Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Government stating in February 2020 that it aimed to negotiate a Canada-style agreement with the EU; and statements by Baroness Barran in Parliament on 3 June 2020 outlining that the government was seeking reciprocal arrangements for temporary entry and stay (Mode IV) to facilitate touring and other short-term creative work based on best precedent; what assessment the Government had made of the precedent for touring provisions in other Free Trade Agreements on temporary entry and stay, including Annex 10-D of Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

Through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK and the EU agreed to a list of 11 activities that can be carried out by short-term business visitors without the need for a work permit, on a reciprocal basis in most Member States – subject to any reservations taken. This list of permitted activities is based on the best precedent established in the EU’s Free Trade Agreements with Canada and Japan. It includes, among other activities, permissions for after-sales, translation and market research services. The EU–Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement does not include any facilitations for touring musicians.

The UK pushed for the list of permitted activities to be expanded to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff. This was a straightforward solution for our creative industries which would have benefited all sides. Regrettably, the EU rejected these proposals.