The Commission and the United Kingdom sign the EU–UK Agreement on Gibraltar

The European Commission and the United Kingdom have signed on July 14th the EU–UK Agreement on Gibraltar.

This Agreement, which will enter into force provisionally on 15 July 2026, is the result of more than four years of negotiations and completes the legal framework for relations between the EU and the UK following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Gibraltar is not covered by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in 2020 and has been in force since 2021.

The main objective of this Agreement is to ensure the future prosperity of the entire region. It will provide confidence and legal certainty for the lives and well-being of people across the region.

It will promote shared prosperity and closer, more constructive relations between Gibraltar and the Spanish authorities, whilst fully safeguarding the Schengen area, the EU’s single market and its customs union.

 

Next steps

Following the Council’s adoption on 1 July of the proposal for the signing and provisional application of the EU–UK Agreement, the Agreement was submitted to the European Parliament for approval, in accordance with the EU Treaties.

Once Parliament’s approval has been obtained, the Council may proceed to adopt its decision on the conclusion of the Agreement.

 

Background

Following a political agreement on the key principles of the Agreement between the EU and the UK in June 2025 between Commissioner MarošŠefčovičand the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, together with the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lammy, and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Picardo, the Commission adopted its proposals on the signing, provisional application and conclusion of the Agreement between the EU and the UK regarding Gibraltar in February this year.