Joint statement following the meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights (October 2020)

The third meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights was held today, co-chaired by officials from the UK Government and the European Commission. A number of EU Member States also attended. The Committee has been established by the Withdrawal Agreement to monitor the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU and their family members.

The UK and the EU exchanged updates on the implementation of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement in readiness for the end of the transition period and beyond. The exchanges included updates on operationalising the social security coordination provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement, in particular reciprocal healthcare and protection of EU, UK and EFTA nationals in triangular situations as regards their social security rights. The UK and the EU also considered a joint report on the issuance of residence documents, which will be used to monitor the progress in implementing the new residence schemes as well as the number of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU who have taken the necessary steps to secure their residence rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. The importance of clear communications and comprehensive support to vulnerable or hard to reach citizens was also discussed.

The Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement provides citizens with the certainty they need about their rights going forwards. In this context, the UK and the EU reiterated their commitment to complying with their legal obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement that protect citizens’ rights.

The UK and the EU will continue working closely to ensure correct and timely implementation and have agreed to meet again before the end of the transition period.