The European Union and the United Kingdom have signed a landmark agreement aimed at shaping Gibraltar’s future relationship with the bloc after Brexit.
The deal, which will begin provisional application on 15 July 2026, follows more than four years of negotiations and completes the legal framework governing EU-UK relations after Britain’s departure from the European Union.
Gibraltar was not covered by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed in 2020, which came into force the following year, leaving its future arrangements to be negotiated separately.
European officials said the new agreement was designed to provide greater certainty for people and businesses across Gibraltar and the surrounding region, while supporting economic growth and closer cooperation between Gibraltar and Spain.
The agreement aims to protect the free movement arrangements linked to the Schengen area, while ensuring the continued integrity of the EU’s single market and customs union.
EU officials said the deal would create a more stable environment for residents, strengthen ties between Gibraltar and Spanish authorities, and promote shared prosperity in the region.
Final approval process underway
The agreement was formally submitted for approval after EU member states backed the proposal for signing and provisional application on 1 July.
The European Parliament must now give its consent before the Council of the EU can formally approve the agreement’s conclusion.
The deal follows a political agreement on key principles reached in June 2025 between EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, former UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
The European Commission later presented proposals on signing, provisional implementation and final approval of the Gibraltar agreement in February 2026.
The agreement is expected to mark a significant step in resolving one of the remaining issues from the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, while establishing a new framework for cooperation around Gibraltar. Photo by Bengt Nyman, Wikimedia commons.