‘Historic milestone’: EU and UK strike political deal on Gibraltar

Published on 11/06/2025 – 17:11 GMT+2•Updated
17:16

The EU and the UK on Wednesday struck a political agreement to ensure the continued circulation of people and goods between Spain and Gibraltar without any physical barriers.

European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič called it a “truly historic milestone for the EU, including Spain, as well as for the UK and Gibraltar”.

He said it came after a “successful meeting” with Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo.

The UK and Spain have been trying to reach a deal for years to ensure that people and goods could cross freely over the British overseas territory’s land border with Spain. But one of the remaining sticking points was how the territory’s border would be controlled.

All sides were eager to find a deal before the EU’s new entry/exit system comes into force, which is now slated for October this year. Gibraltar, which is a British Overseas Territory, was ceded to the UK in 1713, but Spain has claimed the territory as its own.

This is a developing story.