In the framework of the Continuing Education in Law conferences, Prada explained that for the time being, "the Erasmus programme is still running" and was confident that after the Brexit "there will be agreements" between the United Kingdom and countries such as Spain to carry out student exchanges. "More than 12,000 Spanish students go to the United Kingdom to study every year, both countries are interested in the continuation of this flow of students," he added. 

The director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain highlighted that, regardless of the "negative” consequences of Brexit, these processes "always pose new opportunities" and remarked that he knew cases of companies that had moved their European headquarters to cities such as Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris or Madrid, for example, and are therefore "benefiting" from the situation arising from disinvestment in the UK. 

According to Eva Prada, the automotive sector will be one of the most affected by Brexit is also one where some of the greatest efforts are being made to measure its possible impact, as this sector is very important in both the UK and Spain. 

During his speech, which took place at the University’s Aula Magna, Prada reviewed the background to Brexit to better understand a process which he described as "different" and "historical" in a country that "has always been a Eurosceptic.” He emphasised that the negotiations have snagged on the issue of the Irish border and he discussed the possible scenarios that may arise from the current negotiations, as well as the possibility of an election being called. 

In terms of the impact that Brexit could have in Spain, Prada explained that the UK is the second biggest investor in both Catalonia and in Spain as a whole. He valued the bilateral business between the two countries as 56,000 million euros, a figure that "could change" with the departure of the UK from the European Union. In addition, he recalls that Spain receives 19 million British tourists, that Spain has more than 300,000 British residents and that there are more than 200,000 Spaniards living in the UK. 

Lastly, Prada recognised that the UK “has been gearing up for years” to leave the European Union and affirmed that after Brexit "the geopolitical map will change". 

About the British Chamber of Commerce 

Founded in Barcelona in 1908, the British Chamber of Commerce is the only independent Hispanic-British business organisation in Spain. Its objective is to independently develop and promote trade and investment relations between the two countries, playing a key role in supporting newly arriving companies. The Chamber, which in the United Kingdom is represented through British Chambers, Council of British Chambers of Commerce in the United Kingdom and in other countries, was founded in 1908, has 300 partner companies in Spain and offices in Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga. The organisation also supports and is supported by some of the most important trade institutions such as ICEX in Spain and DIT in the UK.