Making EU citizenship an added value in everyday life

'Making the most of EU citizenship' was the theme of a joint Hearing of three European Parliament Committees (Petitions Committee, Civil Liberties and Home Affairs Committee and the Legal Affairs Committee) in the presence of the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Viviane Reding. The Hearing was organised to highlight the European Year of Citizens.

"Our objective is to search for practical tools that can further remove obstacles to the freedom of movement and to exercise political rights. The fall of national barriers did not automatically mean that citizens could fully exercise their political rights. As demonstrated, for example, by the upcoming Italian elections, more and more European citizens living in other European countries are complaining about the difficulty of being able to vote, both in countries of origin and in the country of residence", said Erminia Mazzoni MEP, Chairwoman of the Petitions Committee.

"Our message is that European and national citizenships are not in opposition against each other", said Philippe Boulland MEP. "Many citizens might not believe in Europe. But Europe is sometimes the best way to solve administrative, fiscal or social problems. The EP Petitions Committee enables EU citizens to contact the European Parliament directly with their complaints. Contrary to common belief, Member States often hide behind the subsidiarity principle, either in order not to apply the rights of EU citizens, or in order not to imagine other rights at EU level, for example as regards divorce", he continued.

Swedish MEP Anna Maria Corazza Bildt said: "We are fully committed to removing obstacles to free movement and excessive red tape that citizens experience when they live, study or work in the EU. To pave the way for European citizens to fully enjoy their rights, we have to shift from fragmented to harmonised rules. A lot has been achieved, for instance, on patient mobility, the portability of pension rights, consumer rights, protection of victims, in particular of women against domestic violence. But more needs to be done, not least to fight discrimination. During this European Year of Citizens, more than ever, engaging directly with citizens is the key to reviving our sense of belonging to a community of rights and concretely showing that Europe improves our daily lives. We are Europe!"