[DATE]
[MP Name]
[MP Constituency]
[Constituency office address]
Dear [Insert MP Name]
No Deal Brexit and the potential impact on British sports coaches and instructors who work in Europe.
I am a member of the British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI). BASI is recognised by the UK government as the competent authority in the sphere of snowsport instructor qualifications and training.
BASI has over 6,000 qualified members, we work in 38 countries, the majority working either full time or part time in Europe. BASI is one of the UK snowsports industries biggest export success stories. Along with 25,500 RYA qualified professional sailing instructors who work in 58 countries globally with 25% working in Europe. As instructors and coaches, we currently enjoy freedom of movement and working rights in Europe and we are ambassadors not only for our own associations but for brand GB.
I am writing to express my fear of a No Deal Brexit and the implications this will have on my ability and the ability of other coaches and instructors from other UK organisations to continue to work as professional instructors throughout the European Union. The aim of this communication is to highlight the plight of the thousands of UK coaches and instructors across UK sports who, by virtue of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive, offer their professional services in EU Member States to both UK and EU citizens in those Member States.
A No Deal Brexit raises the following areas of concern which I believe threatens the ability of instructors to pursue their professional activity in the EU.
· Qualification Recognition & Employment Recognition
BASI qualifications are currently aligned to the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework and in turn the European Qualification Framework. The UK is currently a signatory to the COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/907 of 14 March 2019 establishing a Common Training Test for ski instructors under Article 49b of Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of the professional qualifications. A No Deal Brexit will result in the UK no longer being party to recognition on the EU qualification framework or a signature to the Delegated Regulation of the 14 March 2019.
A No Deal Brexit will require my professional instructor body, BASI, to re-negotiate bilateral agreements with each member state on qualification recognition and working rights. This will set us back years resulting in many instructors losing their jobs in Europe.
· Instructor course operations in the EU
Currently BASI is free to run a full range of qualification course programmes throughout EU countries. We have a 4-stage qualification system and only Level 1 and Level 2 can be run in the UK, Level 3 and Level 4 require conditions that are not available to us in the UK. The instructor course programme is delivered by both BASI and the Business Partners my association works with. A No Deal Brexit may result in increased administration, higher course costs and more course administration procedures if BASI wish to continue to programme courses in EU countries.
· Employment Opportunities
BASI has been recommending for some time that members who work and live in Europe seek legal advice specific to their own situation and ensure they are registered both fiscally and residentially. A No Deal Brexit offers no security whatsoever for those who currently run businesses or are employed as instructors in EU countries. And for new members going through the UK instructor qualification framework their ability to work in future (permanently or temporarily in the EU) will depend on what reciprocal working rights the UK government intends to offer EU nationals who work in Britain.
I ask that you and your parliamentary colleagues consider these implications and ensure that everything is done to ensure that we avoid a No Deal Brexit in order to safeguard future working opportunities for instructors and coaches of all UK sports associations who currently enjoy working rights throughout the EU and beyond.
Yours sincerely
[Your name]