Flemish emergency decree is intended to mitigate a no-deal Brexit

“We must defend Flemish interests to the greatest extent possible. So the greatest priority is getting a good agreement after Brexit.” The N-VA explains why the Flemish Parliament is voting on an emergency decree on Brexit on Wednesday. The emergency decree is intended to mitigate the transition after the departure of the British, by providing transition periods among other things. Geert Bourgeois has already earlier called for a customs union with the British.

Unilateral transition period

“Flanders has been preparing for every possible scenario since the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union,” the N-VA says. But now that we are heading for a no-deal Brexit after the British rejected the draft agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom, various different member states are launching measures. “And what is the starting point of those measures? That is the transition period that is built in to the draft agreement, as it is being introduced unilaterally from within the European Union, from within the various different member states,” the N-VA explains.

British reciprocity

Although Flanders is introducing the transition period unilaterally, our country is nevertheless assuming that there will be reciprocity. “That means that we do indeed expect that the United Kingdom will also grant the same rights to citizens of EU countries who reside in the United Kingdom as those that we grant to British citizens living here in Europe,” says the N-VA. In this way, Flanders will avoid absurd situations such as a Civic integration Flanders has a policy for civic integration. This is a guided and targeted form of social integration for people of foreign origin. The intention is that the newcomers are provided with a valuable place in society by including them instead of excluding them. Civic integration, which includes language lessons and civic integration courses, was brought about by the participation of the N-VA in the Flemish Government since 2004 and the appointment of a Minister for Civic Integration. civic integration course for British citizens who reside in our country.

Not only Flanders, but also the federal government and the other federal states will take similar measures.