EU demands citizens get UK residency before Brexit negotiations start. Firm but fair Tusk divorce?

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• published: 30 Apr 2017
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Donald Tusk promises to deal 'firmly' with Britain as EU leaders unanimously agree Brexit negotiating stance Tusk: EU will deal “firmly” with Britain over Brexit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/29/donald-tusk-promises-deal-firmly-britain-eu-leaders-meet-discuss/ Peter Foster, europe editor, Brussels 29 APRIL 2017 • 5:07PM The European Union threw down the Brexit gauntlet to Theresa May on Saturday, issuing an uncompromising list of Brexit demands at a special EU Leaders’ summit amid signs of rising tensions between London and Brussels. The leaders of the EU’s remaining 27 states – usually bitterly divided – staged a massive show of unity in Brussels aimed at intimidating British Brexit negotiators into accepting its key demands on a financial settlement and the rights of three million EU citizens living in the UK. Donald Tusk, the European Council president, trumpeted what he called the “outstanding unity” of the 27 after they unanimously agreed the negotiating guidelines in just four minutes. In a combative performance, he repeated his warnings that the UK must agree a ‘divorce settlement’ before entering trade talks, adding that it was “pure illusion” for Britain to think that trying to divide the member states would be to the UK’s benefit. Following a Downing Street dinner last Wednesday between Mrs May and Jean-Claude Juncker, Europe is demanding that EU citizens in Britain should have their existing rights protected in the Article 50 agreement, and that they should be protected by the European Court of Justice. “The Commission has prepared a full list of rights and benefits that we want to guarantee for those affected by Brexit,” Mr Tusk said. “In order to achieve sufficient progress we need a serious British response.” The implication, EU sources confirmed, is that the – in the opinion of the European Union – the UK is still not giving “serious” responses to European demands for a financial settlement and a deal on citizens’ rights to be hammered out before talks on a trade deal even begin. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, added his warnings about a “difficult” negotiation ahead. He spelled out that Europe wants a detailed and legally water-tight deal guarantee EU citizens in the UK after Brexit, and would not settle for blanket political assurances from the UK side. “This does not simply imply setting out a few principles,” he said. “The negotiations will be difficult and it will be even be difficult to retain the unity we were able to construct today and we will do our utmost to retain that unity, which is important for the 27, but it is also important for the United Kingdom [to conclude a deal],” he added. Mr Juncker also hinted at his frustrations with Mrs May at last week’s dinner after being chided by Mr Tusk for being too pessimistic about the prospects for a deal, urging his colleague to “be more optimistic”. “That’s what Mrs May told me last Wednesday,” Mr Juncker shot back, “Every time I was asking questions, she said ‘be patient and be ambitious’. The same remarks have to be addressed back to the United Kingdom.” Mr Juncker warned that Britain appeared to be under-prepared for the task ahead, echoing warnings from multiple EU officials that the David Davis's team would be heavily out-gunned by Mr Barnier's "Task Force 50". "I have the impression sometimes that our British friends, not all of them, do underestimate the technical difficulties we have to face. A single and not simple question of citizens' rights is in fact a cortege of 25 different questions which have to be solved," he said. EU leaders are also understood to have discussed a ‘no deal’ scenario and were addressed on possible outcomes by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, who has been charged with implementing the EU’s negotiating ‘red lines’. “We are ready,” declared Mr Barnier as he entered the talks, echoing a mantra from the EU side that they are fully prepared, in implied contrast to the British team which has still not made its negotiating positions clear. EU diplomats said the diplomatic show of force was designed to impress on Britain that the EU will not budge on its refusal to negotiation a future trade deal with Britain until the UK has settled its so-called Brexit bill and guaranteed EU citizens a host of rights after Brexit. At the request of the Irish prime minister, Enda Kenny, the meeting also generated a controversial statement noting that Northern Ireland would become part of the EU if there was a successful vote on Irish reunification.....