Spain is preparing a new step for Ceuta and Melilla. Madrid plans to request the integration of the two autonomous cities into the European Union customs union. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares believes the procedure could take between one year and a year and a half.
The project must still follow the European procedure. The formal request has not yet been sent to Brussels.
Ceuta–Melilla customs union: a Spanish request in the making
José Manuel Albares outlined the timetable on 23 September during an interview with Cadena SER, reported by Europa Press.
The Spanish government is currently working on the official proposal. Several ministries are involved in its preparation. Madrid plans to present the draft first to the presidents of Ceuta and Melilla before sending it to Brussels.
Albares has already discussed the project with European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. According to the Spanish minister, Šefčovič believes the timeframe could potentially be shortened. However, the scenario presented still ranges between twelve and eighteen months.
Ceuta and Melilla still outside the EU customs union
Ceuta and Melilla are part of the territory of the European Union, but they currently benefit from a special customs regime.
The Spanish government now wants to change this situation. Madrid intends to use a provision in Spain’s EU accession treaty. Albares referred to the precedent of the Canary Islands, which joined the EU customs union after a transitional period.
This development could reshape the framework for trade around the two cities, particularly in their relations with the neighbouring Moroccan territory.
Brussels will have to assess Spain’s request
Madrid’s announcement does not mean that integration is already guaranteed.
Once the formal request is submitted, the European Commission will have to examine it. The Council of the European Union will then have to take a position, after consulting the European Parliament.
The Spanish government points out that the final decision will require unanimous approval by all 27 member states.
This step will therefore be crucial for the timetable announced by Madrid.
A project framed as deeper European integration
The customs union is only one part of the package presented by Pedro Sánchez’s government to strengthen the European anchoring of Ceuta and Melilla.
Madrid is also planning a permanent presence of Frontex, permanent representation of both cities in the European Committee of the Regions, as well as a set of political and financial measures.
José Manuel Albares has already presented these policy lines to the presidents of Ceuta and Melilla. The Spanish government says it has begun coordinating between the different ministries involved.
What impact on the border with Morocco?
For Morocco, the change could affect the economic and commercial functioning of the borders of Ceuta and Melilla.
The customs issue also arises in a sensitive regional context. Madrid has recently reinforced its security and institutional arrangements around the two cities and is seeking to deepen their integration into European mechanisms.
The timetable announced nonetheless depends on several stages. The Spanish proposal must first be finalised. It must then pass through the European institutions and obtain the unanimous agreement of the member states.
For now, the customs union for Ceuta and Melilla remains a project under preparation, with a timeframe of one year to a year and a half announced by the Spanish government.
External sources:
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – plan for Ceuta and Melilla
- Europa Press – timetable for joining the customs union
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