Brexit and European Citizenship

When the UK left the EU in March 2019 UK nationals would lose their right to EU citizenship. Although the draft withdrawal agreement contained provisions that would guarantee certain citizens' rights for UK citizens living in another EU Member State and for EU citizens living in the UK, they would not guarantee EU citizenship status.

There had been proposals for a form of 'associate' EU citizenship, which did not at present exist and was not being discussed by the Brexit negotiators. This paper looked at the debate and at public support for such proposals.

Further information

On the 18 July 2018 the European Commission registered a European Citizens' Initiative entitled 'Permanent European Union Citizenship'. The ECI had been presented by a group called European Citizenship 2017, comprised of citizens from Ireland, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom who had come together in an effort to protect the current and future citizenship rights of all European citizens. One of the leading voices behind the initiative was Anthony Simpson of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation.

The European Commission stressed that its decision to register the Initiative concerned only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The Commission had not analysed the substance at this stage.

The registration of the Initiative took place on 23 July 2018, starting a one-year process of collection of signatures of support by its organisers. Should the initiative receive one million statements of support within one year, from at least seven different Member States, the Commission would have to react within three months. The Commission could decide either to follow the request or not, and in both instances would be required to explain its reasoning.

• Primary Source

BBC News, 18.07.18: Brexit: New move to keep EU citizenship for UK nationals https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44871876

The Spokesman, 13.06.18: [Editorial]: Citizens First http://www.spokesmanbooks.com/Spokesman/PDF/edit136.pdf

The Conversation, 10.02.17: Four ways Britain could guarantee the right to remain for EU citizens after Brexit http://www.europeansources.info/record/four-ways-britain-could-guarantee-the-right-to-remain-for-eu-citizens-after-brexit/

The European Citizen: Permanent European Union Citizenship https://www.eucitizen2017.org/

The New European, 24.07.18: Want to retain EU citizenship after Brexit? This petition could help https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/european-citizens-initiative-petition-on-eu-citizenship-after-brexit-1-5620660

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

ESO: Find more information on Citizen's rights after Brexit http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=brexit%20after%20citizens%27%20rights%20&searchOption=all

Plaid Cymru, 2017: The feasibility of Associate EU Citizenship for UK Citizens post-Brexit. A study for Jill Evans MEP by Prof Volker Roeben, Prof Jukka Snell, Dr Petra Minnerop, Dr Pedro Telles and Mr Keith Bush QC, Swansea University, July 2017 (et al) http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-feasibility-of-associate-eu-citizenship-for-uk-citizens-post-brexit-a-study-for-jill-evans-mep-by-prof-volker-roeben-prof-jukka-snell-dr-petra-minnerop-dr-pedro-telles-and-mr-keith-bush-qc-sw/

38 Degrees: Associate Citizenship of the EU for those who voted to remain https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/associate-citizenship-of-the-eu-for-those-who-voted-to-remain

Verfassungsblog, 01.03.18: Misguided ‘Associate EU Citizenship’ Talk as a Denial of EU Values https://verfassungsblog.de/misguided-associate-eu-citizenship-talk-as-a-denial-of-eu-values/

EurActiv, 03.11.17: Associate EU citizenship is the good news Brits need https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/the-brief-associate-eu-citizenship-is-the-good-news-brits-need/

The Conversation, 21.02.18: Britons shouldn’t get their hopes up about keeping EU citizenship after Brexit https://theconversation.com/britons-shouldnt-get-their-hopes-up-about-keeping-eu-citizenship-after-brexit-91501

DutchNews.nl, 07.02.18: Brits in Amsterdam win case – EU citizenship to be referred to European court (et al) http://www.europeansources.info/record/brits-in-amsterdam-win-case-eu-citizenship-to-be-referred-to-european-court/

Another Europe is Possible: Blog, 06.03.17: The case for individual associate citizenship of the European Union https://www.anothereurope.org/the-case-for-individual-ssociate-citizenship-of-the-european-union/

Verfassungsblog, 29.08.18: Disenfranchised by Accident: the Brexit Initiative and Brits abroad https://verfassungsblog.de/disenfranchised-by-accident-the-brexit-initiative-and-brits-abroad/

European Commission: European Citizens' Initiative: ECI(2018)000003 (23.07.18): Permanent European Union Citizenship http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/open/details/2018/000003

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