In my view, the document smells a bit of propaganda. But that’s just me.
Section 117 would appear to say that reciprocal healthcare provision will continue. Am I being over optimistic in thinking that If my Polish wife and I move to France next year,we can look forward to having the UK pay our basic healthcare upon my state age retirement (wife also being UK citizen).
Edit - 117 rather than 113.
I would wait for the full legal text, and probably implementation texts. The word “reciprocal” is important here.
… and the EU Commission summary view:
from the press release
When the negotiations started I hoped for a win/win. As they fell apart I hoped the EU would defend itself well. It’s only early days, and I look forward to more in depth information, but my initial impression is that we have ended up with a lose/lose mishmash. It’s only a gut feeling but I don’t think this would have happened if Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk had still been in situ.
BTW, The Guardian is broadcasting an interview with Tusk on the 26th. I’ll be very interested in hearing his views.
Hello Michael, I think that is exactly what it is saying - congratulations.
And no visa required for your wife being an EU citizen (?) - don;t know for you…
The markets are not so impressed…
Now that deal has been done what are the general views on whether it gives us in France anything new…or takes anything away…or makes life easier or more complicated ? Can’t see any specific reference to banking, mobiles or the delivery and avaibility of digital services…assume there is no threat to Sky/FreeView/Netflix TV or UK ISPs winding down what they deliver.
EU pet passport scheme is now defunct/is a casualty
well that is hardly critical, just means you have to get a vets certificate 10 days prior to travel…and i guess that not many dogs are frequent fliers…or voyagers.
Agree.
It is also pretty vague - multiple variations on “the agreement will provide a framework for” or “define provisions for” - not much use until we see the actual details.
In some places it seems to suggest other than I have seen reported - for example I understand that no agreement on mutual recognition of professional qualifications was reached - to read this you’d think the opposite.
113, 117 and 118 seem to imply that something equivalent to the EHIC (perhaps the UKHIC) will continue, retirees will get the index linked annual uplift and if you are entitled to NHS healthcare then you will be entitled to healthcare when visiting the EU. I’ve read these paragraphs several times and, honestly, can’t see enough weasel words to interpret them any other way - para 118 in particular is very explicit.
Unlike para 119 - all that protects is the “ability to seek authorisation” - and that is quite definitely NOT worth the paper it’s printed on.
The devil, as always, is in the details - we need to see the full legal text before really knowing what has been agreed - and even then it will take practical application and “testing” of the agreement before we truly know how it will work in practice.
What is clear is that it will be too complex for anyone to digest and understand in the very short period available between publication and parliament voting on it.
Edit: somewhat more enlightened commentary than mine 
117 …they will be entitled to reciprocal healthcare cover. This includes certain categories of cross-border workers and state pensioners who retire to the UK or to the EU.
Not counting my chickens etc but this does give me some hope that moving to France permanently after the end of 2020 will not mean the end of reciprocal health care for those reaching state retirement age. This does not seem to be limited to visitors.
Here is the full treaty document, all 1256 pages of it.
Thanks for posting this.
I just wonder how many Brits will take the time to read and analyse it fully (including MPs charged with approving it) as opposed to just accepting Doris’ scant appraisal of how wonderful a Christmas present it is for the UK…
Not yet found anything supporting what was written under 117
Presumably a draft, the Table of Contents is a bit out of date compared with the text.
I think it’s there in the social security protocol, specifically articles SSC.17 and SSC.25 and I think the “Entitlement Document” will be the new version of the UK EHIC card - see appendix SSCI-2
I initially thought that Johnson has secured a reasonable deal (though obviously much worse than just staying in) but this BBC article makes the deal look rather poor from The UK side IMO. Particularly in services, data and product/agri standards.
That’s a good article in Prospect magazine Paul. Not a happy story but at least it ends on a positive note “One day, we will again take our seat around its (the EU) table”.