EU, Britain strike deal on Gibraltar's post-Brexit status

eNCA

a day ago

BRUSSELS - The European Union and Britain sealed a deal on the status of the territory of Gibraltar, in what was billed as a "historic" breakthrough five years after Brexit.
The deal will ease the flow of people and goods over the Gibraltar-Spain border, and marks a new step in the much-vaunted "reset" of ties with Brussels under British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
When Britain left the EU in 2020, the relationship between Gibraltar -- historically an important military base for Britain due to its position at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea -- and the bloc remained unresolved.
Talks between London, Madrid, Brussels and Gibraltar on a deal had made halting progress during several rounds of negotiations under Britain's previous Conservative government, but Labour's return to power last summer gave them new impetus.
EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic announced the deal at a joint news conference with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, calling it "a truly historic milestone for the European Union, including Spain, as well as for the United Kingdom and Gibraltar".
"This agreement benefits everyone and will bring legal certainty and confidence to the people and businesses across the region," he said, following Brussels talks that were also attended by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
Around 15,000 people -- over half of Gibraltar's workforce, according to London -- cross the land border between Spain and Gibraltar every day.
In a statement, the four parties said the agreement would create a fluid border between Gibraltar and Spain, with no physical barriers or checks between the territory and the border town of La Linea.
People arriving by air or sea would undergo dual border checks at Gibraltar port and airport, to be carried out by Gibraltar and Spanish officials.
"Spanish officials will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Schengen Area," said a UK statement, which likened the arrangement to the system at London's St Pancras station, where French police carry out border checks for passengers bound for the EU.
"Immigration and law and order in Gibraltar will remain the exclusive responsibility of Gibraltar's authorities," stressed the statement from Britain's foreign office.
Sefcovic said the deal "reinforces a new chapter" in the EU-UK relationship, declaring himself "absolutely convinced" it would be ratified by the parties.
Both London and Madrid -- which have disputed control of tiny Gibraltar since it was ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht -- declared themselves satisfied with the agreement.