Alan Baker, new Chairman for Romandie West.
Michael Bruce, having been advised to reduce his activities, retired as Chairman of Romandie West (RW) at the AGM in May. However, having started the “project” of planning that region’s 2018 Queen’s Birthday Party, he saw it through to a successful conclusion. Many thanks are due to Michael for stepping into the gap a couple of years ago at the head of RW and for doing much to build up good relations with a large number of like-minded associations in the area. Good news is that there is no vacuum at the top of RW. We are fortunate that ALAN BAKER, a strong BRA member, has agreed to take over the helm of the region. Alan is a popular ‘activist’ in the Leman area and is known more widely in Switzerland as Vice-Chairman of the RAFA Swiss Branch and a former Royal British Legion Committee member. He was co-opted onto the BRA Council at its meeting in June and is already beavering away, planning how to help the BRA meet the challenges of remaining relevant and interesting in this busy region. We wish Alan well in his new post and I encourage all to support him and his team in […]
BRA Policy on Security of Your Personal Data
Recently the Western world has had a flurry of activity caused by the introduction of the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), with threats of €20 million fines if we all do not strictly comply with this one-size-fits-all law. Although the BRA is based in Switzerland and is regulated by the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, we cannot ignore the GDPR if only because some members (like me) live in France. Consequently, like other organisations whether the size of Airbus or the local croquet team, we have had a look at how we handle personal information and how we will need to adapt some of our procedures. In essence, we are writing down and publishing in the form below what has been an implicit BRA privacy policy; spelling-out the means that we use to contact you; and making all of that obvious on the application form for those joining in future. If you are happy with the way BRA looks after your personal data and communicates with you, you need do nothing. If you have queries about the information about you we hold, ask Noreen or myself. If you want to restrict some or all of your personal data […]
BREXIT UPDATE, 21 December 2017
I have received the message below from Jane Owens, the new UK Ambassador who took up her post on 18th December. Ms Owen’s aim is to let British Residents know the state of progress on their rights after Brexit. I will be meeting her at the Embassy on 12 January and will emphasize the importance of this matter to BRA. I would appreciate you letting me know of any concerns that I should bring to the notice of the Embassy. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/message-from-the-british-ambassador-to-british-citizens-living-in-switzerland-and-liechtenstein In the meantime, I would like to wish you a Happy Christmas and a peaceful and fulfilling 2018. Graham Robertson National Chairman
“The BRA NEEDS YOU to do your bit”
“The BRA NEEDS YOU to do your bit” At the 2017 AGM there was a discussion as to the merits of offering one year’s free membership to those members who successfully introduced a new BRA member. Your Council has decided to continue this incentive until December 2018. WE NEED NEW MEMBERS. Go out into the valleys, rolling meadows, towns, villages, and uplands of Switzerland and seek new members. The BRA will not survive without new ” blood “. Don’t rely on your Council. You must play your part too, so as to ensure that the BRA prospers for the foreseeable future. Succeed, and your 2019 annual subscription will be ZERO. Lord Kitchener in World War One said ” Your country needs you “. Similarly, the BRA needs you to do your ” bit ” so that it can survive and flourish.
Automatic Exchange of and the Swiss Voluntary Tax Programme
Swiss Taxpayers And The Automatic Exchange Of Information (AEI): The Swiss Voluntary Disclosure Programme (VD) And The Simplifed Procedure Of Tax Recovery Available To Heirs The following important information has been provided by BRA member, Peter Steimle, whose company, Steimle & Partners Consulting Sagl, is based in Lugano. Should further information be required, his office maybe contacted by e-mail at info@steimle-consulting.ch or telephone: 091 9139900. The VD procedure applies to undeclared assets and income wherever located and exempts individuals and companies from fines and criminal prosecution. The disclosure programme is also available to heirs, with the simplified procedure for the recovery of taxes on undeclared assets and income of the testator. Both VD programs represent the only concrete opportunity for Swiss taxpayers to regularize their tax situation without incurring administrative and criminal sanctions. The many political attempts to introduce a general Swiss tax amnesty have not been successful up to now. The new global standard for the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEI), relevant for tax purposes The aim of the AEI standard is to effectively combat cross-border tax evasion. At the moment more than 100 countries, including Switzerland, have in principle adhered to the introduction of this new global standard. In accordance with the Multilateral […]
OLDER NEWS
UK Embassy Roadshows for UK Nationals
The UK Embassy has asked BRA to broadcast the following message to all of our members and their contacts. This is a chance to hear what is happening about Brexit and to make your views known. Note the need to register quickly. Calling all British Nationals in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, The British Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Jane Owen, cordially invites you to a series of events to discuss Brexit. There will be the chance to meet the Ambassador, ask your questions about Brexit and share your thoughts on its impact on you. Here are the dates coming up: 22 February 2018: Bern 23 February 2018: Genève 07 March 2018: Basel 13 March 2018: Zürich 20 March 2018: Lugano 23 March 2018: Vaduz The events will be after work, beginning roughly at 6pm. Further details to follow soon. Please register by emailing us at info.berne@fco.gov.uk with the subject “British Nationals Roadshow”, including your full name and the event you would like to attend. Similarly, if you have specific issues or questions that you want to raise or otherwise get involved, please let us know in your email. We look forward to welcoming you at one of our Roadshows. British Embassy Berne
Message from Jane Owen, UK Ambassador, to BRA Members
Greetings to all members of the British Residents’ Association and thank you for all the work you do to keep the engine of UK/Swiss relations running smoothly, and also helping to promote Britain, our values, our strengths and our outreach here in Switzerland. Sitting here in my office and looking out of the window at Thunplatz in Bern, I can’t believe that I have now been here for just over a month. I was delighted that our Prime Minister was able to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, and had the opportunity to meet President Berset. This confirmed at the highest level our commitment to our bilateral relationship within a strong Europe as well as in the wider world. I’m grateful to so many people for the information, friendship and advice that they have offered me, including Graham Robertson your chairman. I’m looking forward to meeting more of the BRA members, and hearing about your achievements, which I know cover all aspects of our bilateral relationship, from trade and technology to culture, education, research and tourism. The UK and Switzerland have an incredibly close partnership, which is not always fully appreciated by people outside its immediate sphere of […]
New Ambassador & BRA Patron
Jane Owen replaced David Moran in the post of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation and non-resident Ambassador to Liechtenstein in late December 2017. On 12 January, I was fortunate to be given a meeting with her to introduce the BRA and to request that she took on the rôle of BRA Patron. She readily accepted the task and expressed a willingness to get to know UK residents in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. We had a good discussion on matters of concern to our members and how the BRA and the Embassy can work together to meet these concerns. After the meeting the following appeared on Ms Owen’s Twitter feed (@JaneOwenFCO . Jan 12). “Delighted to meet Graham Robertson, Chairman of the British Residents’ Association of Switzerland this morning. It’s an honour to be their patron and look forward to working together to support our large and influential community across the country.” Graham Robertson National Chairman, BRA
BREXIT UPDATE, 8 December 2017
On 8th December, an agreement in principle was reached between the UK Government and the European Commission on the the first phase of the negotiations on the UK withdrawal from the E.U. Apart from matters concerning financial settlements and the Irish border, there is more detail on protection of citizens’ rights including work, social and medical benefits. The joint technical note agreed between the the two sides of the negotiations is at; https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665869/Joint_report_on_progress_during_phase_1_of_negotiations_under_Article_50_TEU_on_the_United_Kingdom_s_orderly_withdrawal_from_the_European_Union.pdf Although this is an agreement between the UK and the EU, it is likely that the provisions on citizens’ rights will also be applied by Switzerland. However, the full details will have to wait until the final settlement. Graham Robertson National Chairman
Welcome to the New BRA Website
For a number of years our website has provided information to BRA members. However, its age was causing Nigel Coombs increasing effort and heartache to keep it going. Last week, an update installed by our service provider proved incompatible with our existing application and “knocked out” our website to the extent that we were unable to enter it even for maintenance. The BRA Council agreed last year to build a more modern website. Deborah Gorsatt took on the project and, aided by our Secretary, has worked hard with the consultant to develop this new site. We have decided to bring the new website on-line now to ensure that BRA members have continued access to the information they need to plan their activities. Although some parts remain under construction, we hope that you find this new site informative and easy to use. I would like to thank Nigel Coombs for the supreme effort he has put in over the years to develop and maintain the old site. Deborah, Noreen and Thierry Butikofer (our consultant) have put in many long and hard hours to develop the new site and to make good the loss of our old site; they deserve our thanks particularly […]
BREXIT UPDATE, 26 June 2017
The UK Prime Minister has announced that the British government will continue pension uprating, payment of disability benefits and healthcare cover after Brexit for British expatriates in the EU. Speaking in the House of Commons on 26 June 2017, Theresa May said: “The UK will continue to export and uprate the UK state pension and provide associated healthcare cover within the EU. We will continue to protect the export of other benefits and associated healthcare cover where the individual is in receipt of those benefits on the cut-off date”. The cut-off date refers to a date, yet to be set, between the article 50 trigger day, March 29, 2017 and the day the UK leaves the EU, which may be March 29, 2019. She added that subject to negotiation, the UK would like to continue to participate in the European Health Insurance Card scheme so UK cardholders continue having free or reduced cost healthcare on visits to the EU, and vice versa. The obligations agreed to in the EU withdrawal treaty will bind the UK as a matter of international law, she said. “We will also incorporate the commitments into UK law, guaranteeing we will stand firmly by our part […]
BREXIT UPDATE
Below is a summary of recent BREXIT-related actions and events of interest to BRA members. The BRA is not a campaigning organisation but we will continue to keep our members informed of relevant actions and events as they arise. We are fortunate in having an Ambassador whose Embassy in Bern takes an interest in supporting UK citizens living in Switzerland. Through our close relations with the Embassy, the BRA will continue to make known the concerns and views of its members to the UK authorities. 31 January. BSCC Lunch in Geneva, On 31 January , a number of BRA members took up The British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce Geneva Chapter’s kind invitation to join them for lunch at the Warwick Hotel to hear Swiss Ambassador Henri Gétaz talk about BREXIT: implications for Switzerland and Swiss-EU relations. As the leader of the team in the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated to finding a satisfactory outcome to negotiations, Ambassador Gétaz explained the Swiss approach to negotiating with the UK and the EU about Brexit and the Swiss referendum on “free movement”. He described the Swiss aims as to “preserve rights and obligations based on CH-EU agreements also after Brexit and to extend relations […]
Berne is Best European Capital City
Berne in Switzerland has been crowned the Best European Capital City to work in, while the Albanian capital Tirana is the worst! London came 18th in this research conducted by silverdoor.co.uk. You can see it here! The research compared the cost of living, average monthly salary, unemployment rate, traffic commute and average hours worked in each capital.
Her Majesty the Queen surpasses Queen Victoria’s record
Your Council sent this letter to the Queen on Monday on your behalf congratulating her on becoming the longest-serving monarch in British history on this day, September 9, 2015. We are honoured to have received this reply from Her Majesty dated September 30, 2015. You can see a selection of pictures taken during each year of her reign on the BBC website just by clicking here! Buckingham Palace has calculated that Queen Victoria reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes, taking into account 63 years, 15 leap days, additional months and days and the precise timings of her accession and death. By those calculations, Queen Elizabeth II overtakes Victoria with 63 years plus 16 leap days, additional months and days and the exact time of the death of her father, King George VI. She came to the throne when she was older than Victoria, who was only 18. The historian, Dr Kate Williams, said “It shows that our female monarchs last the longest. The Queen’s longevity is a great source of her strength and popularity. She has lived through World War Two and throughout the 20th century.” Queen Victoria ascended the throne upon the death of her uncle, William IV, on 20 June 1837, less […]
British Citizenship for children born in Switzerland
A new version of this legislation is in the pipeline which will permit application for British citizenship for children born here of British parents also born here. The requirement for the parent to have spent 3 years in the UK before the child was born remains, but the application will be able to be made as long as the child is a minor, rather than before the child’s first birthday as is the case at present. Caveat: This statement has not been verified by the Embassy
Diamond Jubilee Concert
Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday, 21 April, was the date chosen for the magnificent Diamond Jubilee Concert held in Geneva’s Victoria Hall as the BRA’s national event. Tickets were booked well in advance and on the day a crowd of 1500 people waited impatiently outside for the doors to open. The venue was appropriate; the hall had been built and donated to Geneva by the then British Consul, Daniel Barton, in 1897 to celebrate that earlier British Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – which explains the name (and also probably why the Geneva authorities allowed the BRA to use it free of charge!). Sir Arthur Bliss’s Fanfare for a Distinguished Occasion, played by trumpeters from the organ balcony bathed in spotlights, was a suitably impressive opening to the proceedings. The British Ambassador to Switzerland, Sarah Gillett, then gave a brief address and read a congratulatory message from the Queen addressed to the Organizing Committee. The concert programme had been put together by Committee Chairman, Michael Type, with the help of Jean-Pierre Chevailler, Director of Music of Geneva’s Corps de Musique d’Elite Brass Band, and May Hofman, who directed the specially formed Diamond Jubilee Choir of 120 people supplemented by the 30 strong Children’s […]