Ministry for Transport represents Gibraltar at Connecting Europe Days 2026

Officials from the Ministry for Transport attended Connecting Europe Days 2026 in Brussels on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Prof John Cortes. The event, the European Commission's flagship mobility conference, took place from 28 September to 1 October, and attended by Stewart Harrison and Elizabeth Baw from the Ministry. It typically attracts more than 3,000 participants from across Europe and beyond, including ministers, policymakers, industry and transport stakeholders.

This was the first time Gibraltar has taken part since the UK–EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar began to apply provisionally on 15 July 2026. With the physical barriers at the land frontier removed and free circulation of people with the surrounding region, Gibraltar's transport planning is now closely linked to the wider European network. Attendance formed part of the Government's work to build relationships with European partners and prepare Gibraltar's transport network for the new reality the Treaty brings.

Transport and tourism

The team attended a session on integrating transport into the EU's first Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Discussion centred on efficient local transport, smart mobility and seamless first- and last mile connections, and how good connectivity can spread visitor flows beyond the busiest sites. This is directly relevant to Gibraltar, where cruise, coach and cross-frontier day visitors place concentrated demand on a small network.

Autonomous vehicles

A session on enabling autonomous vehicles in Europe showcased work under the EU's 2025 Automotive Action Plan to combine testbeds with regulatory frameworks, bringing together city leaders, the European Commission, type-approval authorities and industry. The Government will keep this area under review as it considers how new technologies could support public transport and future park-and-ride links.

Cycling and urban mobility

The team attended a session presenting the findings of the EU's Cycling Counts study, examining how better data on cycling safety, usage and bike-sharing can guide investment and improve multimodal hubs. With more people now moving freely across the frontier, reliable data will be key to encouraging sustainable travel and planning well-connected interchanges.

Ports and airports

The final session showcased five major EU Green Deal projects at Brussels, Paris and Schiphol airports and the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, setting out how greening and digitalisation are strengthening competitiveness, alongside future funding and innovation. As Gibraltar's port and airport take on their new role as points of entry under the Treaty, these lessons are highly relevant.