On 29 October 2020, a hearing on Union Citizenship will be jointly organised by the European Parliament (JURI, LIBE, AFCO and PETI Committees) and the European Commission. The hearing will see a keynote speech by Mr. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice and the participation of the office of the European Ombudsman, as well as representatives from various NGOs.
The objective of the hearing will be to offer a timely opportunity to further reflect, with all actors concerned, on concrete avenues to simplify and strengthen EU citizenship rights, promoting EU citizenship's values and citizens' democratic participation, also taking into account lessons learned from the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The internal border restrictions introduced during the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic made clear the benefits to EU citizens of their right to freedom of movement, as well as the barriers to certain social groups in exercising their full EU citizenship rights.
At the same time, the need to come up with new ways of working, meeting, and communicating can provide an opportunity to explore innovative channels and formats for enhancing European democracy - ways which could reach more EU citizens directly and facilitate their participation in debates and European elections.
The internal border restrictions introduced during the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic made clear the benefits to EU citizens of their right to freedom of movement, as well as the barriers to certain social groups in exercising their full EU citizenship rights.
At the same time, the need to come up with new ways of working, meeting, and communicating can provide an opportunity to explore innovative channels and formats for enhancing European democracy - ways which could reach more EU citizens directly and facilitate their participation in debates and European elections.
- Programme (DOCUMENT - 45 KB)
- Follow the first part of the joint-hearing from this link
- Follow the second part of the hearing from this link
- Eurobarometer Report - EU Citizenship and Democracy - July 2020 (PDF - 19 MB)
- Eurobarometer Report Summary - EU Citizenship and Democracy - July 2020 (PDF - 4 MB)
- Eurobarometer Report Inforgraphics - EU Citizenship and Democracy - July 2020 (PDF - 1 MB)
- Obstacles to participation in local and European elections inside the EU - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (15/09/2020)
- The role of ombudsmen and petitions committees in detecting breaches of EU law - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (26/11/2018)
- Update of the study on ‘The impact of Brexit in relation to the right to petition and on the competences, responsibilities and activities of the Committee on Petitions’ - by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (16/4/2018)
- Effective access to justice - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (15/11/2017)
- Temporary contracts, precarious employment, employees’ fundamental rights and EU employment law - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (15/11/2017)
- Obstacles to the Right of Free Movement and Residence for EU Citizens and their Families: Comparative Analysis - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (15/9/2016)
- Openness, Transparency and the Right of Access to Documents in the EU - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (16/6/2016)
- The interpretation of Article 51 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: the Dilemma of Stricter or Broader Application of the Charter to National Measures - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (15/2/2016)
- The Right to Petition - Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (15/7/2015)
- Presentation by Europeans Throughout the World (DOCUMENT - 68 KB)
- Presentation by the European Citizens’ Rights, Involvement and Trust Foundation (DOCUMENT - 445 KB)
- Advocacy Paper by the European Citizens’ Rights, Involvement and Trust Foundation and Voters Without Borders (PDF - 1 MB)
- Study on the benefits and drawbacks of remote voting solutions to support the preparation of a best practice guide for the use of digital tools to facilitate the exercise of EU citizens' political rights - Open Evidence (PDF - 2 MB)
- European Commission factsheet on the public consultation on EU citizenship (PDF - 144 KB)