Ten ways in which life could change if the UK left the EU
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Version 0 of 1. 1. Travelling in the EU British visitors to mainland Europe would no longer be “fast-tracked” through the EU lines at passport control, unless the UK was willing to agree that there would still be full free movement of people between the UK and EU. It is unlikely that the EU would require British citizens to have visas to visit the EU - as long as the UK, in return, didn’t demand that the citizens of any EU country (such as Romania) needed a visa to visit Britain. 2. Moving to another EU country to live, work or retire British citizens can at present move easily to another EU country. If we left the EU, they would have to satisfy more restrictive rules on getting a work permit, setting up a business, studying and bringing family members to join them. More than two million Brits already live in another EU member state. Pensioners could find that their pensions are no longer increased every year at the same rate as those of people living in the UK - as happens now. 3. The second home on the Med? EU countries could ban UK citizens from buying second homes in their countries after Brexit, and existing homes could be taxed more heavily because EU rules on free movement of capital would no longer apply to Britons. 4. Consumer rights EU laws provide for refunds or other remedies for consumers: for instance, in cases involving defective products, unfair contract terms or flights that are delayed or cancelled. As with employment and environmental laws, businesses could urge that these standards be lowered. 5. Trade with the EU Some jobs linked to trade with the EU could be lost, depending on whether the future EU/UK treaty fully guarantees existing rules on access to the EU market. There would certainly be less agricultural trade between the UK and the EU, unless (improbably) the UK decided to continue to apply the EU’s common agricultural policy. 6. Trade with the rest of the world The UK would have to replace the trade deals which the EU already has with some non-EU countries, such as Korea. On the other hand, the UK would be free after Brexit to sign trade deals with countries such as China with which the EU has not signed deals. In either case, the non-EU countries would have to be willing to sign these deals, too. 7. Family issues, maintenance and divorce There is currently a range of EU laws relating to maintenance payments, simplification of divorce proceedings, and allowing people to challenge parental child abductions, where someone from another EU country is involved. People in Britain might no longer benefit from these arrangements. 8. Pay, holidays, maternity and paternity leave EU law guarantees workers’ rights in areas such as maternity and paternity leave, holiday pay and in the event of mass redundancies. There would be pressure from business groups to relax these standards. 9. Clean beaches and the environment The EU requires its member states to apply basic rules on issues such as the cleanliness of beaches, pollution, the planning process and public access to information about the environment. Again, there would be demands to reduce the regulatory burden. 10. Crime EU measures such as the European arrest warrant make it easier to return fugitives to face trial and to transfer prisoners to their home country. Brexit could mean a return to less effective methods of cooperation. For instance, many EU countries would refuse to extradite their citizens to the UK. Steve Peers is professor of law at the University of Essex |