Davis to resume talks with call for ‘real progress’ on protecting citizens’ rights
Angus Howarth
Brexit Secretary David Davis will attempt to reassure EU negotiators over Britain’s plan to guarantee the future rights of European nationals living in the UK, amid scepticism in Brussels. Mr Davis returns to the Belgian capital today for the second round of talks with the European Commission’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
After what he said was a “good start” in the opening session last month. The mood has soured following a series of public spats.
It began with the publication of what Britain said was a “fair and serious” offer to guarantee the future rights of the 3.2 million EU citizens living in the UK and the 1.2 million British expats in the EU.
The proposal to grant EU nationals “settled status” – effectively indefinite leave to remain – was immediately dismissed by European Council president Donald Tusk as “below our expectations”, and risked worsening their situation.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson then fanned the flames when he said in the Commons that Brussels could “go whistle” if it expected the UK to pay a hefty “divorce bill” in respect of its outstanding financial obligations. Mr Barnier – who has made clear he is not prepared to start talks on a trade deal until there has been sufficient progress on the financial settlement – retorted icily he could not hear any whistling, “just the clock ticking”.
Ministers also faced criticism at home over their plans to withdraw from the EU nuclear regulator, Euratom, amid warnings the UK would find its access to radioactive isotopes – used in cancer treatments – restricted.
All three issues will be on the agenda this week, along with the thorny matter of the future border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Mr Davis made clear that his first priority would be resolving the issue of citizens’ rights, saying he we was determined to make “real progress”.
“Protecting the rights of all our citizens is the priority for me going into this round, and I’m clear that it’s something we must make real progress on.”