The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
EU offer to give UK nationals citizenship
BREXIT: Top negotiator says move would Allow residents freedom of movement And voting rights
Plans to allow UK nationals to retain their EU citizenship after Brexit are to form part of the European Parliament’s negotiating position in upcoming talks.
The “associate citizenship” status would give those who adopt it the right of freedom of movement and residence throughout the EU as well as the right to vote for a representative in the European Parliament.
It would be made available to nationals of former member states of the EU who “feel and wish to be part of the European project”.
Guy Verhofstadt, European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, told a meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Committee in Brussels that he would ensure associate citizenship status was “on the table” for the withdrawal talks.
“Some things cannot wait until treaty change,” said Mr Verhofstadt.
“Therefore, the ability to keep European citizenship for those who risk losing it will be on the table of the upcoming Brexit negotiations and will be discussed at the moment of the Parliament’s resolution, right after the triggering of Article 50 in March.”
Meanwhile, Brexit Secretary David Davis is “not really interested” in seeking a transitional arrangement with the EU to ease the process of UK withdrawal, according to a leaked memo of a meeting with City financiers.
According to the document, obtained by the Financial Times, Mr Davis told representatives of the City of London Corporation (CLC) that he thought it “unlikely” Britain would stay in the European single market after Brexit, as the EU would be “inflexible” about the need to retain freedom of movement.
But he suggested Britain could secure a trade deal like the CETA agreement between the EU and Canada, which will remove most trade tariffs.
The memo said he was looking for a future trading relationship “somewhere in the middle of the models for Turkey, Switzerland and Norway”.
And he was quoted as saying that Britain’s opening approach to the EU would be to offer “open access on all services and goods without tariffs in the UK”.
A spokesman for Mr Davis’s Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) insisted that the document did not “properly reflect” his views or Government policy.
The Brexit Secretary was “looking at all options” to deliver a smooth and orderly exit from the EU, said the spokesman.
Business has been pushing for a transitional arrangement with the EU to prevent a sudden “cliff edge” change in regulations and tariffs on the day when the UK leaves – probably in 2019.
SNP Europe spokesman Stephen Gethins accused the UK Government of taking a “cavalier” approach to leaving the EU and showing “reckless disregard” for the impact on the country’s economy.
“The ability to keep European citizenship for those who risk losing it will be on the table of the upcoming negotiations. GUY VERHOFSTADT