I’ve already got it done 
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None of those seem spurious to me.
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It doesn’t matter what the grounds for refusal were as the French authorities are not allowed to refuse to issue a residence document to EU citizens when requested by those who qualify for permanent residence after living in France for five years. That boat has sailed for Brits but at the time permanent residence documents to which they were entitled were being illegally refused on spurious grounds.
Here is a report from the European Citizens Action Service that highlights France’s illegal refusal of residence documents to EU applicants (as well as a host of other egregious examples of other EU states putting obstacles in the way of residence & freedom of movement eg Sweden’s personnummer Catch 22).
Mmm… spurious… 
But Nigel, before Brexit there was absolutely no need for a carte de séjour : every Brit had UK ID (a passport obviously to get into France!). And once Brexit had been voted there was no point issuing a carte de séjour to people who still no longer needed one and for whom it would be null and void once the UK left the EU. Some may find it hard to move on and accept what’s happened, others like me simply find France’s attitude pragmatic. France isn’t responsable for any of this mess, it’s the UK that have shafted Brits abroad, France is doind what it can (let’s not forget covid and a million and one things more important than Brits in France) to sort this shite out in a very reasonable and favourable way. 
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and those still there who aspire to better things…
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And I read that some préfectures where there are a lot of British immigrants didn’t have staff capacity to divert to issue pointless CdSs - there were much more important things they needed to do. Which strikes me as a logical thing to do.
(Edit…and if Andrew Hearne has applied for nationality without a CdS then surely that shows how meaningless they are? For nationality they want a huge number of important and not so important documents, so a CdS is just an irrelevance for a European. Of course next year you’ll need one!)
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I didn’t quite have the stamina to read the whole document but, worrying though these individual reports are, they do not strike me as a systematic denial of rights - more the failure of individual immigration officers or consular staff who are not fully conversant with a complex set of rules (and who occasionally make things up on the spot). Or people caught in a catch-22 between two agencies (which I have no doubt causes much anguish for any individual caught in this way).
The situation of French residency permits post Brexit is just part of the Brexit confusion and I can see why prefectures do not want to issue a document which is not strictly required and will shortly become invalid.
In some ways I can see the rules becoming clearer next year (though, obviously, much more restrictive overall).
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All EU states are obliged to issue on request to those eligible a document confirming that the holder is entitled to permanent residence. Many préfectures were very helpful & are even now still issuing 10year CdS to eligible Brits but others ignored that requirement. Any EU citizen may want to request a permanent CdS eg to make things easier getting a CdS for their TCN spouse. It’s not acceptable that the préfectures flout the requirements.
The good news with the online application system is that it should ensure consistency of treatment & there will be EU scrutiny of the process so France will be made to obey the rules. There won’t be any nonsense about insisting on translations of birth certificates (or any birth certificate for an adult) or copies of pay slips etc They will also be obliged to issue 10 year CdS to those with permanent residence & 5 year CdS for those who don’t yet qualify for permanent residence so no more issuing a series of one year cards.
Agree but it has been at the level of the préfecture rather than nationally. Personally I would accept that Brexit as a special case for Brits applying for CdS-UE. Obviously if blocks are put in the way of Brits getting CdS’s post Brexit that would be a different situation.
Well given that the UK has breached EU laws on so many occasions - pollution control, fisheries, freedom of movement etc etc I really don’t think UK citizens should be complaining about a few préfectures being stubborn about something so trivial.
For more important is the fact that so many were unable to vote in the referendum despite Tory promises.
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There is no such thing as an EU citizen. An individual is a citizen of the EU member country of birth or such other EU member country of which they have taken nationality. [Sorry: I got a bit Churchillian with my grammar]
If a citizen of one of the member countries of the EU, the individual will have rights that are common across the EU. Come 01/01/2021 FoM will not be one of them [as at present] , along with all the rest, for a Brit.
I have watched with diminishing hope and increasing sadness the attempt to create a ‘European Green Card’ for Brits in the EU and European citizens in UK. This has even gone all the way up to the main movers and shakers of the EU Brexit teams but has been ruled out.
“If you have the right to reside in the UK your freedom of movement between the EU27 states and the UK are guaranteed.”
This applies up to 31/12/2020 and no longer unless you are a citizen of an EU member state. If not, then not.
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There is - as defined by Article 8 of the Maastricht treaty.
We are no longer EU citizens but for a brief period we have the same rights and responsibilities as EU citizens - I think that’s where the confusion arises to be honest.
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I don’t care a jot, we’re neither here nor there but what we are is happy, living where we want to live and happy. I feel that France is happy for us to stay and I’m not worried about my application. I feel much safer here all round and feel that we will be more than accepted post Brexit. I fear more for my family back in the UK post Brexit than I do for myself
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We have to bite the bullet and accept what will be (if it ever happens ?)
Wouldn’t recommend breaking the law when in a foreign country and using French lawyers.
It’s been rumoured that French Police are targeting British motorists. I have been coming regularly to France for 50 years using autoroutes and never fined for speeding or anything. Since June I have received two speeding camera fines for going 4kph over the limit while being overtaken by local drivers travelling 20+kph as they fly past.
Might just be a rumour but take care.
The cameras don’t (can’t) discriminate between drivers from different countries - where on earth did that rumour come from?
Can you be certain that you were in the places at the time specified on the notices - what has been known is for registration plates to be cloned 
If so, what was the speed limit you infracted? +4kph would trigger a flash in most cases.
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You have no idea what the local drivers received! Depending in the speed they would have got a bigger fine, more points off their licences, obligatory driver school and so on.
There are times when the police have a bit of a binge on fining people.
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Just to add, I’ve been caught locally so many times, french licence, french van, french car, I mates with the chef gendarmes, and the sous chef for that matter. People also pay their fines in my tabac so I see what’s going on locally that way too. As has already been said, no radar can target foreign vehicles, I’ve been done several times for just 1km/h over the limit (retained speed) as have so many other people. Speeding fines are big business for the State
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Jane,
Thanks for replying as I was both hoping for a reply and more importantly advising people visiting just for holidays that foreigners in the past tend to be left alone by French Police as it’s too much trouble.
It sounds as you’ve been stung? But the points, fine, schooling system is virtually just the same in the U.K.
It was interesting that on the Offence Form you could leave paying for a long time as the fine increments seem to ascend from €45 up to over €300. Perhaps as I suspected having a British reg. no. car that’s why have got away with it so easily?
Anyway thanks for your comment which with feeling a recluse here in Provence it gives me something to respond to.
Stay safe.
Martin
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