Albares sends official Spanish translation of Gibraltar treaty to stakeholders

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has sent a letter to the Andalusian Regional Government and all institutional stakeholders in the Campo de Gibraltar region containing the official Spanish translation, prepared by the European Commission's legal linguists, of the Agreement on the future relationship between Gibraltar and the EU. As reported by the Ministry in a press release on Friday, March 13, the letter, “sent as soon as the translation was received from Brussels,” was received by “all institutional stakeholders” in the area: the President of the Andalusian Regional Government, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla; the Commonwealth of Municipalities; the President of the Cross-Border Group; the President of the Campo de Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce; and the mayors of Algeciras, La Línea, Castellar de la Frontera, Tarifa, Jimena de la Frontera, Los Barrios, San Martín del Tesorillo, and San Roque. Furthermore, the text has also been sent to the presidents of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Congress and the Senate, and to the spokespeople of all parliamentary groups in both chambers. The translation of the treaty can now also be consulted on the Ministry's website and social media, along with an infographic explaining its main new features. With the letter and the publication of the final translation, “Albares is giving full publicity to a historic agreement that will generate security and prosperity throughout the region and whose details he will present again to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress,” the press release concludes. The treaty The full text of the treaty on Gibraltar's future integration into the EU was published on February 26 by the European Commission. Among its main points, the treaty contemplates the removal of the border fence, the last wall of continental Europe, and establishes that there will be no passport controls between the two territories. Spain will assume Schengen controls at Gibraltar's airport and port, and Spanish authorities will have the final say on the issuance and renewal of residence permits. In addition, the agreement regulates the movement of goods through a system of harmonized controls. Spain will carry out customs controls on goods entering Gibraltar, and baggage checks will be established for travelers bound for the European Union and Gibraltar, guaranteeing security and compliance with EU regulations. Regarding tax convergence, the treaty incorporates convergence measures for indirect taxation on goods. Gibraltar will apply an indirect tax equivalent to VAT, starting at 15% upon the treaty's entry into force and completing convergence within three years. Furthermore, specific provisions are established for tobacco in accordance with European regulations. The text also provides for adaptation to EU environmental regulations and the creation of a joint environmental impact assessment mechanism. Compliance with European standards in this area is also guaranteed, reinforcing the protection of the shared natural environment. The treaty also establishes the creation of a financial mechanism for job training and other social measures to compensate for income inequalities, the strengthening of coordination in social security matters, and specific protection measures for cross-border workers. Furthermore, the treaty states in its preamble that the elimination of “all physical barriers to the movement of persons and goods between the territory of the Union and Gibraltar,” including “cooperation in the areas necessary to establish an area of shared prosperity,” will be carried out “without prejudice to the positions of sovereignty and jurisdiction of Spain and the United Kingdom.” Therefore, it clarifies, “the Agreement, or any activity or measure taken pursuant to or as a result of it, does not imply any modification of the legal position of the Kingdom of Spain with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction over Gibraltar.” In addition, the treaty contains a specific chapter on sovereignty which establishes that any supplementary agreement, any administrative arrangement or other agreement related to this Agreement, and any measure, instrument or conduct taken pursuant to or as a result of it, or by virtue thereof, “shall be without prejudice to, and not otherwise affect, the respective legal positions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the Kingdom of Spain with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction, and shall not form the basis for any assertion or denial of sovereignty, including in judicial or other proceedings.” Following the publication of the agreement, the mayor of Algeciras, José Ignacio Landaluce (PP), criticized Albares for merely “rebounding” a “technical legal document of more than a thousand pages written in English,” which “makes it impossible to know immediately how it will affect our relations and the daily lives of our residents.” Next steps On June 11, 2025, the European Union (represented by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares) and the United Kingdom (represented by the then Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo) reached a “definitive” political agreement in Brussels on “the fundamental aspects of the future Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom concerning Gibraltar.” Last December, negotiators from the European Union and the United Kingdom successfully completed drafting the legal text of the treaty, and on February 17, the Commission announced its proposals for the signature, provisional application, and conclusion of the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar. Once this step is completed, Brussels will have to forward these proposals to the Council, which will proceed with the necessary steps for the signature and conclusion of the agreement. Finally, the European Parliament must give its consent for ratification, in accordance with EU treaties. Furthermore, the approval of the treaty by the Gibraltarian Parliament signals the United Kingdom to proceed with its own ratification procedures. On March 12, Fabian Picardo sent a letter to King Charles III of the United Kingdom informing him that the Gibraltarian Parliament had unanimously agreed to request ratification of the agreement. Once signed, the agreement will only enter into force one month after the parties have notified each other that they have fulfilled their respective requirements, including legal and parliamentary procedures. The day after its publication, Albares expressed his confidence that “everything will be approved and ratified a little before or a little after the summer” and specified that, pending submission of the text to the European Parliament for ratification, the European Commission “has requested the provisional application of the agreement as soon as it is approved by the Council.”

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