TNAG-2612-FCO40-3803-International-support-from-European-countries-regarding-the--1992 — Page 21

CODE 18-77

NOTE FOR THE RECORD

cc: Mr Levi o/r

Mr Arthur, ECD (I) Mr Sullivan, NTCD

MAASTRICHT/HONG KONG

1.

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A member of the CDU research team, Herr Dornseifer, rang me in connection with the citizenship provisions in Article 8 of the Maastricht Treaty. He wanted to know whether people who lived in Hong Kong would come under the facilities guaranteeing EC citizens the right to vote in EC elections. After consulting Mr Scott in ECD(I) and abortively trying to confirm the position with NTCD, I referred Herr Dornseifer to a statement made by Britain in the Council in Brussels in 1983 which defined the persons covered by the EC Treaty as UK citizens and those with right of abode in the UK under the 1981 Nationality Act. I told him that Hong Kong residents did not have British citizenship and only a minority of them had the right of abode in the UK. Any fears that Germany would be granting citizens of Hong Kong the right to vote in a German election were therefore groundless.

2.

BRITISH

Herr Dornseifer appeared to find this assurance acceptable, and no doubt it tallies with the advice which he will have been given by the Auswaertiges Amt. I hope, therefore, that we have heard the end of the matter, but it would have been nice to know, and may still be necessary if the CDU revert, how many Hong Kong citizens have the right of abode in the UK and therefore potentially the right to vote in European elections.

D S Broucher

3 September 1992