The foreign secretary has visited Gibraltar for talks ahead of a potential post-Brexit deal for the territory.
David Lammy and Europe Minister Stephen Doughty met Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo and his cabinet on Wednesday, and the three are now heading to Brussels for discussions with EU and Spanish ministers.
Talks on rules governing the border of Spain and Gibraltar have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020, but an agreement has not yet been reached.
A Foreign Office source said that a deal was not yet finalised and that a number of sticking points remained.
Writing on X, Picardo said it was “time to try to finalise arrangements for lasting, stable relationship between Gibraltar and the EU/Spain which is safe, secure and beneficial”.
Announcing the new UK-EU deal last month, Sir Keir Starmer and EU Council President António Costa said that the two were “not very far” from concluding a separate deal on Gibraltar.
Gibraltar, which is a British Overseas Territory, is a 2.6 square mile headland to the south of Spain.
The UK has had sovereignty over Gibraltar since 1713, although this is disputed by Spain, who claim the territory as their own.
The territory’s status and that of its border with Spain has been a key sticking point and has remained unresolved since Brexit.
An estimated 15,000 people cross the Gibraltar-Spain border every day for work and leisure.
Currently, Gibraltar residents can cross using residence cards without needing to have their passports stamped. Spanish citizens can cross using a government ID card.
But there were concerns this would end with the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit system later this year, causing huge delays at the border.
Last month’s deal UK-EU deal included confirmation there will be no legal barriers to UK citizens using e-gates, which should mean there won’t be a return to passport stamping.
But a separate Gibraltar deal could reportedly make the territory an associate member of the Schengen zone, allowing people to cross freely and see physical border infrastructure removed.
Both the current Labour and previous Conservative governments have said they will not agree a deal with the EU without the agreement of Gibraltar.
Sticking points in negotiations have reportedly included the role of Spanish officials operating Schengen checks at Gibraltar airport – which is run by the Ministry of Defence and also hosts an RAF airbase – and the territory’s port.
Both sides have indicated a deal is close for over a year now without it yet getting over the line.
Public opinion in Gibraltar, which has a population of 32,000 according to its government, is in favour of keeping British sovereignty. The most recent referendum, held in 2002, saw almost 99% of voters reject a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain.
