Some 300,000 Brits own holiday homes in the EU. Many of these are owned by the over 60’s who have worked hard or have inherited the wealth to buy them. Most have no mortgages or debts to repay, have good pensions and therefore surplus cash to experience other countries with both short and long breaks. However, because they wish to make use of their own properties, often as bases from which to explore Europe, they now cannot as they are not allowed to stay more than 90 days per 180 days in any given period. This means that those who may wish to visit other European countries for a few weeks, or more, do not have not sufficient time.

The net result is that the millions of Euros that these many thousands of visiting British would have spent in hotels, restaurants and on taxi’s etc. is just not being spent in the EU. Many Brits are saving their money and planning bigger spends in the USA, Caribbean, Canada, Far East, Australia & New Zealand. Sadly the result is that for many of the hard working staff in hotels and restaurants, the taxi drivers, etc there will be no work. Whilst for the owners there will be little financial return resulting in many sites ending up run down. This leads to less tourists and whole areas suffering deprivation.

Meanwhile whilst the tourist businesses suffer, the “Bureauprats” continue to featherbed their nests. They collect their inflated wages, high expenses and EU perks! For example - Are EU citizens aware that they are paying, through their taxes, for the children of ALL EU employees to receive university education completely free of all fees and expenses any where in the EU up to the age of 25!

It is time that the “EU Bureauprats” stopped looking after themselves and looked after the people who pay them - their citizens!

L. W. Quigley, By email