An agreement was reached at a meeting this Wednesday in Brussels between the foreign ministers of Great Britain and Spain, David Lammy and José Manuel Albares, as well as Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
The parties hope that the agreement will bring benefits to everyone, legal certainty and peace to the people.
UNN reports with reference to the BBC.
Details
Great Britain and the EU have reached an agreement in the dispute over the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The signing of the agreement in Brussels was attended by the foreign ministers of Great Britain and Spain, David Lammy and José Manuel Albares, as well as European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo.
As explained, the agreement approves practical solutions to avoid burdensome controls and lengthy delays at the border, which would otherwise cost "hundreds of millions annually." In this sense, the head of British diplomacy explained that the agreement supports the economy of Gibraltar and also protects British sovereignty:
All parties agreed to a clause clarifying that the final treaty does not affect British sovereignty over the territory
Lammy emphasized that the agreement resolves the "last major Brexit issue"; in this sense, it is indicated that the control over the movement of goods and people between Spain and Gibraltar will be at a completely different level.
Also, according to the agreement, British military facilities in Gibraltar will have full operational autonomy. It should be noted that the territory's airport is managed by the British Ministry of Defense and contains a base of the British Air Force.
Separately, we note that the current agreement still needs ratification.
How the new agreement on Gibraltar was commented on in Spain and the EU
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a "final political agreement" that establishes the basis for "fundamental aspects of the future Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom regarding Gibraltar."
The new solution "benefits everyone and will bring legal certainty and peace to people and businesses in the region," emphasized EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in a press release.
Reference
Gibraltar is a small British overseas territory located on the southern edge of the Iberian Peninsula, in the area of the strait connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.
Almost 15,000 people, mostly Spaniards, cross the border every day to work in this British territory with a population of about 34,000 people.
Spain has traditionally claimed this territory for over 300 years. Gibraltar, with its famous "Rock of Gibraltar", passed to Great Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The English fleet conquered this territory in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Great Britain left the European Union in 2020, leaving relations between Gibraltar – a historically important British military base – and the European bloc unresolved.
At the end of 2020, Madrid and London reached a last-minute framework agreement to preserve the freedom of movement of people and goods across the border between Spain and Gibraltar.
Progress towards signing a final agreement has been slow.
Let us remind you
The European Union has added Monaco to the list of countries it considers to be at high risk of money laundering. The European Commission excluded Gibraltar from this list. Russia was again bypassed in the updated list.