A Jersey-Guernsey visit to Brussels last week allowed two of the islands’ senior politicians to discuss key issues with representatives of the three main EU institutions – the Council, Commission and Parliament.
Jersey’s Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst, and Deputy Gavin St Pier (pictured right), Chief Minister of Guernsey, met the ambassadors to the EU of France, Romania and Latvia and senior officials from Finland and the UK.
They also met the chiefs of staff of EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova - whose responsibilities include data protection and anti-money laundering - and of UK Commissioner Sir Julian King, who has responsibility for EU security policy.
The meetings, organised by the Channel Islands Brussels Office, gave the ministers an opportunity to discuss a range of issues, with a focus on Brexit and the ongoing EU Code of Conduct assessment process.
Both ministers reiterated the relative stability of the islands’ relationship with the EU, and the fact that the Channel Islands are already outside the EU for most purposes.
Islands' contribution
They also underlined the contribution that EU nationals make to both island economies and communities, and the shared commitment to preserving EU nationals’ rights.
Senator Ian Gorst (pictured left) commented: “Up to 20 per cent of our population is comprised of EU nationals, who provide an invaluable contribution to our community and economy. I was able to reassure our interlocutors that we have developed the Jersey EU Settlement Scheme to ensure their nationals have continued ability to remain in Jersey after Brexit.
“I welcomed the opportunity to meet the new French ambassador to the EU, and to underline the importance of the Channel Islands relationship with France, our nearest neighbour.
“It was also invaluable to update the Chief of Staff of EU Commissioner Jourova on Guernsey and Jersey’s adoption of equivalent legislation to the EU’s GDPR and Law Enforcement Directive, as well as exchanging views on the shared objective of tackling money laundering and terrorist financing.”
Deputy Gavin St Pier added: “We discussed the value we place on the ongoing relationship between Europe and the Channel Islands. We were able to provide reassurance about the work we are undertaking in Brexit planning, as well steps to meet the commitments made to the EU Code of Conduct Group on business taxation.”