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Is this a workable proposition?
Britons could pay a fee to retain rights as EU citizens (assuming an Irish passport is out of the question :-) )
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Britons could pay a fee to retain rights as EU citizens (assuming an Irish passport is out of the question :-) )
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There was a suggestion that this could be achieved for free a few days ago:
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It is open to debate but for all practical purposes I would suggest it was under the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, when it showed it's true colours by changing it's name from EEC to EU. But some may argue it was earlier than that, and had always been the intended route. Of course it has been waging a war of attrition on individual sovereignty for at least as long as we have been involved.
Very interesting.
As mushroom quite rightly refers to, UK citizens are not currently citizens of the EU. They are citizens of an EU member nation – a different thing entirely. Similarly there is no such thing as an EU passport. Despite UK passports having the words “European Union” on the cover they have nothing to do with the EU whatsoever. They are issued by the UK. The EU cannot (at least for the moment anyway) issue passports. The report says this:
“Under the plan, Britons could be allowed to pay an annual fee to Brussels in return for keeping many of the benefits currently enjoyed through EU membership.”
Before they shell out their hard earned they may like to enquire what these “many benefits” enjoyed by individuals are. As far as I can make out the only ones I enjoy are the automatic right to live and work in any EU country and reciprocal health arrangements (via my EHIC hard) should I be taken ill whilst elsewhere in the EU. It is unlikely that the first of these will be taken away entirely; it will probably be not “automatic” but require some sort of permit. The second is easily covered by travel insurance which one should have when visiting the EU anyway.
I think the EU must be getting pretty desperate if it has to offer “associate membership” in this way. If it does, good luck to them (and to the people who pay their “associate membership” subscriptions for what amounts to next to nothing). So long as it does not impinge on the complete break the UK should make with the EU (that is, the UK being subject to no influence of any description by the EU, subject to none of its rules, conventions or laws, and not subservient to its courts) then I’m not too fussed.
As mushroom quite rightly refers to, UK citizens are not currently citizens of the EU. They are citizens of an EU member nation – a different thing entirely. Similarly there is no such thing as an EU passport. Despite UK passports having the words “European Union” on the cover they have nothing to do with the EU whatsoever. They are issued by the UK. The EU cannot (at least for the moment anyway) issue passports. The report says this:
“Under the plan, Britons could be allowed to pay an annual fee to Brussels in return for keeping many of the benefits currently enjoyed through EU membership.”
Before they shell out their hard earned they may like to enquire what these “many benefits” enjoyed by individuals are. As far as I can make out the only ones I enjoy are the automatic right to live and work in any EU country and reciprocal health arrangements (via my EHIC hard) should I be taken ill whilst elsewhere in the EU. It is unlikely that the first of these will be taken away entirely; it will probably be not “automatic” but require some sort of permit. The second is easily covered by travel insurance which one should have when visiting the EU anyway.
I think the EU must be getting pretty desperate if it has to offer “associate membership” in this way. If it does, good luck to them (and to the people who pay their “associate membership” subscriptions for what amounts to next to nothing). So long as it does not impinge on the complete break the UK should make with the EU (that is, the UK being subject to no influence of any description by the EU, subject to none of its rules, conventions or laws, and not subservient to its courts) then I’m not too fussed.
"Before they shell out their hard earned ..."
Although the idea of having to pay is not an essential part of this. It's just a detail envisaged by the proposer. Not sure how free access to certain EU rights would go down with other EU member countries. It might actually scupper Brexit in principle. However, given that it might also scupper the EU, maybe Brexiters should be pressing for it :-) . It seemed to me for example that Michael Gove's primary reason for supporting us leaving the EU was that could mean it falling apart. (Well, we voted NO and instead Gove fell apart :-) )
Although the idea of having to pay is not an essential part of this. It's just a detail envisaged by the proposer. Not sure how free access to certain EU rights would go down with other EU member countries. It might actually scupper Brexit in principle. However, given that it might also scupper the EU, maybe Brexiters should be pressing for it :-) . It seemed to me for example that Michael Gove's primary reason for supporting us leaving the EU was that could mean it falling apart. (Well, we voted NO and instead Gove fell apart :-) )
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