Brussels – The European Commission has given the green light to its proposals for the signing, provisional application, and conclusion of the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar, the British territory on the southern coast of Spain. The agreement aims to ensure prosperity in the region by removing physical barriers to the movement of people and goods between Spain and the British enclave, in accordance with the Schengen Agreement, the EU single market, and the customs union. The green light comes after the political agreement on the fundamental principles reached in June last year between European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, his British counterpart David Lammy, and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, and the finalisation of the legal text by the negotiating teams in December.
The agreement between the EU and the UK on Gibraltar completes the legal framework for post-Brexit bilateral relations. The British enclave was not included in the application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2020 and officially entered into force in May 2021, but it was added to the political agenda at a later date. Discussions on a possible negotiating framework began on 31 December 2020, with formal negotiations starting in the summer of 2021. The breakthrough came in June last year, with political agreement on the fundamental principles and the finalisation of the legal text in December.
The text of the political agreement of June 2025 provides for the elimination of land border controls for all traffic entering and leaving Spain and Gibraltar, greater cooperation between police forces, and visa rules for non-residents, in compliance with Schengen area and free movement rules. The joint statement emphasises that “the agreement has been reached thanks to a shared commitment to European security” and that “it will support prosperity and bring confidence, legal certainty and stability to the lives and well-being of people across the region, promoting shared prosperity and close and constructive relations between the Gibraltar and Spanish authorities.”
The period between June and December 2025 was used to translate the political agreement into legal text. And today, the Commission gave the green light. Šefčovič is satisfied. “Our objective was clear and strategic: to ensure the long-term prosperity of the region while safeguarding Schengen, the EU single market and our customs union. With 15,000 people crossing the border between Gibraltar and Spain every day, it is a question of ensuring legal certainty, confidence for businesses and citizens, and a future of cooperation that strengthens our mutual relations,” he noted.
The proposals will now be forwarded to the Council of the EU for the necessary measures to be taken to sign and conclude the agreement, while the European Parliament will be called upon to give its consent, in accordance with the Treaties.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
