A before and after. A historic moment. The political agreement reached between Spain, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission on Gibraltar opens a new chapter in the relationship between the Rock and its surroundings after years of negotiations marked by Brexit. But beyond the political headlines, the immediate question is what will really happen with the Gibraltar border fence and the current border crossing system.
What was announced by the parties does not imply, at least not immediately, an automatic physical disappearance of the fence as it currently exists. What the agreement does pose is a profound change in the model of controls and circulation between Gibraltar and the European space.
The Spanish Government has presented the pact as a step to eliminate barriers in the daily transit of people and goods, while Brussels and London have framed the agreement within the new framework for Gibraltar after the British exit from the European Union.
End of current border controls
One of the main changes foreseen is the disappearance of the current border controls on the fence for the passage of people between Gibraltar and Spain. The objective of the agreement is to guarantee the free movement of people between Gibraltar and the Schengen area, avoiding the model of controls that has governed since Brexit.
This would directly affect thousands of cross-border workers who cross daily between Campo de Gibraltar and the Rock. The European Commission has explained that the new framework seeks to ensure legal stability and facilitate mobility in an area particularly sensitive due to its daily transit volume.
However, the disappearance of current controls at the fence does not mean a total absence of control. The agreement provides for the transfer of Schengen controls to the port and airport of Gibraltar, similar to other European external control models.
This implies that entry checks to the Schengen space would be carried out at those access points, not at the usual land crossing between Gibraltar and Spain. The Spanish Government has explained that this system aims to avoid interruptions in daily mobility without renouncing the control mechanisms required by the European framework. During the implementation phase, the system will have specific operational cooperation to guarantee the functioning of the new model.
What happens with goods and taxation
The agreement is not limited to the movement of people. It also provides for a new framework for goods and customs cooperation with the aim of avoiding economic distortions and facilitating exchanges between Gibraltar and the Spanish environment.
The parties have put forward a system of cooperation in fiscal, customs, and commercial matters within the new post-Brexit framework. This point is especially relevant due to the historical regulatory differences between Gibraltar and Spain and the economic impact that any change may have on the area.
What does not change: sovereignty
One of the elements that the agreement leaves out is the issue of sovereignty over Gibraltar. Both Spain and the United Kingdom maintain their historical positions and the pact does not alter that political debate.
The announced framework focuses on practical issues of mobility, cooperation, and border functioning after Brexit, not on the political status of the territory. This allows the agreement to advance on operational aspects without forcing a modification of the traditional diplomatic positions of both parties.