Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations of the report by Professor Volker Roeben, The feasibility of the of associate EU citizenship for UK citizens post-Brexit.
Answered by Suella Braverman
We have carefully considered the recommendations found in the report by Professor Volker Roeben, ‘The feasibility of the associate EU citizenship for UK citizens post-Brexit’.
However, our understanding of the EU treaty provisions is that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
However, we know that in the future, many UK nationals will wish to continue to travel, live and work within the European Union, just as EU citizens will still wish to do so in the UK. We look forward to discussing our future relationship with the European Union, one which will work in the interest of both the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what consideration he has made of the effect of Article 70 (1)(b) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties on UK citizens retaining EU citizenship should the UK leave the EU.
Answered by Suella Braverman
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
Article 70 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties is a default rule, which does not apply where the parties to a treaty agree arrangements relating to a particular party’s withdrawal. The UK and the EU will agree these arrangements under the Article 50 process, to be defined in the Withdrawal Agreement.
We know that in the future, many UK nationals will wish to continue to travel, live and work within the European Union, just as EU citizens will still wish to do so in the UK. We look forward to discussing our future relationship with the European Union, one which will work in the interest of both the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will take steps to preserve the rights, freedoms and legal protections for UK citizens enshrined in the Maastricht treaty.
Answered by Suella Braverman
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
However, we know that in the future, many UK nationals will wish to continue to travel, live and work within the European Union, just as EU citizens will still wish to do so in the UK. We look forward to discussing our future relationship with the European Union, one which will work in the interest of both the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Parliament’s negotiating team for the UK leaving the European Union on the legal status of a proposed associate European Union citizenship should the UK leave the EU.
Answered by Suella Braverman
The Secretary of State regularly meets with ministerial counterparts from EU institutions and from other EU Member States. We have always said that we would be content to listen to any proposals from the European Union but this is not a matter that has been raised by others in discussions. Associate citizenship is not currently in the scope of exit negotiations.
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on retaining EU citizenship for UK citizens after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Suella Braverman
The Secretary of State meets regularly with ministerial counterparts from other EU Member States and individuals in the EU institutions, including the European Commission. We have always said that we would be content to listen to any proposals from the European Commission, however associate citizenship is not currently in the scope of exit negotiations.
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on associate European citizenship.
Answered by Suella Braverman
The Secretary of State meets regularly with ministerial counterparts from other EU Member States and individuals in the EU institutions, including the European Commission. We have always said that we would be content to listen to any proposals from the European Commission, however associate citizenship is not currently in the scope of exit negotiations.
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union on retaining EU citizenship for UK citizens in the event that UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Suella Braverman
The Secretary of State meets regularly with ministerial counterparts from other EU Member States and individuals in the EU institutions, including the European Commission. We have always said that we would be content to listen to any proposals from the European Commission, however associate citizenship is not currently in the scope of exit negotiations.
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to ensure that the protection of UK citizen's personal data under EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is maintained after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK has a longstanding tradition of ensuring our rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations. The decision to leave the European Union does not change this.
The Government’s intention has always been that in itself not incorporating the Charter into UK law should not affect the substantive rights that individuals already benefit from in the UK, as the Charter was never the source of those rights. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill sets out how the sources of these substantive rights, so far as they exist elsewhere in EU law, are being converted into UK law at the point we exit the EU.
In order to provide guidance on the protection afforded to every right in the Charter the Government has published a non-exhaustive analysis which sets out how substantive rights found in the Charter - including those mentioned in this grouped question - will be reflected in the domestic law of the UK after exit. The analysis is available on gov.uk at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664891/05122017_Charter_Analysis_FINAL_VERSION.pdf.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to maintain the rights of victims of crime under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK has a longstanding tradition of ensuring our rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations. The decision to leave the European Union does not change this.
The Government’s intention has always been that in itself not incorporating the Charter into UK law should not affect the substantive rights that individuals already benefit from in the UK, as the Charter was never the source of those rights. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill sets out how the sources of these substantive rights, so far as they exist elsewhere in EU law, are being converted into UK law at the point we exit the EU.
In order to provide guidance on the protection afforded to every right in the Charter the Government has published a non-exhaustive analysis which sets out how substantive rights found in the Charter - including those mentioned in this grouped question - will be reflected in the domestic law of the UK after exit. The analysis is available on gov.uk at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664891/05122017_Charter_Analysis_FINAL_VERSION.pdf.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to maintain provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in relation to the prevention and combating of trafficking in human beings after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK has a longstanding tradition of ensuring our rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations. The decision to leave the European Union does not change this.
The Government’s intention has always been that in itself not incorporating the Charter into UK law should not affect the substantive rights that individuals already benefit from in the UK, as the Charter was never the source of those rights. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill sets out how the sources of these substantive rights, so far as they exist elsewhere in EU law, are being converted into UK law at the point we exit the EU.
In order to provide guidance on the protection afforded to every right in the Charter the Government has published a non-exhaustive analysis which sets out how substantive rights found in the Charter - including those mentioned in this grouped question - will be reflected in the domestic law of the UK after exit. The analysis is available on gov.uk at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664891/05122017_Charter_Analysis_FINAL_VERSION.pdf.