HMGoG Celebrates Unanimous Treaty Approval by EU Member States and Welcomes Certainty on Implementation Date for 15th of July - 234/2026

The Government welcomes the announcement by the European Council, after the COREPER report, that it has agreed the text of the UK EU agreement in relation to Gibraltar, its signature and its provisional application.

The EU has now confirmed it will be ready for provisional application by 15th July.

This is also very welcome.

The new date gives both certainty and breathing space.

It gives certainty of the date by which the new procedures will come into effect.

It also gives businesses in Gibraltar, that have to adapt to new Customs procedures, to have more time to adapt and perfect the new arrangements.

Additionally, the Government has been assured that the new European Entry/Exit System, which comes into effect on 10th April, will NOT apply to any Gibraltar residents, whatever colour of Civilian Registration Card they may have.

The Government of Gibraltar has ensured that all matters, legal and physical, have been ready in time for the 10th April so it could never be said we were delaying provisional application. We now have the certainty of when the EU will be ready and the time to give our citizens and traders greater opportunity to settle into the new arrangements.

HM GoG celebrates the full and unanimous approval of these arrangements by all 27 European Union Member States, which represents a decisive and important step forward in the process. This collective endorsement provides added certainty and authority to the agreed framework, and reflects a shared commitment across the European Union to bringing these new arrangements into effect in a lasting and orderly way.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said: "Today's confirmation is welcome because it gives Gibraltar something that people and businesses have desired: both the key elements of certainty and time.

"I understand the disquiet caused in recent weeks has not been from the content of the treaty but by the absence of sufficiently clear timelines and the shortness of the timelines we had therefore been forced to work to.

"For this reason, the Government has been forced to work to ensure that Gibraltar would be ready, legally, physically and operationally, for the 10 April EES deadline.

"Throughout that period, we shared information at every stage as soon as it was properly possible to do so.

"This additional time will also now help businesses to refine the new customs arrangements and give the public greater reassurance as we move towards implementation.

"Throughout, the Government has sought to be as forthcoming as possible with all stakeholders, providing information earlier and in greater detail than any other party to the agreement.

"I am very happy that we have now got unanimous support for the treaty from the EU 27.

"I am also very happy we can give our traders the additional time they wanted and our people the certainty they sought.

"Coupled with guarantees about EES exemption for Gibraltar residents at the Gibraltar frontier with Spain, this is a very, very positive development."