Albares, Lammy and Sefcovic announce a “final political agreement” on Gibraltar

Eduardo González/Ane Barcos European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy reached “a final political agreement” on Wednesday on the key aspects of the future Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom in relation to Gibraltar. “Building on the significant progress made at previous political meetings in 2024 and the intensive work carried out by the negotiating teams since then to resolve outstanding issues, today's negotiations have resulted in a final political agreement on the key aspects of the future Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom in relation to Gibraltar,” reads the joint statement adopted by the three parties after meeting in Brussels in the presence of Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo. “The future Agreement safeguards the respective legal positions of Spain and the United Kingdom regarding sovereignty and jurisdiction,” the statement adds. "Today is a great day for Campo de Gibraltar," declared the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez via social media. "After three centuries without progress, the EU, the United Kingdom, and Spain have reached a comprehensive agreement that benefits citizens and our bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom, all without renouncing Spanish claims to the isthmus and the return of Gibraltar," he added. For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday to discuss the "historic agreement to guarantee to secure the future of Gibraltar," according to the British government. During the conversation, Sánchez "congratulated" Starmer on his leadership and added that his government "had succeeded where others had failed." The European Commission (with direct participation from Spain) and the UK government have been negotiating for five years the agreement for Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU after Brexit, based on the so-called New Year's Eve Agreement reached by the Spanish and British governments on December 31, 2020. This Wednesday's meeting was the fourth at the political level and the first meeting in this format with the current UK Labour government. Spain will implement Schengen controls on behalf of the EU “The main objective of the future Agreement is to guarantee the future prosperity of the entire region,” the joint statement continues. “To achieve this, all physical barriers, checks, and controls on people and goods moving between Spain and Gibraltar will be eliminated, while preserving the Schengen Area, the EU Single Market, and the Customs Union,” it continues. “This will bring confidence, legal certainty, and well-being to the inhabitants of the entire region, promoting shared prosperity and close and constructive relations between the Gibraltar and Spanish authorities,” it adds. Regarding people, the parties have agreed to establish dual Gibraltar and Schengen border controls at the port and airport of Gibraltar, to be carried out through full cooperation between the EU and UK/Gibraltar authorities, abolishing all controls at the border crossing between Gibraltar and La Línea for the many thousands of people who cross it daily in both directions. On the European Union side, Spain will implement full Schengen controls. On the UK side, full Gibraltar controls will continue to be carried out as before. They also agreed on provisions on visas and permits and close cooperation between law enforcement and judicial authorities. The British and Gibraltarians had warned that they were not willing to accept Spain assuming access controls to the Schengen area, which would have to be transferred to Gibraltar's port and airport. Spain agreed to the abolition of the Fence in the 2020 New Year's Eve agreement, but did not renounce the presence of Spanish police officers at entry and exit controls at ports and airports. This was something that the British and Gibraltarians did not like, as they viewed it as a setback to their sovereignty. Tobacco, taxation, environment In the area of goods, the parties agreed on the principles underpinning the future customs union between the EU and Gibraltar, maintaining close collaboration between the respective customs authorities and eliminating controls on goods. Agreement was also reached on the principles of indirect taxation to be applied in Gibraltar, including tobacco, which will avoid distortions and contribute to the prosperity of the entire region. Other important aspects of the future EU-UK Agreement include commitments to a level playing field in the areas of state aid, taxation, labor, the environment, trade and sustainable development, anti-money laundering, and transport (including airports); cross-border workers' rights; and coordination on social security matters. Specific cooperation on the environment will also be included. The creation of an appropriate financial mechanism to promote cohesion and support training and employment in the region was also agreed upon. “Today's agreement was reached as a shared commitment to European security,” the statement continues. “The way is now clear for the negotiating teams to swiftly finalize the full legal text and proceed with the respective internal procedures leading to the signature and ratification of the future Agreement,” it states. “The parties are confident that this Agreement will foster prosperity and bring confidence, legal certainty, and stability to the lives and well-being of people throughout the region,” it concludes. Albares and Sefcovic In the press conference following the tripartite meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, asserted that this is a "historic and definitive" agreement that "marks a before and after for stability and well-being" because it will create "an area of shared prosperity between Gibraltar and Campo de Gibraltar." "With this, the fence, the last wall in continental Europe, disappears, and the free movement of people and goods is guaranteed," he added. "Spain will exercise control over entry and exit within the Schengen area," he stated. The minister emphasized that this agreement is the result of a long negotiation process, in which "the technical teams have worked extraordinarily tirelessly," and considered that the current moment is the right time to complete this work and move toward a future of coexistence and cooperation. For his part, Sefcovic expressed his “absolute conviction that this agreement will be ratified, because it is a good agreement” and asserted that the inhabitants of Campo de Gibraltar “will clearly benefit from the removal of the last fence in Europe” and that legal certainty “will clearly improve the business environment for the entire region.” According to the Commissioner, who highlighted the intense joint work that led to this final political agreement, the main objective of the Agreement is “to guarantee the long-term prosperity of the region,” eliminating all physical barriers and controls on people and goods between Spain and Gibraltar, while maintaining the integrity of the Schengen Area, the European Single Market, and the Customs Union. The Trade Commissioner affirmed that the agreement will bring “legal certainty and confidence to the population and businesses throughout the region” and assured that the full legal text is now ready for the internal procedures that will lead to its signature and ratification. Regarding the possibility that the agreement may not be ratified, Šefčovič expressed his full confidence: "We are confident that this agreement will have the full support of the Member States and the European Parliament." Similarly, Spanish Minister José Manuel Albares emphasized that "the spirit of the agreement is to work for the benefit of the people and the population of the region." For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed the agreement through her official account on the social network X (formerly Twitter). In her message, she emphasized that the agreement "safeguards the integrity of Schengen and the Single Market, while ensuring stability, legal certainty, and prosperity for the region." She also congratulated Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on the success of the negotiations and highlighted the importance of this progress for relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom. United Kingdom and Gibraltar The UK Government has assured that the agreement reached this Wednesday on Gibraltar’s future membership in the EU “will protect British sovereignty.” For his part, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, welcomed this agreement, which will protect “future generations of British Gibraltarians” and will not affect “our British sovereignty in any way.” “This government inherited a situation from the previous government that put Gibraltar’s economy and way of life at risk,” said British Foreign Office Minister David Lammy. “Today’s progress offers a practical solution after years of uncertainty,” he continued. “Together with the Government of Gibraltar, we have reached an agreement that protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar’s economy, and allows businesses to plan for the long term once again,” Lammy said. “I thank the Chief Minister and his government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The United Kingdom’s commitment to Gibraltar remains as strong as the Rock itself.” For his part, Picardo expressed his “delight” with this “conclusive political agreement that will bring legal certainty to the people of Gibraltar, their businesses, and those across the region who depend on stability at the border.” “I have worked closely with the UK Government throughout these negotiations to achieve the agreement Gibraltar wants and needs, an agreement that protects future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way impinge on our British sovereignty,” he added. “Now that the agreement is done, it is time to finalize the Treaty,” he added. “As the only UK overseas territory that shares a border with the EU, today’s political agreement offers a practical solution to the unique situation facing the people of Gibraltar, whose livelihoods depend on a fluid border,” he concluded. Likewise, Keir Starmer congratulated Picardo on the conclusion of the agreement and agreed that this is a magnificent step forward for Gibraltar, opening up significant opportunities for future economic development. For his part, the United Kingdom's ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, stated, in a video released on social media, that the Agreement is "great news" and that "everyone" involved has "negotiated intensively to resolve the remaining issues and reach a practical solution for the thousands of people who cross between Spain and Gibraltar every day." "The objective now is to provide stability, confidence, and legal certainty, as well as promote prosperity," he continued. "Now we must finalize the Treaty between the United Kingdom and the European Union, which we have all committed to concluding as soon as possible," he concluded. star_border United Kingdom and Gibraltar The UK Government has assured that the agreement reached this Wednesday on Gibraltar's future membership in the EU "will protect British sovereignty." For his part, Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, welcomed this agreement, which will protect "future generations of British Gibraltarians" and will not affect "our British sovereignty in any way." “This government inherited a situation from the previous government that put Gibraltar's economy and way of life at risk,” said British Foreign Office Minister David Lammy. “Today's progress offers a practical solution after years of uncertainty,” he continued. “Together with the Government of Gibraltar, we have reached an agreement that protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy, and allows businesses to plan for the long term once again,” Lammy said. “I thank the Chief Minister and his government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The United Kingdom's commitment to Gibraltar remains as strong as the Rock itself.” For his part, Picardo expressed his “delight” with this “conclusive political agreement that will bring legal certainty to the people of Gibraltar, their businesses, and those across the region who depend on stability at the border.” “I have worked closely with the UK Government throughout these negotiations to achieve the agreement Gibraltar wants and needs, an agreement that protects future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way impinge on our British sovereignty,” he added. “Now that the agreement is done, it is time to finalize the Treaty,” he added. “As the only UK overseas territory that shares a border with the EU, today’s political agreement offers a practical solution to the unique situation facing the people of Gibraltar, whose livelihoods depend on a fluid border,” he concluded.

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