EU sues UK over post-Brexit freedom of movement failures in blow to Starmer’s reset
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In a blow to Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to reset relations with the bloc, the Commission referred the UK to the Court of Justice of the European Union over shortcomings in how it has cooperated with the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement. The European Commission is taking Britain to court over its alleged failure to comply with EU law on freedom of movement after Brexit.
In a blow to Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to reset relations with the bloc, the Commission referred the UK to the Court of Justice of the European Union over shortcomings in how it has cooperated with the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement. It alleges several shortcomings in how Britain has stuck to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, affecting residents’ rights to live and work freely between EU member states. And it said Britain has failed to heed a series of warnings that its national laws do not comply with EU free movement laws at the end of 2020.
The European Commission’s complaint originated in May 2020, when it accused the UK of restricting free movement rights of EU citizens and their family members. It sent a formal notice of the complaint to the UK at the time, and in July this year said “several points remain unaddressed”, highlighting in particular points around EU citizens and their family members exercising their free movement rights.
And on Monday the Commission said it had “carefully assessed” the UK’s replies to its complaints, but “maintains that several elements of the grievances remain unaddressed, including on the rights of workers and the rights of extended family members”.
