Britain and the European Union have formally signed a long-awaited treaty defining Gibraltar's post-Brexit relationship with the bloc, marking a significant step towards reducing border delays
and providing legal certainty for the British overseas territory.
The agreement was signed in Brussels on Tuesday by European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, UK Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno and Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
The treaty follows a political agreement reached last year after years of negotiations over Gibraltar's status following the UK's departure from the European Union. It is designed to preserve the free movement of people across the Gibraltar-Spain border while strengthening cooperation between the UK, Spain and the EU.
Under the new arrangements, Gibraltar residents will be able to enter neighbouring Spain using their residence cards without having their passports stamped. Spanish citizens travelling into Gibraltar will continue to use their national identity cards.
Passengers arriving at Gibraltar Airport will undergo checks by both Gibraltar and Spanish border officials. The UK government has said the system is intended to mirror the model used at London's St Pancras International station, where French border police carry out immigration checks before passengers board Eurostar trains.
The treaty is expected to benefit the thousands of people who cross the Gibraltar-Spain frontier each day for work and business, helping to avoid the disruption many had feared after Brexit.
Gibraltar has been under British sovereignty since the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Spain continues to claim sovereignty over the territory, but Gibraltar's residents have repeatedly voted to remain under British rule. The new agreement does not alter the territory's sovereignty, instead focusing on practical arrangements governing its border and relationship with the European Union. Photo by Bengt Nyman, Wikimedia commons.
