Key facts
- Spain has ratified a post-Brexit agreement with the EU and UK concerning Gibraltar.
- Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares emphasized that Spain's sovereignty claim over Gibraltar remains unchanged.
- The agreement is designed to boost cooperation and freedoms in the territory.
- The border fence, known as the Verja, will be demolished.
- The deal seeks to prevent distortions in taxation and environmental practices and improve connectivity.
Spain has officially ratified a new agreement with the European Union and the United Kingdom concerning the status of Gibraltar following Brexit. The deal, signed in Brussels, aims to foster greater cooperation and freedoms in the disputed territory.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that the agreement does not alter Spain's long-standing claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar. He emphasized that "Article 2 makes it very clear that Spain is not changing a single comma of its sovereignty claim, that we continue to assert sovereignty and that our position remains exactly the same." Albares described the impending demolition of the Verja, the border fence separating Gibraltar from Spain, as "the last frontier in continental Europe."
The agreement is intended to safeguard Spain's sovereignty position while simultaneously advancing cooperation and coexistence. Albares asserted that Spain has achieved all its negotiation objectives and that the treaty strengthens cooperation and improves economic and social opportunities on both sides of the border.
The deal, presented as a significant turning point after centuries of disputes, will facilitate freedom of movement for people and goods, prevent past distortions in areas like taxation and the environment, and provide new connectivity for the Campo de Gibraltar region. Albares expressed optimism that the agreement opens "a new era" and allows the Brexit chapter to be definitively closed.
Responding to domestic criticism from opposition parties, Albares argued that the agreement benefits the people of Campo de Gibraltar and that cooperation and coexistence are ultimately beneficial for Spain.