Joint statement following the third meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights between the European Commission and UK Government via video conference

The EU and the UK 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 EU and the UK 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 EU and the UK reiterated their commitment to complying with their legal obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement that protect citizens’ rights.

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