2. 2013 EU Citizenship Report
● Timely political context
▪ 20 years of EU citizenship
▪ The European Year of Citizens - the Citizens' Dialogues
▪ Run-up to the European elections in 2014
● Citizens at the centre
▪ Online public consultation (9 May 2012)
Results: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/citizen/files/eu-citizen-brochure_en.pdf
▪ Eurobarometer surveys
▪ European Year events with civil society
▪ Forum with the Committee of the Regions
▪ Hearing with the European Parliament
▪ Citizens' Dialogues:
http://ec.europa.eu/european-debate/index_en.htm
3. Progress achieved: the Commission delivered
● Reporting on the 25 deliverables of the 2010 Report, for example:
Facilitating the smooth circulation of public documents (such as birth, death or marriage
certificates or documents relating to real estate);
Strengthening the rights of around 75 million people who are victims of crime every year in
the EU;
Cutting red tape for 3.5 million people registering a car in another EU country each year,
leading to savings of at least EUR 1.5 billion per year for businesses, citizens and registration
authorities;
Removing obstacles to the effective exercise of electoral rights in European and local
elections by the 8 million EU citizens of voting age living in an EU country other than their
own; and
Offering citizens user-friendly information on their EU rights through an online one-stop
shop information point — Your Europe and Europe Direct.
•● Full table of implementation available on VP Reding's website
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/reding/factsheets/index_en.htm
4. 12 new actions to improve EU citizens' lives
● 6 key areas
1. Removing obstacles for workers, students and trainees in the EU
2. Cutting red tape in the Member States
3. Protecting the more vulnerable in the EU
4. Eliminating barriers to shopping in the EU
5. Targeted and accessible information in the EU
6. Participating in the democratic life of the EU
5. 1 - Removing obstacles for workers, students and trainees
Making it easier for citizens to find a job
and boost the EU economy
▪ Action 1: Revising the social security
coordination regulation, in particular looking into
extending the export of unemployment benefits
for longer than the mandatory three months.
Facilitating young people's transition from
study to work and developing their skills
▪ Action 2: Developing a quality framework for
traineeships, modernising EURES, and launching
a pilot initiative to improve exchange of
information about traineeship and apprenticeship
opportunities in other EU countries.
Young people's willingness to work in another
EU country (Youth on the Move Eurobarometer
2011)
6. 2 - Cutting red tape in the Member States
Removing administrative hurdles and simplifying procedures for citizens living and
travelling in the EU
▪Action 3: Proposing solutions to remove obstacles linked to identity and residence documents.
▪Action 4: Taking initiatives to promote best tax practice and ensure correct application of EU
tax law.
▪Action 5: Taking steps to establish a vehicle information platform to facilitate the recognition
of roadworthiness certificates.
▪
7. 3 – Protecting the more vulnerable in the EU
Lifting obstacles for citizens
with disabilities (80 million
people with disabilities in the
EU)
▪Action 6: Developing an EU
disability card that is mutually
recognised across the EU.
Further strengthening procedural rights
in particular for children and vulnerable
citizens
(In the public consultation on EU citizenship, 73%
of respondents supported the idea of giving
children and vulnerable adults safeguards to
ensure a fair trial that must apply in any EU
country)
▪Action 7: Strengthening citizens' procedural
rights in criminal proceedings (legal aid,
presumption of innocence), taking into
account the specific situation of children and
vulnerable citizens.
8. 4 – Eliminating barriers to shopping in the EU
▪ Action 8: Revising the European Small
Claims Procedure to facilitate the settling of
disputes regarding purchases in another EU
country ( proposing to raise the current EUR
2 000 threshold to EUR 25 000)
▪ Action 9: Developing a model for the online
display of key requirements to make the
information on digital products clearer and
easy to compare. Launching, in spring 2014,
an awareness raising campaign on consumer
rights.
9. 5 – Targeted and accessible information in the EU
▪ Action 10: Ensuring that local administrations
are given the tools to fully comprehend the free
movement rights of EU citizens (via an e-training
tool and the town twinning scheme).
▪ Action 11: Providing user-friendly guidance on
its central Europa website.
Source: 2012 Public consultation on EU citizenship - Base: Respondents who faced problems while moving or residing in another EU country
10. 6 - Participating in the democratic life of the EU
▪Action 12:
-- issuing a handbook on EU rights;
-- propose constructive ways to enable EU citizens living in another EU country to fully
participate in the democratic life of the EU by maintaining their right to vote in
national elections in their country of origin;
-- developing the European public space.
Source: 2012 Public consultation on
EU citizenship - Base: All respondents
Source: 2013 Eurobarometer on
electoral rights
11. The Debate on the Future of Europe
Reaching out across the EU
Confirmed Citizens' Dialogue
Citizens' Dialogue in planning
Virtual event Winter 2014
