Zoom link to the meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 848 2774 4521
Passcode: 583453
The agenda is as follows
1. General update including UK Embassy in Spain
2. Representations to Spanish authorities
3. British in Europe update
4. Financial position
5. EuroCitizens in 2021
6. AOB
With respect to item 5, the Committee make a recommendation on activity set out below and we will welcome your endorsement.
Euro Citizens 2021 - Recommendation
to members
- With the end of the transition period, focus has turned to implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA). EuroCitizens was established as a lobbying organization but there is now no impending legislation on which we can usefully intervene. This raises the question of what role (if any) might be taken by EuroCitizens.
-
The Committee believes that EuroCitizens can make an ongoing contribution to the cause of citizens’ rights in a number of ways
- Monitoring the on-going introduction of WA provisions post the end of the transition period with intervention/lobbying when serious issues are identified. Two obvious areas are health and social security - the latter particularly as it is impacted by the broadbrush provisions of the Immigration Act. Referrals of issues encountered by members and others remain essential to this monitoring.
- Providing comment and information on issues post transition where such issues fall within our protection of citizens’ rights remit.
- Offer information on the practical consequences of Brexit, in the citizens’ area, as these emerge post transition. This includes both the consequences of the WA for those protected by it and the generality of UK citizens moving to Spain but not covered by the WA.
- On-going collaboration with British in Europe (BiE) as a key voice of the UK community in Spain. BiE will continue to be our voice in discussions in London and Brussels, now raising issues on WA implementation. Possible alliance with other organisations that emerge dedicated to political campaigning for example on wider citizens issues, eg votes for life, or nascent efforts to rejoin the EU (or the single market).
The committee recommends adoption of these points a-d. The
committee feels that EuroCitizens should not have a role in advising
individuals
on a case by case basis - assistance should be restricted to pointing
individuals in the direction of appropriate advice eg the British
Embassy.
The
committee also recommends that, subject to adoption of the above, a
review is conducted each quarter (commencing end March 2021).
