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British riders may be unable to race in Europe under new Brexit rules

The visa rules mean that non EU citizens can only spend 90 days in Europe.

British riders are petitioning the government to get visa-free permits so they can race in Europe this season.

Under the new Brexit agreement British nationals can only travel on the continent for 90 in 180 days. 

The petition, which currently has 2,300 signatures,  is being supported by a number of pro riders.

They are campaigning to get a new visa-free permit which will allow them to continue racing. 

The petition states:  "The UK has a huge number of sporting professionals, young and training athletes that travel year-round to Europe to train and compete.

"Wintersports, for example, can have athletes training and competing over 8 months of the year.

"Now, with many athletes self-funded and potentially each country asking for its own visa per trip, this will become impossible due to cost if there is this limit of 90 in 180 days travel.

"Please negotiate a visa-free permit for athletes and sporting professionals."

Many riders have also taken to social media to voice their concerns about how they are going to be able to continue competing in Europe next year. 

One rider, Anna Henderson, a 22-year-old who currently rides for Team Jumbo-Visma, said she fears it will be 'impossible' to continue competing if the rules are not changed.

Writing on Twitter, she said: "Sport requires athletes to spend long periods of time in the Schengen area, and without easy options for this it becomes impossible.

"Britain’s sporting success [re]lies on athletes being able to do their job properly and 90 days within 180 days simply does not allow this to happen...

"I understand covid-19 is an issue, but long stay visas allow us to stay in one place for a long time.

"Having to travel to and from the Schengen area due to the 90 day rule is increasing travel and putting more people at risk.

"Elite sports events continue to happen, and British athletes will struggle to attend such events and train properly for them if this does not change."

The petition requires at least 10,000 signatures for the appeal to receive a response from the government. 

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77 comments

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to Legin | 3 years ago
0 likes

In terms of freedom of movement/employment everybody knew exactly what to expect.

Seeing as we are specifically discussing freedom of movement/employment then the last minute nature of the rest of the deal has absolutely no relevance.

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Legin replied to Rich_cb | 3 years ago
3 likes

Rich_cb  - You may be on a one poster campaign to justify this sh1t show. Your efforts do not detract from the fact that you are wrong and no matter how many times you choose to post tripe some people just thinks its offal.

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Rich_cb replied to Legin | 3 years ago
0 likes

Post Brexit rules regarding residency were part of the withdrawal agreement.

The final version of this was agreed in October 2019.

This simple, verifiable, fact completely destroys your argument that there was insufficient time to obtain EU residency.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit_withdrawal_agreement

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Jetmans Dad replied to Rich_cb | 3 years ago
0 likes
Rich_cb wrote:

I must have missed that part of the article? I just scanned it again and can't see a mention of residency permits. Regardless, it's perfectly possible to be a professional athlete from outside the EU and compete within the EU. If athletes from many other countries can achieve it then I don't see why British athletes require special treatment.

Apologies ... it was a comment from another user not in the article. However, what they said does appear to be correct on checking. 

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cbrndc replied to Rapha Nadal | 3 years ago
6 likes
Rapha Nadal wrote:

It really is the gift that keep on giving isn't it!

Anybdy had any luck with ordering bike parts from the EU yet?

No luck; Bike24 an online retail Co in Germany that I've used before, because they stock and supply the complete ranges of producers (half sizes in shoes, non standard crank lengths etc) but are not sending to the UK anymore. That is a bad business idea. UK retailers, step up to the plate and capitalise on their failings.

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cafezinh062 replied to cbrndc | 3 years ago
0 likes

Why don't they send to the UK? They send to Australia.

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Jetmans Dad replied to cafezinh062 | 3 years ago
2 likes

I believe it has to do with how the UK's VAT rules have changed, which means EU based businesses having to account for tax in a different way to how they used to and some businesses deciding simply to stop shipping to the UK because of the costs of the extra bureaucracy. 

Presumably Australia don't do that. 

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Awavey replied to Jetmans Dad | 3 years ago
2 likes

no Australia have pretty much the same tax setup I believe, one of the reasons the EU proposed these VAT changes was to bring the European market into step with what alot of the rest of the world countries already did.

hopefully when the EU catches up with its VAT changes in July it will make alot more sense to these companies whats actually happened

btw the costs of the extra bureaucracy stuff,you just amortize it across your customers orders from those territories, which is how most of the companies operating and arent complaining about it are doing and have done for a while, those that cant werent doing much business in that territory anyway.

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ktache replied to Jetmans Dad | 3 years ago
3 likes

I'm sort of hoping that some of the EU Megasites that have proved to be invaluable to me recently are just holding off for a bit, seeing how the splatter develops now the the shit has truely hit the fan, to be a little more welcoming in a bit, more expensive perhaps, but less "Not sending to the UK"

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HoarseMann replied to Jetmans Dad | 3 years ago
0 likes
Jetmans Dad wrote:

Presumably Australia don't do that. 

Correct.

Australia collect tax on goods at the border. There's no requirement for companies selling to Aus to register and collect the duties themselves.

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simontm replied to HoarseMann | 3 years ago
2 likes

Australia charge GST for goods of 10% and if your company qualifies it must register for and collect duty. 

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HoarseMann replied to simontm | 3 years ago
1 like
simontm wrote:

Australia charge GST for goods of 10% and if your company qualifies it must register for and collect duty. 

True, but the UK makes everyone register and collect for low value goods, whereas Australia only requires those importing more than $75,000 to do so.

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Awavey replied to HoarseMann | 3 years ago
0 likes

though as an example it means if you sell something to an Australian via Ebay, Ebay will collect the GST and register it for you, I presume places like Shopify etc are similarly treated as a whole, rather than individual small businesses.

but the whole point of this VAT change is its part of a global governmental trend to end the VAT or GST exemptions on imported online sales of goods worldwide.

The EU changes, which are part of what the UK implemented first, probably go the furthest, so far, but Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, USA and Norway are all on the same journey and implementing already or considering similar schemes, and it will especially in light of the success of e-commerce and governments desire to raise taxes to fill the whole in the finances from the past year be an area where more changes are made. Just look at what Australia are trying to put in law for Google/Facebook to pay more tax, to be a news aggregator.

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Rapha Nadal replied to cafezinh062 | 3 years ago
3 likes

It may have something to do with Australia actually giving due consideration to these things and arranging a deal with EU and/or it's member states.  Whereas our leadership just bumbled through and probably ignored it.

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Rich_cb replied to Rapha Nadal | 3 years ago
1 like

The VAT changes were agreed whilst we were EU members in conjunction with the rest of the EU.

The EU were supposed to implement the exact same changes on the exact same day.

The EU chose to delay the change by 6 months due to Covid but they will be bringing in the exact same policy later this year.

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HoarseMann replied to Rich_cb | 3 years ago
1 like
Rich_cb wrote:

The EU chose to delay the change by 6 months due to Covid but they will be bringing in the exact same policy later this year.

I do find it ironic that since leaving the EU, the UK has managed to implement EU bureaucracy before the EU!

The upshot of all this is it makes trade within the EU easier, but more difficult outside of it (especially for small retailers).

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Eton Rifle replied to Rapha Nadal | 3 years ago
4 likes
Rapha Nadal wrote:

It really is the gift that keep on giving isn't it!

Anybdy had any luck with ordering bike parts from the EU yet?

I ordered a pair of Fizik shoes from Deporvillage before Christmas, anticipating this shit show. I finally received them in late January. God alone knows what it's like ordering stuff now. I've noticed some pretty hefty price increases as well. A Fizik saddle I bought for £122. 50 in December was up to £153.99 in January.
Still, I'm sure Rich will be along shortly to explain how it's all the EU's fault because he read it in the Daily Heil...

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