Explained: The UK-Spain pact that saves Gibraltar from a tough Brexit

Hours earlier than the Brexit transition interval ended on New Year’s Eve, Spain introduced it had struck a take care of the UK to take care of free motion to and from Gibraltar – a small portion of land on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula that Britain controls however Spain claims as its personal.

Officially remaining a British Overseas Territory, Gibraltar will now be a part of the Schengen zone and comply with EU guidelines, thus making certain {that a} arduous border doesn’t separate it from the remainder of Europe.

I wholeheartedly welcome at this time’s political settlement between the UK and Spain on Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU. The UK has at all times been, and can stay, completely dedicated to the safety of the pursuits of Gibraltar and its British sovereignty ????

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 31, 2020

The standing of Gibraltar

Gibraltar, with an space of simply 6.8 sq km and a inhabitants of round 34,000 individuals, has been the topic of intense dispute between Spain and Britain for hundreds of years.

This is principally due to its strategic location. The territory, which is related to Spain by a small strip of land and surrounded by sea on three sides, serves as the one opening from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea, making it a key location on the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia by way of the Suez Canal.

Gibraltar fell into British palms after a battle in 1713, and has since remained with Britain regardless of a number of makes an attempt by Spain to retake it.

Due to its strategic significance, Gibraltar got here to be extremely fortified by Britain because the 18th century, thus incomes its generally recognized identify– “the Rock”. Even throughout World War II, Gibraltar’s port was critically vital for the Allies, and it continues to be a key base for NATO.

When Britain joined the EU in 1973, Gibraltar was a “crown colony”, however was reclassified as a British Overseas Territory in 2002. In two referendums, one in 1967 and the opposite in 2002, Gibraltarians overwhelmingly voted to stay a British territory.

Currently, the territory is self-governing in all features, apart from defence and overseas coverage, that are managed by London, and Gibraltarians have British citizenship.

The Spain-UK post-Brexit deal

The results of the 2016 Brexit referendum gave rise to the potential for a tough border developing between Gibraltar and the remainder of Europe, regardless of 96 per cent of the vote in Gibraltar being in favour of remaining within the EU.

Gibraltarians primarily voted ‘Remain’ as a result of the territory’s financial system is dependent upon an open border with Spain, which sends over 15,000 staff and 200 vans there every day.

However, free motion will now proceed because of the Spain-UK deal, as Gibraltar is being positioned within the Schengen space, with Spain performing as a guarantor. The Schengen passport-free zone consists of 22 international locations from the EU, and 4 others –Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The UK has by no means been part of this zone.

According to a BBC report, the EU will now place Frontex border guards for the subsequent 4 years to make sure free motion to and from Gibraltar, and the territory’s port and airport would grow to be the exterior borders of the Schengen space.

“With this, the fence is removed, Schengen is applied to Gibraltar… it allows for the lifting of controls between Gibraltar and Spain,” Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya mentioned.

González Laya additionally mentioned that the deal would imply the EU’s honest competitors guidelines in areas such because the labour market and the setting would proceed to use to Gibraltar.

Although the deal covers free motion, it doesn’t deal with the sovereignty dispute between Spain and the UK. Britain has referred to as the deal a “political framework” for a separate treaty that it desires to signal with the EU regarding Gibraltar.