SK Sturm Graz vs Rangers FC Europa League kaartjes

Gibraltar at a glance

The tiny British overseas territory of Gibraltar, on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, has been the subject of a centuries-long tug-of-war between Spain and the U.K. It has a land area of just 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 square miles) and a population of around 34,000 people.

How did Britain get it?

An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Spain formally ceded the territory to Britain in perpetuity under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. However, it has since repeatedly sought to reclaim the territory.

What has been Spain’s stance?

Spanish dictator Francisco Franco closed the border in 1969. It was fully reopened only in 1985. Since then, the territory’s British sovereignty has been a regular source of diplomatic friction between the two countries.

In a 2002 referendum, 99% of Gibraltarians rejected a proposal for joint British-Spanish sovereignty.

What about Brexit?

Gibraltar, where 96% of the population voted to remain in the European Union in Britain’s 2016 referendum, left the bloc along with the U.K. on Jan. 31, 2020. A last-minute agreement on New Year’s Eve 2020 meant Gibraltar joined the EU's Schengen free-movement zone on a de facto basis to avoid a hard border with Spain, pending a permanent agreement. That temporary deal has remained in force since.

What is the basis of the current negotiation?

London and Brussels are negotiating a treaty to regulate the future of the enclave. The main sticking point is over who will manage the international airport which, as it belongs to the military, is a British sovereign base. Spain has refused to countenance British police and border guards operating in its territory. Madrid has proposed that Spanish officials conduct passport control for arrivals from the Schengen area and EU agency Frontex handles those from the U.K.

What is Gibraltar’s view?

Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the presence of Spanish officers in the territory “would clearly be a breach of sovereignty”. He insists that any agreement with the EU must be acceptable to Gibraltar and has suggested that instead of Frontex managing the border, Gibraltar could do so itself and get the EU agency to monitor its procedures.