Post-Brexit: EU and UK seal agreement on Gibraltar
On 11 June, London and Brussels concluded an agreement on the free movement of goods and persons between the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar and Spain. It was one of the last points of friction since Brexit, but the long-awaited agreement still needs to be ratified.
After years of negotiations, the European Union and the United Kingdom reached an agreement on Gibraltar on Wednesday, 11 June 2025. Following the compromise reached in March 2023 on Northern Ireland (cf. Northern Irish Protocol: London and Brussels bury the axe of war), Gibraltar remained the last British overseas territory not benefiting from a clear agreement with the European Union after Brexit. A provisional framework agreement between London and Madrid had been established in extremis at the end of 2020 to guarantee the free movement of goods and persons between Spain and Gibraltar, but no definitive pact had been sealed.
On 11 June, European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, British Foreign Minister David Lammy and Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo met in Brussels to define the terms of this meeting. new agreement. The aim is to remove all physical barriers, checks and checks on persons and goods travelling between Spain and Gibraltar, while preserving the Schengen area, the EU single market and the customs union. This should simplify the daily lives of many people, almost 15,000 workers, mostly Spanish, crossing the border every day to reach the « Rock ».
On the goods, the parties agreed on the principles of future customs union between the EU and Gibraltarproviding for close cooperation between the respective customs authorities and the abolition of controls on goods, as well as on indirect taxes to be applied in Gibraltar, in particular on tobacco, in order to avoid distortions and contribute to the prosperity of the entire region.
Remember that this British-Spanish border is one of the smallest in the world since it is only 1.2 km long. Located at the end of the Iberian peninsula, Gibraltar, has always aroused the lusts, because of its access to the Mediterranean Sea and the strait that bears its name. Owned for a time by the Moors and then passed under Hispanic flag, this 6.8 km2 promontory was ceded in 1713 to the British crown by Spain, which has never ceased since claiming its sovereignty.
Next steps for this historic new agreement: the drafting of the treaty by the legal teams, probably by autumn, then by Parliaments United Kingdom and European. This should not happen until 2026. However, the timetable remains likely to evolve according to the different parliamentary rhythms.