EU and UK reach deal over Gibraltar border rules
The United Kingdom and the European Union have reached an agreement to ease the movement of people and goods between Gibraltar and Spain, ending years of uncertainty since Brexit. The deal was announced in a joint statement by the British government and the European Commission on Wednesday.
Negotiations on the rules governing the border between Spain and Gibraltar have been ongoing since the UK left the EU in 2020. Around 15,000 people cross to and from the British enclave every day, but often face passport control with long delays.
To resolve the issue, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy held talks with Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, together with British Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty. The trio then travelled to Brussels for talks with representatives of the EU and Spain.
A historic milestone
That has resulted in a deal, the EU and the UK announced on Wednesday. The agreement, which has yet to be ratified, should facilitate travel for UK and European citizens. It will remove "all physical barriers, checks and controls on persons and goods circulating between Spain and Gibraltar," the press release states.
Travellers arriving at Gibraltar airport, meanwhile, will have to go through passport controls by either Spanish or Gibraltar border officers, following a model similar to the joint border checks by French police at London’s St. Pancras station.
European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic hailed the deal as a "truly historic milestone for the EU, including Spain, as well as for the UK and Gibraltar". "This is about the removal of the last fence in Europe," he told the press.
PHOTO © JORGE GUERRERO / AFP
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