The vote concerned Britons travelling in Europe on short journeys and will provide British citizens with visa exemptions, even in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
The exemption will be applicable in all EU countries with the exception of Ireland, which has its own bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom, as well as countries associated with the Schengen area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
The waiver does have the stipulation that it will only apply if the British authorities reciprocate a visa exemption for EU citizens.
502 MEPs voted for the legislation, with 81 against the motion and 29 abstaining. The debate about the legislation concerning travel between the EU and the UK was marked by controversy as a point referred to Gibraltar as a “colony of the British crown”. The reference revived the long-standing disagreement between the UK and Spain about Gibraltar, the tiny 6.8 square metre territory ceded to the British crown in 1713. Spain continues to call for sovereignty over Gibraltar.
The British MEP charged as the draft law’s rapporteur, Claude Moraes, was removed from his role after he refused to accept the controversial section of the draft law.
Moraes was replaced by Bulgarian MEP Sergei Stanishev, who acknowledged that the negotiations had been prevented by the uproar about Gibraltar. However, Stanishev highlighted that the parliament took its responsibilities seriously and focused on the interests of citizens.
The legislation will be published in the EU’s official journal on 12 April.
