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EU approves visa-free move

In another week of prime ministerial twisting and turning in the UK threatening to frustrate the result of the June 2016 EU referendum, Europe last Wednesday approved a law that will allow Britons visa-free visits even after a no-deal Brexit.

This flatly contradicted claims from the pro-Remain camp’s Project Hysteria that travel to Europe after Brexit would be subject to swingeing entry fees. The EU had already dismissed similar rumours that UK-Europe air routes would be threatened.

Reports from Brussels on Wednesday said the European Parliament’s justice committee had approved the text of the law to allow British visitors 90-day trips to the Schengen passport-free zone. It already had the backing of member states.

Implementation will depend on Britain giving EU citizens reciprocal rights, but it has said it will do so and the principle of the law has broad support.

Wednesday’s debate was not without controversy after EU member states at the behest of Spain referred to Gibraltar in a footnote to the draft as a “colony of the British crown”.

Britain’s decision to leave the EU has revived controversy over a claim by Spain on the territory, while Britain insists the Rock is part of “the UK family” whose citizens voted freely to remain British.

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