§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the British sovereign bases in Cyprus are within the European Union; and, if Cyprus becomes a member of the European Union, whether they propose that these two British sovereign bases will also be within the European Union [HL1492]
§ The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The SBAs are outside the European Union, as agreed at the time of the UK's own accession. Following careful consideration of the political and technical aspects of this issue, the Government have concluded that the case for leaving the SBAs outside the European Union remains valid. We will be taking forward discussions with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Commission on that basis. Our policy will require some technical adjustments to ensure the continued smooth functioning of the relationship between the SBAs and Cyprus. We will need in particular to work out the best way to make sure that Cypriots who live and work in the SBAs do not benefit less from Cyprus's membership of the European Union than their compatriots in the Republic of Cyprus. And we need to ensure that the arrangements are compatible with the 1960 Treaty of Establishment. We will continue to keep Parliament informed of developments.