EU citizenship report 2017: Strengthening citizens’ rights in a Union of democratic change

As a citizenship shared by all Europeans, complementing and not replacing national citizenships, EU citizenship embodies shared rights and values as well as the rich diversity of a Union of different nationalities and languages. The Lisbon Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights consolidated the rights, opportunities and safeguards of EU citizenship. These include the freedom to travel, work and study in other EU countries, to participate in European political life and to be protected from discrimination on the basis of nationality.

To gain insight into the state of EU citizenship across the Union, and assess its impact on the everyday lives of European citizens and the need for further action, in 2015 the Commission carried out a dedicated consultation and two surveys on EU citizenship, including one on electoral rights. Events with key stakeholders were also organised, in particular with the European Parliament as well as with the Committee of Regions. Other feedback was received directly from EU citizens and stakeholders.

Since EU citizenship was first enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty twenty-five years ago, significant progress has been made to ensure the effectiveness of EU citizens’ rights in practice. Today, two-thirds of Europeans feel they are citizens of the EU, and even more among the younger generations. However, continuous efforts are needed to make sure that all EU citizens know their rights and can fully participate in the European democratic process. This is a political priority for the Commission, which has called for a Union of democratic change. It is also a joint effort, in which Member States, national parliaments and the EU institutions work together to strengthen the trust of Europe’s citizens in our common project, for a stronger and better Europe.

In 2013 the Commission announced twelve new initiatives in six key areas to remove remaining obstacles in the way of citizens’ enjoyment of their EU rights. It has since acted on all of these actions. With this third EU citizenship report, the Commission takes stock of progress in line with its political priorities for jobs, growth, fairness and democratic change. The Report sets out the main initiatives taken since 2014 to promote and strengthen European citizenship, and puts forward concrete proposals to deliver its key priorities for promoting, protecting and strengthening EU citizenship rights.

ESO: Background information: 2017 EU Citizenship Report: Commission promotes rights, values and democracy http://www.europeansources.info/record/2017-eu-citizenship-report-commission-promotes-rights-values-and-democracy/

ESO: Background information: Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions under Article 25 TFEU on progress towards effective EU citizenship 2013-2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/report-under-article-25-tfeu-on-progress-towards-effective-eu-citizenship-2013-2016/

---