8ú Téarma Parlaiminteach Julia REID

I abstained on this legislative report. Whilst I fully support – and want – visa-free access to the EU for UK nationals after we withdraw from the EU, alterations to the text by the European Council made this report impossible to support. The reason is that, without a mandate from Parliament, the Council added text to state that Gibraltar is a ʻcolonyʼ of the British Crown. This is not only factually incorrect, as Gibraltar is designated as a British Overseas Territory, but also highly insulting to its people, who have, in two referendums, overwhelmingly voted to remain British. I also strongly objected to the procedures employed by the institutions to instigate this change, which included unjustly removing a British rapporteur from the report and refusing to allow a full debate or amendments to be tabled. For these reasons, and whilst I would have liked to support the report, I abstained.

. ‒ I voted against this legislation. Employment policies should be left entirely to the Member States. There is no need for EU involvement and this is a gross violation of the internal policies of the Member States.

. ‒ We oppose this legislation because it funds the destructive EU common fisheries policy into the next decade.