Paying a fee to enter European Union countries on a visa is an unenviable post-Brexit prospect that Britain is unable to “rule out” for its business people, the home secretary has admitted.
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“The European commission is due to unveil draft legislation for the EU travel information and authorization system (Etias) later this year as part of a broader response to calls for greater security across the continent following recent terror attacks in France and Belgium”, the paper reports. “I challenge the Home Secretary to rule it out”.
“I would not want anybody to think that was in my view a likely outcome”, he said.
“I am not here as a representative of the British government and if others want to ask about issues to do with Brexit and the British government’s position, I’m afraid they will get the same reply”.
Cummins pointed out that the excise increases in the Budget 2012 and 2013 were applied at the time due to the economic crisis and that “we need to take this heavy burden off consumers, tourists, businesses and employees across the drinks and hospitality sector”, which now employs over 204,000 people with a combined wage bill of €4.3 billion.
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Rudd said that while the public would be “surprised” to have to pay for travel to the 28 European Union country bloc, the possibility could not be ruled out as it was a two-way negotiation. “National security remains the sole responsibility of member states”.
After nearly two hours of questioning, Crispin Blunt, the committee’s chairman, said, “You’ll be pleased to know we’re nearing the end”.
Brexit will deprive the European Union of a major, nuclear-armed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military power with vast counter-terror experience at home and overseas but officials on both sides have stressed that cooperation in security will remain a key priority.
At a hearing in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and speaking in French, King said this evening: “For the avoidance of doubt”.
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Triggering Article 50 would launch two years of negotiations that will set the U.K.’s future relationship.
