Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 24 June 2025: joint statement

The UK government and European Commission gave a joint statement following the 16th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights.

The 16th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights was held on 24 June 2025 in Brussels, co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government. Representatives from EU Member States were also in attendance.

The EU and the UK discussed the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement, under the overall objective of ensuring the full and faithful implementation of the Agreement. The meeting allowed both sides to take stock of progress made and identify outstanding issues that must be urgently resolved to ensure that all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can fully enjoy their rights now and in the future.

On the true and extra cohort issue, the co-chairs reiterated the warm welcome by the co-chairs of the Joint Committee at its meeting on 29 April 2025 of the legislative step taken by the UK Government relating to legal clarity for EU citizens with status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and look forward to its practical application.

The EU noted the work by the UK to automate the process of upgrading Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries from pre-settled status to settled status. In this context, the EU stressed, among others, that the UK measures to curtail residence rights on grounds of absences must be compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement. The EU also raised other issues of concern, such as travel incidents affecting EU citizens who are Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries and NHS charges for those who submit a residence application after the June 2021 deadline, which affects in particular newborn children.

The UK highlighted that large numbers of UK national Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries would soon transition from temporary to permanent status. In that context, they raised the importance of adequate administrative preparation by the EU’s Member States, as well as clear guidance to beneficiaries. The UK also asked for updates on several implementation issues in certain Member States, including ensuring a proper process is in place to accept late applications, discrepancies in awarding temporary or permanent status and multiple immigration status.

The EU and the UK also discussed the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), as well as the EU’s European Travel Information and Authorisation Systems (ETIAS) and the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme (ETA), from the perspective of their implications on Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries. Both sides called on Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries concerned to take in good time all necessary measures to facilitate their future travel, recognising the importance of timely communications to beneficiaries by national authorities.

Representatives from civil society organisations, representing EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU, attended the meeting and asked questions about the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement in the UK and the EU, in conformity with the rules of procedure of the Specialised Committee.

The UK and the EU underlined their ongoing commitment to the full implementation of Part Two (Citizens’ Rights) of the Withdrawal Agreement, welcoming the progress made and agreeing to strengthen their ongoing cooperation on all issues. The co-chairs agreed to meet again in autumn.