The European Commission has formally adopted proposals paving the way for the signing, provisional application, and final conclusion of a new
agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom covering Gibraltar.
The proposed EU–UK agreement is designed to complete the post-Brexit legal framework governing relations between Brussels and London. Gibraltar was excluded from the scope of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in 2020 and entered into force in 2021, leaving its future arrangements unresolved until now.
Removing barriers, safeguarding EU rules
At the heart of the agreement is a clear objective: to secure long-term prosperity for the entire Gibraltar region. This would be achieved by removing physical barriers to the movement of people and goods between Spain and Gibraltar, while fully protecting the integrity of the Schengen area, the EU Single Market, and the EU Customs Union.
EU officials say the deal strikes a careful balance between facilitating cross-border life and maintaining the bloc’s legal and security standards—an issue of particular sensitivity since Brexit.
What happens next
The Commission’s proposals will now be sent to the Council, which will begin the formal procedures required for the agreement’s signature and conclusion. The European Parliament must also give its consent, as required under EU treaties, before the deal can enter into force.
Political groundwork laid in 2025
The agreement follows a political understanding reached in June 2025 between EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. Negotiators finalised the legal text in December.
According to the Commission, the agreement will provide long-awaited legal certainty and stability for residents on both sides of the border. By encouraging cooperation between Gibraltar and Spanish authorities, Brussels believes the deal will strengthen trust, improve daily life for citizens, and support shared economic growth across the region. Photo by Steve, Wikimedia commons.