EU, Britain sign Gibraltar agreement to ease border checks between Spain, Gibraltar

The European Union(EU) and Britain on Tuesday formally signed an agreement in respect of Gibraltar in Brussels, removing routine checks at the land border between Gibraltar and Spain, reported Xinhua.

The agreement was signed by European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and British Minister of State for Europe Stephen Doughty, in the presence of Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno.

Under the agreement, the movement of goods and workers between Gibraltar and Spain will be significantly facilitated, boosting economic links between Gibraltar and the EU.

The European Commission said in a statement that the main objective of this agreement is to secure the future prosperity of the whole region. "It will promote shared prosperity and closer and more constructive relations between the Gibraltar and Spanish authorities, while fully safeguarding Schengen, the EU's Single Market and its Customs Union."

According to a statement released by the British government on Tuesday, the historic agreement will remove barriers for more than 15,000 commuters "who cross the land border between Spain and Gibraltar every day".

The issue has been under discussion between the EU and Britain since Britain left the EU in 2020. Negotiations concluded in June 2025 with a broad agreement involving the four parties: the EU, Britain, Spain and Gibraltar.

Under the procedure, the agreement will be submitted to the European Parliament for consent this winter, while the Council of the EU has authorized its provisional application from July 15, 2026.