EU CITIZENS REGISTRATION SCHEME IN DOUBT

It looks like another huge problem for the government will be in resolving the status of EU citizens after March 2019. They are planning to have EU nationals register, during any transition period, as a way of obtaining permanent residency. But the EU parliament now say (HERE) they will veto this if it becomes part of the withdrawal agreement. The EU is apparently going to demand the UK comply with EU law in its entirety during any transition period, precisely as they set out in their initial negotiating guidelines.

CITIZENS RIGHTS - LATEST

The EU side have published another summary of progress on citizens rights (HERE). This time it's 22 pages, five pages longer than the last one (see HERE) so there has been some progress but there are still outstanding issues. As before, the table attached to the note uses Green for convergence, Red for divergence and Yellow for the items where further clarification is needed.

CITIZENS RIGHTS -

The EU side have published a seventeen page joint paper after the 3rd round of negotiations on the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU after Brexit (HERE). I note it is the EU doing this not our side. The negotiations are complex, far more complex that anyone might imagine and the different aspects are colour coded for easy recognition of where things are agree and where not. The note uses Green for convergence, Red for divergence and Yellow for the items where further clarification is needed.

CITIZENS RIGHTS - PROGRESS

The EU have kindly put up on their website a document that summarises the areas of agreement and divergence as well as areas where more clarity is needed from the UK HERE. If you remember we were told after the referendum that the UK ought to make a big unilateral offer to the millions of EU citizens living and working over here and who were desperately worried about their future status. We were also told this would be relatively easy. 

CITIZENS RIGHTS - MORE COMPLICATED THAN WE THOUGHT?

The first issue being discussed in the negotiations with the EU is the one concerning citizens rights. We were told this would be the easiest to reach an agreement on. Today (HERE) writing in The Guardian, eight leaders of the main groups in the EU parliament have signed a letter saying the present UK government proposals do not go far enough and create second class citizens in the UK. Guy Verhofstadt, speaking to the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning, was challenged that what the EU is asking for would give EU citizens in the UK more rights than British citizens.