MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK-EU Joint Statement of Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar

Spanish Foreign minister Albares, EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovik, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo in Brussels after the Agreement was reached

Following talks in Brussels this Wednesday a Joint Statement was reached in respect of Gibraltar, between the European Commission, Spain and Gibraltar. European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, together with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo, met in Brussels on Wednesday 11 June.

Building on significant progress achieved in the previous political meetings in 2024 and on intensive work of the negotiating teams since then to solve outstanding issues, today’s discussions resulted in a conclusive political agreement on the core aspects of the future Agreement between the EU and the UK in respect of Gibraltar. The future Agreement is without prejudice to the respective legal positions of Spain and the United Kingdom with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction.

The main objective of the future Agreement is to secure the future prosperity of the whole region. This will be done by removing all physical barriers, checks and controls on persons and goods circulating between Spain and Gibraltar, while preserving the Schengen area, the EU Single Market and Customs Union. This will bring confidence and legal certainty to the lives and well-being of the people of the whole region by promoting shared prosperity and close and constructive relations between the Gibraltar and Spanish authorities.

In the area of persons, the Parties agreed to establish dual Gibraltar and Schengen border checks at Gibraltar port and airport – to be carried out in full cooperation between the EU and UK/Gibraltar authorities, removing all checks at the crossing point between Gibraltar and La Linea for the many thousands of people who travel across daily in both directions. For the EU, full Schengen checks will be carried out by Spain. For the UK, full Gibraltar checks will continue to be carried out as they are today.  They also agreed arrangements for visas and permits and close cooperation between the police and law enforcement authorities.

In the area of goods, the Parties agreed on the principles underpinning the future customs union between the EU and Gibraltar, providing for strong cooperation between the respective customs authorities and removing checks on goods. There is also agreement on the principles of indirect taxation to be applied in Gibraltar, including on tobacco – that will avoid distortions and contribute to the prosperity of the whole region.

Other important areas of the future EU-UK Agreement include level playing field commitments on State aid, taxation, labour, environment, trade and sustainable development, anti-money laundering, and transport – including the airport; the rights of frontier workers and social security coordination. Specific cooperation will also be included in environmental matters. The creation of an appropriate financial mechanism to promote cohesion and support training and employment in the region has also been agreed.
Today’s agreement has been reached in a shared commitment to European security.

The way is now clear for negotiating teams swiftly to finalize the full legal text and proceed with the respective internal procedures leading to the signature and ratification of the future Agreement.

The Parties are confident that this Agreement will support prosperity and bring confidence, legal certainty, and stability to the lives and well-being of the people of the whole region.

PM Starmer congratulates Chief Minister Picardo

On Wednesday afternoon UK Prime Minister Starmer congratulated Chief Minister on UK-EU Gibraltar Trade and Mobility Agreement in Brussels, and conveyed his satisfaction that the agreement is one that can be welcomed by all parties, the UK, the European Union, Spain and Gibraltar. Mr Starmer agreed that this is a brilliant step forward for Gibraltar that will lead to great opportunities for future economic development.

“I thank the Chief Minister and his Government for their tireless dedication throughout thenegotiations. The UK’s commitment to Gibraltar remains as solid as the Rock itself.”

UK-EU Gibraltar Trade and Mobility Agreement

According to a press release from the Gibraltar Government, the UK/EU treaty will govern the future relationship of Gibraltar with the European Union and can only be good news for citizens and businesses in Gibraltar who now have certainty and clarity in their lives after the disruption caused by Brexit.

The negotiations, which commenced in October 2021, have been extremely complex given the technical, legal and political issues involved and the fact that there were four parties around the table. The successful outcome will reflect the transformation of the 2020 New Year’s Eve Agreement into a UK-EU treaty about Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union.

It is important to note that Gibraltar will retain FULL control over its own border checks at its external borders as happens today. The practical details involve the elimination of controls at the land border thereby permitting fluid movement between Gibraltar and Spain. This is how it works all across the 29 countries in Schengen, and people in Gibraltar who have travelled seamlessly between Portugal and Spain will have taken note.

Gibraltar and the United Kingdom will continue to apply passport checks with each other, so that the new arrangements, when they come into effect, will have no impact on the UK itself.

The agreement represents a balanced, pragmatic and mutually respectful solution laying the foundations for freedom of movement of goods as well as people, and thereby for a future zone of shared prosperity that will benefit both Gibraltar and the surrounding region.

“The Agreement does not, and will not, compromise British sovereignty over Gibraltar in any way. This will be made abundantly clear in the text of the treaty itself when this is published. Indeed, all sides have said that the Agreement is about people and not about sovereignty. It does not diminish Gibraltar’s jurisdiction. It does not reduce our control”

The Political agreement will protect British sovereignty, UK military autonomy and secure Gibraltar’s economic future.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP was quoted saying “he Agreement resolves the last major unresolved issue from Brexit, avoiding the need for checks on people and goods crossing the Gibraltar-Spain border to support prosperity in the region.

As the only UK overseas territory which shares a border with the EU, today’s political agreement provides a practical solution for the unique situation faced by the people of Gibraltar whose livelihoods depend on a fluid border”.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that “this government inherited a situation which left Gibraltar’s economy and way of life under threat. Gibraltar was not included in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement negotiated by the previous UK government following Brexit. Instead, the previous government began negotiations in2021 to reach a deal which has remained unresolved until today.

“Approximately 15,000 people – over half of Gibraltar’s workforce – cross the land border between Spain and Gibraltar every day. Without a new agreement, the EU’s incoming system of entry and exit controls would have introduced a ‘hard border’ under which every individual passport was checked”.

“Today’s agreement provides a practical solution to avoid the need for onerous checks and long delays at the border which would have proved ruinous for Gibraltar’s economy – costing hundreds of millions a year and placing pressure on the UK taxpayer for fiscal support, underlining the government’s commitment to economic stability under the Plan for Change”.