UK citizens will be given the chance to apply for individual European citizenship after Brexit, the chief negotiator of the European Parliament has confirmed.
The fast tracked decision
Negotiator Guy Verhofstadt has fast tracked the proposal to be included in his mandate; although it was first being considered as a potentially long term aim by the European Parliament. The early stages of the deal were revealed by The Independent last month.
The proposal will allow British people to apply for ‘associate citizenship’, helping them retain their abilities and rights to live and work freely across European states as well as vote in EU elections.
Mr Verhofstadt is in the process of drawing up a report about the proposed long term changes to the EU’s structure. The proposal of ‘associate citizenship’ was first included in this report by Mr Verhofstadt and the European Parliament Committee, but it has now bypassed the usual process and been put forward as a standalone deal. The plan was originally put forward by liberal MP Charles Groerens.
The original Brexit report
Guy Verhofstadt told committee 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.”
Depending on how the EU negotiators approach this deal, it is said to be very likely that the British government will approve it.
