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Committees

Negotiations with the European Union in respect of Gibraltar

Inquiry

On 9 June 2022, the European Scrutiny Committee launched an inquiry into the UK’s negotiations with the EU in respect of Gibraltar.

With the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, the EU Treaties ceased to apply to Gibraltar. The UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement does not cover Gibraltar and, since 1 January 2021, informal arrangements have prevented disruption in areas previously governed by EU law. A formal agreement is considered necessary by all involved in negotiations to ensure stable trade and border cooperation.

The UK Government is currently negotiating a treaty with the EU in respect of Gibraltar. The inquiry will look at the following and related issues:

the progress of UK/EU negotiations on a trade and border deal for Gibraltar;
the UK, EU, Spain and Gibraltar’s negotiating objectives and how these have developed since the start of formal negotiations;
the reasons for the delay to an agreement being reached and how this is affecting Gibraltarian businesses and citizens;
the unique circumstances and arrangements pertaining to Gibraltar, in particular, its border with Spain and the fact that it is not covered by the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement;
specific local factors that should be taken into account during negotiations (e.g. the importance of a fluid border for Gibraltar and Campo de Gibraltar, long-standing travel arrangements at the border for British nationals resident in Gibraltar, and Gibraltar’s position as a leading finance centre);
the text of any agreement (or agreements); and
if a negotiated outcome is unlikely in the short to medium term, the contingencies that will be put in place and the implications of these.

Inquiry activities will be announced in due course.