On December 31 st after months of negotiations, Spain and the United Kingdom closed a principle of reference framework that defines the limits and the basic issues to be dealt with in the next agreement that regulates the relationship between Gibraltar, the European Union and the Schengen area.

Although the first thing that was announced in the text of the agreement was that this frame of reference has been prepared without prejudice to the conflict of sovereignty and jurisdiction of the territory of Gibraltar. The truth is that its publication has raised multiple questions, reproaches and different points of view between the politicians of Gibraltar and Spain.

This is the fact that the territory enters the Schengen Area supposes, firstly, the removal of the frontier and then that Spain, as a member entirely within the Schengen and bordering the Rock, is responsible for the application of the most relevant parts related to the control of the mobility of goods and people. Something that for some is understood as a disguised transfer of sovereignty.

Next, in this document we collect the main points to highlight of this principle of agreement and analyse the positions taken by the governments of Gibraltar and Spain and their possible consequences.

Here are two versions of the document for your reading: the first, written in English; and the second, prepared in Spanish.