The European Commission has allowed a group to launch a petition calling for permanent EU citizenship after Brexit. The proposed petition on “Permanent European Union Citizenship” is to be registered on July 23 as a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the Commission announced.
“The main objective of the proposed initiative is to guarantee that European citizenship and its associated rights cannot be lost once they have been attained,” the Commission said in a press release.
“The organisers cite in particular the context of Brexit and the future loss of EU citizenship and rights to UK citizens,” it added.
The ECI is an instrument allowing EU citizens to suggest concrete legal changes in areas in which the Commission has power to propose legislation. In order to be considered by the Commission, an ECI requires a minimum of one million signatures from people living in at least seven of the 28 member states.
If the threshold is attained, the Commission can then decide either to follow the request or not, but has to explain its reasoning in both instances. Legislation may not follow.
EU citizenship
Brits are expected to lose their EU citizenship after Brexit is in effect, either in March 2019 or at the end of the transition period in December 2020.
EU citizenship does not replace British nationality but is instead additional to national citizenship. It grants specific rights such as the right to travel and live anywhere in the EU and the right to vote and stand as a candidate in European and local elections where they are living.
It also allows EU citizens to get diplomatic protection and consular help from any EU country wherever they are in the world, even if their own country does not have a local embassy.
The petition asks that people who wish to retain their EU citizenship after Brexit be allowed to do so.
Our new ECI, Permanent EU Citizenship, is approved and will be registered on 23 July. Please watch this space.
— EU Citizenship 2017 #FBPE (@EUCitizen2017) July 18, 2018
Citizens’ rights have been one of the thorniest issues in Brexit negotiations so far. The British government has been adamant that free movement would end at the end of the transition period in December 2020.
It said EU residents in the UK would have to apply for “settled status” for which they will have to prove that they have been lawfully living there for at least five years. The status will grant them the same access to healthcare, pensions and other benefits as they currently have.
sources: euronews, Petition Website EUCitizen2017, European Commission.
Thank you for this! Although I believe the EU as it stands needs massive reform, as one of the 48% who voted to ‘remain’, EU citizenship is important to me.
Great news! Of the 44.5 million British voters on the UK electoral register, only 17.4 million voted to leave the EU. I was one of the 27.1 million who did not. I would wish to continue with my EU citizenship.