[Jack_]

European Parliament considers plan to let individual Brits opt-in to keep their EU citizenship

The European Parliament is to consider a plan that would allow British citizens to opt-in and keep their European Union citizenship – and its associated benefits – once the UK leaves the EU.

The proposal, which has been put before a parliamentary committee as an amendment, would grant the citizens of former member states the voluntary right to retain “associate citizenship” of the EU, such as after Brexit.

Associate citizens would be allowed to keep free movement across the EU as full citizens currently enjoy and would be allowed to vote in European Parliament elections, meaning they were still represented in Brussels.

The proposal could potentially give Brits who live and work across borders a workaround to the disruption caused by the Leave vote – and young people looking to flee an increasingly insular UK greater choice over where to move to.

Amendment 882 was proposed by Charles Goerens, a liberal MEP from Luxembourg. It will be considered by the European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee, which is drawing up a report with recommendations on “Possible evolutions of and adjustments to the current institutional set-up of the European Union”.

Brexit campaigners in Britain reacted with anger to the idea, arguing that it would discriminate against Leave voters and that it was “an outrage”.

The amendment suggests the provision of “European associate citizenship for those who feel and wish to be part of the European project but are nationals of a former Member State; offers these associate citizens the rights of freedom of movement and to reside on its territory as well as being represented in the Parliament through a vote in the European elections on the European lists”.

Though the British Government has been coy on what it wants Britain’s post-Brexit future to look like, it is likely that British citizens will lose the automatic right to live and work in the EU after Brexit.

This is because Prime Minister Theresa May has made clear that she would like to restrict freedom of movement from EU countries to the UK, a policy that would likely be reciprocated by the EU for British citizens.

Jayne Adye, director of the Get Britain Out campaign described the proposal as divisive and said it was “totally unacceptable” for British people to retain the advantages of EU membership.

“This is an outrage. The EU is now attempting to divide the great British public at the exact moment we need unity. 17.4 million people voted to Leave the EU on 23 June and as a result the UK as a whole will get Brexit,” she said.

“Brexit means laws which impact the people of the UK will be created by accountable politicians in Westminster. It is totally unacceptable for certain citizens in the UK to subject themselves to laws which are created by politicians who are not accountable the British people as a whole. Discriminating against people based on their political views shows there are no depths the EU will not sink to.”

Britain voted to leave the EU at a referendum in June but has not yet begun the negotiation process. The Government is currently embroiled in a legal battle over whether it can trigger negotiations using Royal Prerogative, without consulting Parliament.

The Independent

This won't see the light of day of course but what a lovely idea in amongst a shower of divisive ****

[Northern Monkey]

Well it's ridiculous but i'm not against it.It wouldn't affect this country.If these stubborn remainers tried to complain to the ECJ about anything then our government could still just tell them to piss off
Plus these people would still have to abide by UK laws if they wanted to still live here.
It's kind of amusing really.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Jack_

The Independent

This won't see the light of day of course but what a lovely idea in amongst a shower of divisive ****

...hmmmm, I'm just not sure about this as an idea or possibility at all Jack...obviously the whole EU referendum has 'divided' anyway in how split the vote was and this to me would feel like a widening of a divide..(potentially..)...rather than working toward a heal in the divide...although I haven't agree personally with a Brexit win, I've always felt that what's needed to go forward and make it work is a unite and this feels like a furthest thing from that to me..?...because if Brexit doesn't work/has been wrong, then it's been wrong for all of us../Brexiters/Remainers and all and we shouldn't be looking so much at 'individual' with that...we all have a common goal, you know...

[Benjamin]

It'll never happen. Just do what I did, leave the ever sinking island.

[Livia]

Or you could just suck it up, understand that the decision was reached by a democratic election and stop whining!

[reece(:]

Here for this, people should be allowed freedom to their choice. I don't want to be brought along by the majority that I am solidly against. And it's not moaning it's called having a viewpoint and sticking by it.

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Livia

Or you could just suck it up, understand that the decision was reached by a democratic election and stop whining!

Who's whining? If you paid any attention to my posts of late you'd see I've said we need to focus on getting the best out of the negotiations, not overturning the vote maybe try reading properly? And again, I do have to laugh at the hypocrisy of demanding that people respect democracy whilst simultaneously chastising others for expressing their disagreement with the result, or suggesting ways in which divisions can be healed. But hey, if resentment and a divided country is your ~thing~ then I guess silencing others is what you're after

[Jack_]

Also failing to see how a Luxembourg MEP tabling a motion is 'whining' either. Very strange

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Livia

Or you could just suck it up, understand that the decision was reached by a democratic election and stop whining!

The results were basically half and half, in any other kind of political vote there wouldn't have been a big enough gap to declare a majority but let's ignore that and tell 48% of the people who voted that their opinion doesn't matter and they aren't allowed to be unhappy because the Leavers don't like opinions that aren't their own. That's a reasonable thing to do.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Who's whining? If you paid any attention to my posts of late you'd see I've said we need to focus on getting the best out of the negotiations, not overturning the vote maybe try reading properly? And again, I do have to laugh at the hypocrisy of demanding that people respect democracy whilst simultaneously chastising others for expressing their disagreement with the result, or suggesting ways in which divisions can be healed. But hey, if resentment and a divided country is your ~thing~ then I guess silencing others is what you're after

Woah... I wasn't referring to you only, I was referring to the general consensus. So cut out the smartarsery.

[Liam-]

Let's not pretend that Remainers wouldn't be telling leavers to stop whining and just admit defeat if it was the other way around.

[reece(:]

Originally Posted by Liam-

Let's not pretend that Remainers wouldn't be telling leavers to stop whining and just admit defeat if it was the other way around.

And leavers would have a right to speak out on that, just as we do. No-one's questioning that

[Vicky.]

Don't see how it would work, but I would be in. I expect a lot of 'leavers' would too. I see some of the leave campaign (in the media) is already whinging that there might be an option besides half the country being forced to leave against their will.

[Cherie]

I can't see how it would work either, also wouldn't other European countries block this unless their citizens could move freely to the UK? or would it be a trade off, one of yours for one of ours

[Jack_]

Again, this won't see the light of day with this government heading up the negotiations but the proposal has now been fast-tracked:

EU negotiators will offer Brits an individual opt-in to remain EU citizens, chief negotiator confirms

Exclusive: Guy Verhofstadt has fast-tracked the plan and will include it in his mandate

EU negotiators will offer British people the chance to individually opt-in and remain EU citizens as a proposal in Brexit negotiations, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator has confirmed.

The proposal, first revealed in its early stages by The Independent last month, was being considered as a long-term aim by the European Parliament – but has now been fast-tracked to the negotiating table by Guy Verhofstadt, who is in charge of thrashing out a post-Brexit deal.

Mr Verhofstadt said the “very important” proposal had “captured the imagination and hopes” of many British people who wished to retain their rights as EU citizens and would be in his negotiating mandate.

The plan would see Brits offered individual “associate citizenship”, letting them keep free movement to live and work across the EU, as well as a vote in European Parliament elections.

The proposal could potentially give Brits who live and work across borders a workaround to the disruption caused by the Leave vote – and young people looking to flee an increasingly isolated UK greater choice over where to move to.

Depending on the approach taken by EU negotiators, the idea would likely be subject to approval by the British government.

Mr Verhofstadt is drawing up a report with the European Parliament’s Committee on constitutional affairs about proposed long-term changes to the EU’s structure. The plan was originally proposed by liberal MP Charles Goerens for inclusion in the report, but will now bypass that process and be taken forward independently.

The chief negotiator told the committee’s members: “We come to the vote of this important amendment 882, tabled by colleague Charles Goerens. It is an important amendment that has captured the imagination and hopes of many of the 48 per cent of Brits that have voted to remain in the EU. You will all have received many emails about this - and there has been many articles about this.

“It has therefore become a very important issue that cannot await treaty change - as envisaged by Charles when he first tabled it.

“I am therefore proposing to remove it from my report - which after all is concerned with Treaty change - and to include it in the negotiations we will have with the UK government. I as Brexit negotiator for the Parliament will ensure that it is included in the parliament’s negotiating mandate.”

In a statement, Mr Goerens said: “Today I decided together with Guy Verhofstadt to withdraw my amendment on Associate EU citizenship. We realised that this has become a very important issue that cannot await treaty change – as was my intention when I first tabled my amendment – since this might take years.

“Yesterday evening, the House of Commons decided by a majority of almost 400 to support Theresa Mays plan to trigger article 50 by the end of March 2017. Hence the prospect that this Article 50 will be invoked has become very real indeed.

“The European Parliament will define its position on the Brexit agreement through a resolution during spring 2017. This seems to be the best opportunity to give Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt the possibility to enforce the Associate EU Citizenship.

“I recognise this might come as a surprise to many of you, but please understand that the abovementioned procedure makes it much more likely for the Associate EU Citizenship to succeed than through an amendment.”

Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder said: “The option of being able to retain EU citizenship offers a glimmer of hope for the millions of British people devastated by the referendum result.

“The fact this proposal is going ahead shows there remains a huge amount of goodwill towards Britain, despite the actions of this Conservative Brexit government.

“Everyone who supports this should write to MEPs and tell them how passionately they feel about maintaining their rights as EU citizens, including the ability to live, study and work abroad."

In its original form the amendment suggested the provision of “European associate citizenship for those who feel and wish to be part of the European project but are nationals of a former Member State; offers these associate citizens the rights of freedom of movement and to reside on its territory as well as being represented in the Parliament through a vote in the European elections on the European lists”.

Though the British Government has been coy on what it wants Britain’s post-Brexit future to look like, it is likely that British citizens will lose the automatic right to live and work in the EU after Brexit.

This is because Prime Minister Theresa May has made clear that she would like to restrict freedom of movement from EU countries to the UK, a policy that would likely be reciprocated by the EU for British citizens.

Mr Verhofstadt is one of two chief negotiators representing different pillars of the European Union. He represents the Parliament, while former commissioner Michel Barnier represents the Commission. Belgian diplomat Didier Seeuws will coordinate the European Council’s negotiating position on behalf of the leaders of other EU states.

The House of Commons this week approved a motion calling for Ms May to reveal the Government’s negotiating position on Brexit before triggering Article 50. It also locked in the timetable of triggering the treaty clause – and starting negotiations – before the end of March 2017.

The Independent

[jaxie]

Originally Posted by Livia

Or you could just suck it up, understand that the decision was reached by a democratic election and stop whining!

This sounds like a good plan.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Livia

Woah... I wasn't referring to you only, I was referring to the general consensus. So cut out the smartarsery.

What general consensus? There is only you making generalisations here.
I'm at a loss as to what anyone who feels this is viable is meant to suck up?
Sorry but nonsensical statements like this are what stunts debate for me.

I would be up for this especially if as an EU citizen my rights as an individual are better protected, this is where I feel brexit will short change voters.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Merry Corbynmas

What general consensus? There is only you making generalisations here.
I'm at a loss as to what anyone who feels this is viable is meant to suck up?
Sorry but nonsensical statements like this are what stunts debate for me.

I would be up for this especially if as an EU citizen my rights as an individual are better protected, this is where I feel brexit will short change voters.

Did I quote you? No.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Livia

Did I quote you? No.

What difference does that make? :/

The proposals have nothing to do with amending the decision to brexit whatsoever ergo suggesting anything is 'sucked up' is illogical.