An agreement that would pave the way for Gibraltar’s Schengen Zone accession is close to being reached, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, has said.
Picardo said that Britain and Spain “will get there”, referring to the proposed agreement, which would allow the accession of Gibraltar to the Schengen Area, Schengen.News reports.
Depending on the final agreement, travellers from Britain to Gibraltar may be required to show their passports to Spanish or EU border guards at the airport.
His comments came a day after the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, told Sir Keir Starmer that his plan to tighten connections with the EU must also include an agreement on Gibraltar, according to a report from the BBC.
There are many, many things that we have to talk [about]Gibraltar included. So, I would like to see a global deal on everything to make sure that the relationship is as smooth as possible.
The Spanish Foreign Minister said that Spain is committed to reaching an agreement on Gibraltar, but not to renouncing its historical sovereignty claim over the Rock, according to a report from the Telegraph.
In addition, some sources also told the Telegraph that the talks that began in 2017, made good progress. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar said that he now sees the end of talks over Gibraltar.
Gibraltar’s Status Remains Unresolved
In 2020, an agreement made after Brexit between the United Kingdom, Spain, and the European Union permitted citizens of Gibraltar to remain part of the Schengen Zone, among other EU agreements.
However, no permanent solution in this regard has been found up to this point.
Albares told Newsnight that the issue continues to remain unresolved, stressing that no agreement has been reached up to this point.
At the same time, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Priti Patel, said that Gibraltar is British, adding that “we will remind the government exactly where the sovereignty of Gibraltar lies.
The Rock’s 2006 constitution notes that its sovereignty can’t be transferred to Spain, unless the people agree.
In a referendum of 2002, citizens of Gibraltar rejected the idea of sharing sovereignty with Spain.