Obtaining Long-Term Resident Status in the European Union

This paper deals with obtaining long-term resident status in the European Union under Directive 2003/109/EC and problems arising from certain provisions. While enhancing the rights of legally resident third-country nationals, the Directive is in some aspects incompatible with the case law of the Court of Justice regarding citizens as well as international agreements regarding the free movement of persons. At the same time, the practical applicability of certain provisions is doubtful due to the wide margin of discretion given to Member States.