Dear Members, As we look ahead to 2026, we wanted to take a moment to speak to you directly about what lies ahead, what we know so far, and how the GFSB is supporting you through what will be an important year of change. Like many of you, we are hopeful that 2026 will finally bring publication and implementation of the Brexit treaty. That remains the single biggest milestone on the horizon. Not because it removes all uncertainty, but because it replaces limbo with a framework we can work within.

Tourism policy is entering a decisive phase, with big ambitions set against some unresolved practical questions. In an interview with the Gibraltar Chronicle, Tourism Minister the Hon. Christian Santos outlined plans centred on access, infrastructure and events. For businesses, the key issue is not intent, but whether these plans will translate into sustained demand on the ground.

Main Street traders have reported a broadly positive festive trading period, with strong local support, resilient spending patterns and a vibrant town centre atmosphere despite challenging weather conditions and wider economic uncertainty. Several retailers noted that Christmas shopping began earlier than usual, with steady demand from local customers from late November.

The UK, EU, Gibraltar and Spain have completed work on the legal text of the long-awaited UK–EU treaty covering Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relationship. The news that work on the legal text of the UK–EU treaty on Gibraltar has been completed did not come from No.6 Convent Place, but from the Gibraltar Chronicle via Brussels. That aside, it is a major milestone, but it is by no means the end of the process. Several formal stages still lie ahead before the treaty can take effect.

Our Thrive EDIT newsletter is reaching a growing community of subscribers and this year alone we’ve shared 50 editions and hundreds of news updates that matter to GFSB members. From a transformed HQ to big policy updates, new partnerships and long-awaited Treaty-related announcements, here are some of the our GFSB and Thrive EDIT highlights from the last 12 months.

It’s mid-December. And right now, many of us are simply tired. Not the kind of tired that a good night’s sleep fixes. The kind that’s been accumulating since September, layered with year-end pressures, unfinished priorities, and the relentless pace that never quite lets up before the holidays. The question isn’t whether you’re tired. The question is what you do with the awareness that you are.

The Gibraltar Government has announced the first phase of new rules for Personal Light Electric Transporters (PLETs), including e-scooters. The message is clear. Gibraltar will regulate, not ban, their use. Anyone who rides an e-scooter in Gibraltar, including people who commute daily from Spain, will need to comply.

The GFSB is a member of CEA-PME, Europe’s largest SME confederation, giving us direct insight into EU policy shifts that influence business environments across the continent. The latest CEA-PME newsletter shares updates on digital regulation, AML, workforce skills and economic security. For Gibraltar firms trading with or servicing EU markets, these developments are useful signposts for what may be coming next. Full newsletter.

The Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses (GFSB) has published a Brexit AI Q+A which we hope acts as an information centre that can answer members questions relating to Gibraltar’s Brexit Agreement. The Brexit AI FAQ can be accessed at brexit.gfsb.gi

The shock announcement of a 40 percent UK gaming duty has sent a jolt through one of Gibraltar’s most important industries, with global operators, markets and ministers scrambling to assess the fallout. What happens next matters for all of us, because gaming is not just another sector on the Rock, it is a major driver of jobs, tax revenues and economic confidence, and the effects of this decision are being felt far beyond our shores.