Regulation (EU) 2019/592

What it is

to provide UK citizens with the possibility of visa-free travel to the EU after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: under Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, EU citizens have the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, including the right to enter Member States without visas or equivalent formalities. Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union, the Treaty and Directive 2004/38/EC will cease to apply to United Kingdom nationals who are British citizens , and the right of those citizens to enter Member States without a visa will cease to apply. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Claude MORAES (S&D, UK) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as regards the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. This Commission proposal is part of the legislative measures necessary to adjust Union law to Brexit. It aims to clarify the situation of UK nationals when Union law ceases to apply to them as regards visa policy. The Commission proposes to insert the United Kingdom as regards British citizens into Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 (i.e. in the list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement). The committee recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading by specifying in a recital that this decision is based on the expectation that, in the interest of maintaining close relations, the United Kingdom will grant full visa reciprocity to the nationals of all Member States. In case the United Kingdom introduces a visa requirement for nationals of at least one Member State in the future, the reciprocity mechanism provided for in Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 should apply. The Commission should monitor the respect of the principle of reciprocity on a continuous basis and immediately inform the European Parliament and the Council of any developments which could endanger the respect of this principle. The European Parliament adopted by 502 votes to 81, with 29 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as regards the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure. The draft legislative act aims to clarify the situation of United Kingdom nationals once EU…

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