Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the 2013 European year of citizens

The concept of ‘citizenship of the Union’ was first introduced in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht. The subsequent Treaties of Amsterdam (1999) and Lisbon (2009) further strengthened the rights associated with Union citizenship. However, although the rights of freedom of movement and of residence are now well established in both primary and secondary Union law, there are still gaps between the applicable legal rules and the reality citizens face when they seek to exercise those rights in daily life. In particular, Union citizens are still confronted by too many practical obstacles when they choose to live and work in another Member State.

In its EU Citizenship Report 2010, the Commission addressed these obstacles, in particular as regards cross-border situations, and outlined 25 concrete measures to remove them. Among other things, it concluded that insufficient information prevented Union citizens from enjoying their rights, in particular the right of freedom of movement.

In its Resolution of 15 December 2010, the European Parliament called on the Commission to make 2013 the European Year of Citizens ‘in order to give momentum to the debate on European citizenship and inform EU citizens of their rights, in particular the new rights resulting from the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon’.

It was therefore appropriate, 20 years on from the Maastricht Treaty, to designate 2013 as the European Year of Citizens, ‘to enhance awareness of the rights attached to Union citizenship, in order to help citizens make full use of their right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States’. This objective was all the more relevant given the upcoming (2014) European elections, in which all Union citizens were entitled to vote and stand.

In line with Communicating Europe in Partnership, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission identified the 2013 European Year of Citizens as one of their 2013/2014 inter-institutional communication priorities.

In accordance with the Decision establishing the European Year of Citizens 2013, this report offers an overview of its implementation, results and overall achievements. It also builds on insights from the ex post evaluation of the Year carried out for the Commission by an external contractor.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)687: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:687:FIN

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