Almost 9 out of 10 citizens (87%) agree that they feel like citizens of the EU (Eurobarometer 528, 2023). But do we really know what EU citizenship means?
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of EU citizenship. This anniversary is a reminder of the importance of the rights EU citizenship entails, like move and reside freely within the EU, vote for and stand as a candidate in European Parliament and municipal elections, consular protection (help from the embassy or consulate of any other EU country to EU citizens in distress in a country outside the EU where they have no embassy or consulate of their own country), petition the European Parliament and complain to the European Ombudsman, launch or support a European citizens’ initiative, asking the European Commission to propose legislation on an issue that matters to them or contact and receive a response from any EU institution in one of the EU’s official languages
The freshly published Citizenship Report 2023 of the European Commission takes stock of all developments in the area of EU citizenship since 2020. It also includes a proposal to amend the Consular Protection Directive, new guidance on free movement, and a ‘Guide to EU citizenship’ which is currently only available in English, but it is hoped that more language versions will be published soon.
