UK and EU sign new Gibraltar treaty to ease border delays with Spain
A new agreement governing the future of Gibraltar has been officially signed by the United Kingdom and the European Union. This agreement aims to ease border crossing complexities and resolve long-standing uncertainty regarding relations with Spain.
The deal is designed to eliminate extensive delays and burdensome checks for the approximately 15,000 people who cross the border every day.
The Foreign Office said the agreement also ensured “the protection of British sovereignty” and protected vital military operations.
Minister of Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty, Prime Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo, EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares attended the signing ceremony in Brussels.
Gibraltar was ceded to the United Kingdom by Spain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and its population has consistently expressed a strong desire to remain a British overseas territory.
In a 2002 referendum on joint sovereignty with Spain, 99 percent of Gibraltarians rejected the proposal. The strategically important cape also hosts an RAF airfield and a naval facility.
The territory was excluded from the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement following Brexit, a decision that Gibraltarians overwhelmingly opposed. Negotiations over border arrangements have been ongoing for years since Britain left the trading bloc and have culminated in this new agreement.
Mr Doughty said: “Our support for Gibraltar is as solid as the Rock. This agreement opens a new chapter with the EU and Spain, supporting jobs, growth and prosperity on both sides of the border.”
Mr Sefcovic praised the “truly historic moment” following the signing of the agreement, saying it was the result of four years of “patient, complex negotiations”.
“It’s a very special feeling to see a fence come down,” he said.
Independent It was previously reported that British visitors would face two sets of checks when they arrive at Gibraltar airport. The current inspection by the Gibraltar Border and Coast Guard will be followed by tighter Spanish border control.
Travelers to the UK will need to undergo full entry-exit system (EES) registration. At the first crossing of the Schengen area border, they are required to register both fingerprints and facial biometrics. In subsequent passes, only one, usually the face, should be recorded. The EES process must be repeated at exit.
The agreement will enter into provisional force on Wednesday.
