Morocco and Spain revive plan to unite the Strait of Gibraltar
The complex holography of the Strait of Gibraltar has always been an impediment to the project to link the two continents - Europe and Africa - which for decades was an inordinately complicated milestone. Situated in the middle of two tectonic plates with frequent earthquakes, albeit of lesser strength, the Strait has always been a strategic point in terms of trade and commercial transport, the influx of immigrants who cross it in search of greater opportunities in Europe, and a key military point, as demonstrated by the installation of the Rota Naval Base (NAVSTA) for US military use, one of the most important for Washington.
The reactivation of the project stems from the High Level Meeting (HLM) held on 1 and 2 February between the Spanish and Moroccan Executives. During the meeting, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to advance studies on the Fixed Link Project to connect the two shores, which are only 14 kilometres apart.
The economic benefits that would be generated by linking the Peninsula with the African continent could reach figures that would displace other vitally important European enclaves, such as the link between the United Kingdom and France via the Eurotunnel that crosses the English Channel. Telecommunications, freight transport and the potential creation of an intercontinental rail network are the pretexts most dreamed of by La Moncloa and Rabat, which could become more than a reality in a matter of a few years.
The 43rd telematic meeting of the Spanish-Moroccan Joint Committee of the Fixed Link Project of the Strait of Gibraltar was co-chaired by the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, and the Moroccan Minister of Infrastructures and Water, Nizar Baraka. At the start of the commission, the minister confirmed that "it is of great political significance that, after 14 years, since Tangiers in October 2009, we are jointly promoting the studies of a project of the greatest geostrategic importance for our countries and for relations between Europe and Africa".
The meeting also acknowledged the joint work carried out since 2009 by the Moroccan counterpart of the Spanish firm in charge of the studies, SNED, and the Spanish firm commissioning the studies, Secegsa. "We are therefore beginning a new stage in the relaunch of the Fixed Link Project through the Strait of Gibraltar, which we began in 1981, with the help of our two companies, Secegsa and SNED," said Raquel Sánchez.
Among other things, the work plan will include examining the feasibility of laying foundations for a reconnaissance gallery to determine the geomechanical peculiarities of the oceanic crust. Secegsa, as a public limited company, has the exclusive purpose of carrying out studies; it never carries out the works. These studies are usually carried out in collaboration with SNED, its Moroccan counterpart. Both organisations were founded in 1981. Their future construction would require a new bilateral agreement with Morocco, as stipulated by the international conventions in force on the subject.
The meeting comes in conjunction with the activation of Secegsa, which was charged with carrying out the necessary studies to assess the feasibility of an intercontinental fixed link for energy transport and communications, after a period of time without the corresponding budgetary allocation. To update the studies relevant to the project, EUR 2.3 million of European funds will be earmarked in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RRRP). As a result of the Joint Committee, both parties support the visibility of the project and have committed to address the elaboration of an overall strategy and work plan for the next three years.