Possible trade arrangements between the UK and the EU have been discussed at length since the EU referendum. Little has been said however about the place citizens’ rights will have in the new EU-UK relation. In this area the focus is usually on residence. But other rights derive from EU membership and many are not guaranteed under trade agreements. What are the options available for the future?
The European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), a non-profit organisation in Brussels, has thrown some light on the matter comparing different scenarios. Together with the EU Rights Clinic, the European Disability Forum and New Europeans, they have compared citizens’ rights in the EU with those available to members of the European Economic Area (EEA), e.g. Norway. They also considered conditions included in the EU bilateral agreement with Switzerland, the free trade agreement with Canada and the association agreement with Turkey.
The report concludes that, EU membership excluded, the best possible deal for people is within the EEA. In this scenario, Brits would retain most of the EU rights, except for voting and political participation. […]
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