The European Commission and the UK have signed a new EU–UK Agreement covering Gibraltar, which is set to start provisional application on 15 July 2026.
The deal follows more than four years of negotiations and adds to the legal framework governing EU–UK relations after Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, the Commission announced on Tuesday.
Gibraltar was not included in the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed in 2020 and in force since 2021.
The agreement includes measures affecting the movement of people between Spain and Gibraltar, with around 15,000 people crossing the border each day, EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič stated.
What happens next
The Council of the EU adopted a proposal on 1 July for the signing and provisional application of the agreement, and it has been sent to the European Parliament for consent under EU treaties, the Commission said.
Once Parliament gives its consent, the Council can adopt the decision to conclude the agreement.
A political agreement on key principles was reached in June 2025 between Šefčovič, Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares, UK foreign secretary David Lammy and Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
