Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the petition handed to 10 Downing Street by Stuart Bonar on 3 February, calling on the Prime Minister to negotiate with the EU for UK nationals to have the right to retain their EU citizenship on an individual basis after Brexit, should they so wish.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
EU treaty provisions state that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
However, we know that in the future, many UK nationals will wish to continue to travel, live and work within the European Union, just as EU citizens will still wish to do so in the UK. We look forward to discussing our future relationship with the European Union, one which will work in the interest of both the UK and the EU.