Relationship dossier
Spain
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation alongside a persistent dispute over Gibraltar
Spain toward United Kingdom
+20Spain has participated in bilateral arrangements with the United Kingdom on reciprocal healthcare and cooperation concerning Gibraltar, including provisions for practical cross-border issues. Spain continues to claim sovereignty over Gibraltar, which remains a significant point of disagreement.
United Kingdom toward Spain
+20The United Kingdom has participated in bilateral arrangements with Spain on reciprocal healthcare and cooperation concerning Gibraltar. It maintains sovereignty over Gibraltar, opposing Spain’s claim, while engaging in negotiations over practical post-Brexit arrangements affecting the territory.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship combines practical bilateral cooperation, including healthcare arrangements and efforts to manage issues around Gibraltar, with a durable sovereignty dispute over that territory. The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union also changed the framework for cooperation between the two governments.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Spain and the United Kingdom have cooperated on practical matters, including reciprocal healthcare and arrangements related to Gibraltar. Their relationship is also shaped by Spain’s sovereignty claim over Gibraltar and the changes to bilateral and European cooperation following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Areas of tension
- Spain’s sovereignty claim over Gibraltar conflicts with the United Kingdom’s continued sovereignty.
- The terms of post-Brexit arrangements concerning Gibraltar have been subject to negotiation.
Key developments
Spain and the United Kingdom agreed on reciprocal healthcare arrangements in connection with the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.
The United Kingdom and Spain agreed a framework for negotiations on Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union, including practical cooperation and citizens’ rights.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of current bilateral cooperation on healthcare and security are unclear.
- The final terms and implementation of post-Brexit arrangements concerning Gibraltar remain uncertain.