EU Citizenship: New survey shows EU citizens are more aware of their rights

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

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A new Eurobarometer survey on EU Citizenship and Democracy released today by the European Commission shows that a vast majority of Europeans (91%) are familiar with the term “citizen of the European Union”. This is the highest level of awareness yet since 2007 and a steady increase from 87% recorded in 2015. Most Europeans are well informed about their electoral rights – at national and European levels. Today, the European Commission is also launching a public consultation on EU Citizenship Rights. Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová said: “I am happy to see that more and more Europeans are aware of their EU citizenship rights: the right to reside in another Member State, to be treated equally regardless of their nationality or to vote and stand in EU elections. But citizens also need to know how to protect those rights when they are not respected. I want to empower European citizens, so that they can fully benefit from what Europe has to offer. Commissioner for Justice and Consumers, Didier Reynders, said, “Fostering EU citizenship and participation in democratic life remains one of the Commission’s highest priorities. It is therefore very encouraging to see that an overwhelming majority of Europeans know what being a citizen of the European Union means concretely. The European Commission is equally committed to ensuring that citizens can continue enjoying all the rights that EU citizenship gives them. This holds particularly true in COVID-19 times, where we have to be extra vigilant to protect citizen’s rights.” Main findings of EU Citizenship and Democracy survey

1. High level of awareness of EU citizenship rights

According to the survey, more than six in ten Europeans (65%) are aware of the term “citizenship of the European Union” and know what it means, while almost one in three (26%) have heard about it. Citizens are particularly aware about the right to make a complaint to the European Union institutions (89%), the right to reside in any Member State of the EU (85%) and when in another Member State, the right to be treated in the same way as a national of that Member State (81%). Although a number of Europeans, who know what to do when their rights as an EU citizen are not respected, is steadily growing only 37% feel well informed. This represents an 11 percentage point increase from 26% recorded in 2015. Finally, 92% of respondents said that if they were in a country outside the EU with no consulate or embassy from their own country and needed help, they would seek support from an EU Delegation.

2. Overall benefits of free movement in the EU

When asked about free movement, 84% of respondents said they think the free movement of EU citizens within the European Union brings overall benefits to the economy of their country. This shows a 13 percentage points rise since 2015, when 71% citizens recognised the benefits of the free movement. This Eurobarometer was carried out before the COVID-19 lockdown measures were introduced in majority of Member States.

3. Good knowledge of EU electoral rights

The Eurobarometer also included questions on the electoral rights of the EU citizens. Just over seven in ten respondents (71%) know that a European citizen living in different EU country than the country of his/her origin has the right to vote or stand as a candidate in European Parliament elections. When asked about the 2019 European Parliament elections, a vast majority of respondents said that having more or better information about the elections in general and the impact of the EU on daily lives more specifically, would have made them more inclined to vote. Public consultation on EU Citizenship Today, the European Commission is also launching a public consultation on EU Citizenship Rights. The focus of this consultation is to gather information, experiences and views on EU citizenship rights, which will feed into the next EU Citizenship Report. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, this consultation also includes questions related to the impact of emergency measures on EU citizenship rights. All citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute to this consultation until 1 October 2020. Next steps The feedback from the Eurobarometer on EU citizenship and democracy, the public consultation launched today, and a broader stakeholder consultation (to be launched in the second half of 2020), will feed into the next EU Citizenship Report. This Report will set out concrete actions to further advance the EU citizenship rights, including democratic participation and in a cross-border context. The 2020 EU Citizenship Report will complement the European Democracy Action Plan, both to be adopted by the end of 2020, to help improve the resilience of EU democracies. Background In line with Article 25 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Commission is legally obliged to publish an EU Citizenship Report on the application of the provisions on non-discrimination and citizenship and outlining new priorities in this area every three years. With regard to the Political Guidelines of the Commission 2019-2024, the upcoming Citizenship Report will provide an additional impetus to deliver on the priorities of the Commission including nurturing, strengthening and protecting democracy in the European Union.