Gibraltar, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Routine border checks at the Spain-Gibraltar land crossing were lifted on Wednesday, in line with new border arrangements under the post-Brexit agreement between the European Union and Britain.
The agreement, signed in Brussels on Tuesday, began provisional application on Wednesday and remains subject to the consent of the European Parliament and the completion of ratification procedures by both sides.
Hundreds of residents from Gibraltar and the neighbouring Spanish city of La Linea de la Concepcion gathered near the crossing before midnight, Xinhua news agency reported.
Shortly after midnight, Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" - the anthem of the European Union - was played near the frontier, where the vehicle checkpoint had been removed. The doors of the pedestrian border-control office on the Gibraltar side stood open, and pedestrians, cars and motorcycles began crossing without routine passport or identity checks.
Under the agreement, the movement of goods and workers between Gibraltar and Spain will be significantly facilitated, boosting economic links between Gibraltar and the EU.
The European Commission said in a statement that the main objective of this agreement is to secure the future prosperity of the whole region. "It will promote shared prosperity and closer and more constructive relations between the Gibraltar and Spanish authorities, while fully safeguarding Schengen, the EU's Single Market and its Customs Union."
According to a statement released by the British government on Tuesday, the historic agreement will remove barriers for more than 15,000 commuters "who cross the land border between Spain and Gibraltar every day".
The issue has been under discussion between the EU and Britain since Britain left the EU in 2020. Negotiations concluded in June 2025 with a broad agreement involving the four parties: the EU, Britain, Spain and Gibraltar.
Under the procedure, the agreement will be submitted to the European Parliament for consent this winter, while the Council of the EU has authorized its provisional application from July 15, 2026.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo described the agreement as "the beginning of a new era," saying it would provide greater certainty for Gibraltar's economy.
Source: IANS
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