communities and the remaining four are assigned to municipal representatives proposed by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.
The Government is considering permanently reserving one or two of those positions for Ceuta and Melilla. The measure would not require reforming European treaties, but it would require reaching an internal agreement on the composition of the Spanish delegation and involving the FEMP.
This is, a priori, the initiative that presents a simpler institutional path.
More Frontex and European funds for the border
Albares will discuss with Commissioner Magnus Brunner the community response to the migration crisis and the Spanish request for economic and operational support.
The Government aims to strengthen Frontex's participation in Ceuta and obtain European assistance for border control, migrant care, and processing asylum applications.
The European Commission expects Spain to specify what needs it wants to cover with emergency funds and what functions Frontex and Europol personnel would assume.
Brunner already had a conversation on Monday with the Minister of Territorial Policy and responsible for monitoring the Ceuta crisis, Ángel Víctor Torres. The Commissioner described the contact as “good and constructive” and noted that the protection of external borders and returns are priorities for Brussels.
The possible entry into the Customs Union
The second major proposal is to study the incorporation of Ceuta and Melilla into the European Customs Union.
The two cities are integrated into the European Union, but remain outside its customs territory and enjoy a specific economic and fiscal regime. The eventual incorporation would facilitate commercial circulation with the rest of the community market, although it could force them to review some of their current exemptions and tariff reductions.
For this reason, the Government is not yet proposing immediate adhesion. It must first analyze with the authorities of Ceuta and Melilla what advantages they would obtain and what fiscal benefits they could lose.
The modification would need the support of the EU member states.
The more complex path: becoming outermost regions
Spain also wants to explore the recognition of Ceuta and Melilla as outermost regions of the European Union, a category already enjoyed by the Canary Islands. This status would allow access to a greater European co-financing and maintain economic, fiscal, and customs regimes adapted to the territorial characteristics of both cities.
The procedure would be longer. It would require a proposal from the European Commission, consultation with the European Parliament, and unanimous approval from the Twenty-Seven, in addition to modifying the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
Currently, the Canary Islands; the Portuguese regions of Azores and Madeira, and several French territories, including Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, and Mayotte, have this consideration.
A political response to the crisis in Ceuta
The initiative comes after the massive entry of migrants recorded at the end of July and the controversy over Morocco's actions during the critical hours.
Sánchez stated last Thursday in Congress that there is no “solid evidence” to conclude that the Moroccan authorities planned or executed the entry. The Government has acknowledged an anomalous action by the border forces of the neighboring country during part of the crisis.
Albares' strategy seeks for the protection of Ceuta and Melilla to stop being addressed solely as a bilateral issue between Spain and Morocco and to become part of the border, trade, and territorial policies of the European Union.