EU BYTES
the same before triggering Article 50 on March 29th 2017 and the failure of ministers responsible for the Brexit negotiations to focus on rebuilding the UK’s diplomatic position in Europe instead of plundering it for domestic political and media advantage. What is worse is that the establishment are at sea
in a world where the liberal democratic values the UK fought for and institutionalised in the post 1945 global order are being challenged by both new state models from the East and nationalistic Trumpism from the West. When the UK would be expected to unite with its allies to defend this order, it is essentially complicit in abandoning it. GC: Looking more specifically at Gibraltar, the Rock has obviously been a key issue of the Brexit debate, not least with regard to UK relations with Spain. How is that looking? PW: The EU stated in its April 2017 guidelines: “After the UK leaves the EU no agreement between the UK and the UK may apply to the territory of the Gibraltar without an agreement between Spain and the UK.” On September 17th Spain declared that it sought an additional protocol to any prospective Withdrawal Agreement covering contentious issues such as smuggling, tax evasion, airport control and free movement of people. But Spain is the least of Gibraltar’s problems,
especially under its new, more accommodating, Socialist coalition. The real problem is the removal of Gibraltar from the EU’s single market for services as indicated in Theresa May’s Chequers proposal. GC: Apart from the British military, the services economy, including to a large extent gambling services are at home on The Rock. How do you see the local economy suffering or maybe even benefiting from Brexit? PW: 90% of Gibraltar’s trade in financial services is nominally with the UK – notably insurance and online gambling – this depends on the UK’s single market membership. It was revealed in March that a commercial arrangement was in place to continue the current regime until end-2020. This superficially protects that 90%. However, Gibraltar’s wider protection depends on the transitional arrangement the UK wants with the EU being reached. If it is not, keeping open the UK-Gibraltar links are helpful but, in the long run, a second-best alternative to staying in the EU single market. GC: How do you see the challenge of people living in Spain being able to work in Gibraltar? PW: The majority of the workforce that produces these services live in Spain. So, as half of Gibraltar’s 27,000 jobs are filled by workers who live, like I used to do, in the Campo, maintaining an open border is vital. But, as passport and customs checks already exist given Gibraltar is not in either the customs union or Schengen, what follows will be a political decision by Spain as to whether to make life more difficult at the border as it has in the past.
30 OCTOBER 2018
GC: Many companies and countries have complained about the approach Gibraltar has taken when it comes to offering gambling services from there to the rest of the EU without having the relevant license in the target jurisdiction. Their argumentation is usually based on the subsidiarity principle prevailing in the EU for this sector, and as such the typical internal market rules for freedom to provide services not applying. Do you think the fight will have been won for the pro-subsidiarity camp when it comes to Gibraltar, no matter whether there is a hard or soft Brexit? PW: So far, yes. But, the moment Gibraltar is outside the single market, competitor lobbying and the political movement within the EU to challenge areas perceived as “tax havens” will increase. Without the protection of the UK around the EU decision- making table, Gibraltar’s position may be considered more perilous. GC: So, my last question today is probably quite an obvious one, but it is one that burns on every tongue in Brussels. If you were to give it your best guess, what direction do you see the future EU-UK relationship going? PW: Of course, that depends on the events over the next two months. A deal which clears the EU and UK hurdles to come will means Britain is out of the EU, with the can of the final commercial arrangements kicked down the road til December 2020 and probably beyond. Britain will ultimately have a Canada- or Norway-style future arrangement. But the new reality – for the UK and indeed Gibraltar – is that the UK will lose any real capacity to influence EU law-making. GC: Thank you very much Peter, also on behalf of the Casino International readers, for your very open and interesting answers. PW: The pleasure was mine. Thank you.
Gambling vs gaming
A declaration between gambling regulators from across Europe and Washington State (I am still trying to understand the concoction) was written, dated 17th September 2018 on “their concerns related to the blurring of lines between gambling and gaming”. Built on concerns of consumer protection and underage gambling, the one-pager highlights “controversies relating to skin betting, loot boxes, social casino gaming and the use of gambling themed content within video games available to children”.
A while ago I discussed concerns brought up
pertaining to video and social gaming offers leading to actual gambling. Guess what the declaration addresses. In any case, expect new national regulation on the issue popping up in the future.
Greetings from Brussels.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74
