LONDON — Britain and the EU have agreed a fresh Brexit deal that will see Gibraltar open its borders with Spain, abolish passport controls with the EU, and join the EU customs union.
The British Overseas Territory will effectively join the EU’s Schengen passport-free area for the first time — meaning smoother crossings for the 15,000 people who commute across its borders daily.
Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič described the agreement as a “truly historic milestone” that would remove “all physical barriers, checks and controls on people and goods” crossing the border while bringing legal certainty.
Gibraltar’s government has sought such a deal for years — complaining that border crossings have become more onerous since Brexit, to the detriment of people living and working in the territory.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the agreement meant that “the last wall on continental Europe” would disappear and free movement of people would reign.
The shape of the deal
To protect the integrity of the Schengen area, EU border controls will operate alongside British controls at the Rock’s airport — in a setup similar to the “juxtaposed controls” operating at London St Pancras Eurostar station.
The territory has also made some concessions on taxation — notably on its very low tobacco levies. Albares said the “tax convergence process” would “ensure everyone is treated fairly.”
While the deal includes a specific clause stating that it has no impact on the territory’s British sovereignty, it is unlikely to be welcomed by Euroskeptics back in the U.K. — for some of whom the territory is an emotive subject.
Asked whether EU border guards would be able to stop British nationals from entering the British Overseas Territory, the Spanish foreign minister said: “Of course the European agent — that in this case is the Spanish police — will guarantee the full integrity of the Schengen area.”
In a written statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the situation his party inherited from the last government — which was in the process of negotiating a similar agreement — had put “Gibraltar’s economy and way of life under threat.” He said the deal would deliver “a practical solution after years of uncertainty.”
Meanwhile, Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s chief minister, said he was “delighted” with the agreement in principle.
“I have worked hand in glove with the U.K. government throughout this negotiation to deliver the deal Gibraltar wants and needs — one that will protect future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way affect our British sovereignty.”
Both sides will now get to work turning the political agreement in principle into a legal text. Asked whether he believed the deal would be ratified, Šefčovič said he was “absolutely convinced.”
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