At a specific hearing on European and British citizens affected by Brexit on Thursday 11 May, the European Parliament reiterated that it would never give its blessing to any agreement that does not respect their rights.
Parliament's coordinator for Brexit, Belgium's Guy Verhofstadt, also said that Parliament was prepared to vote through a resolution on citizens' rights to put extra pressure on the negotiators, should the agreement reached between the two sides take an unsatisfactory turn.
The hearing, which was arranged by the three committees in Parliament competent on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, those on civil liberties, employment and petitions, also gave the floor to representatives of European citizens residing in the UK, who have asked for a swift agreement and refused to become bargaining chips, as the president of the association 3millions, Anne-Laure Donskoy, put it.
Several MEPs reiterated the major concerns not only of over three million European citizens in the UK, who are uncertain about their rights after March 2019 (the theoretical date for the UK to leave the EU), but also of British citizens in the EU (more than 1.2 million). Parliament's coordinator, who has already received between 6,000 and 7,000 letters on the subject, also said that a third category of individuals should be taken into account – British citizens in the UK wishing to continue to have links with the EU.
The Belgian suggested that these individuals could be offered the possibility of launching citizens' initiatives, petitions or the opportunity to take part in the European elections. In the immediate future, he reiterated the demands of his institution, which is for the individuals affected to retain their rights for life. He also reiterated the type of rights that should be guaranteed, as the EU negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, also did on 3 May (see EUROPE 11780) – access to healthcare, education, the employment market and the recognition of diplomas and qualifications.
He also stressed that the Court of Justice of the EU would be competent on the interpretation of these rights in the event of conflicts and that it was out of the question to create a new body to replace the Court, he said.
Parliament's coordinator hopes that the Parliament's positions will be included in Barnier's negotiation mandate, which is to be adopted by the 'General Affairs' Council 22 May. Ahead of this meeting, two meetings of the permanent representatives of the member states have been scheduled for this week, on Wednesday 10 and Friday 12 May. These meetings will be used to put the finishing touches to the EU's position with respect to London. The meeting of 10 May “concluded earlier than scheduled, which shows how united the Twenty-Seven are” on the subject, one source told us. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)