Activities of Kinga GÖNCZ related to 2011/0217(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Year of Citizens (2013) (debate)
Amendments (16)
Amendment 16 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Article 20(1) of the Treaty provides for citizenship of the Union as additional to national citizenship of the respective Member States, stipulating that every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union. The second paragraph of Article 20 specifies that citizens of the Union shall enjoy the rights and be subject to the duties provided for in the Treaties, and that they shall have, inter alia, the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States without any kind of discrimination (e.g. based on ethnicity). The right of Union citizens to free movement and residence is further enshrined in Article 21 of the Treaty.
Amendment 20 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The rights inherent to citizenship of the Union are incorporated in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. According to the Charter's Preamble, the Union, ‘founded on the indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity’, places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing a citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice’. Chapter V of the Charter sets down ‘Citizens’ rights‘, including, in its Article 45, the right of every citizen of the Union to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Accordingly, the Stockholm Programme puts the citizen at the heart of European policies in the field of freedom, security and justice. It focuses its actions on ‘building a citizen's Europe’, including by ensuring the full exercise of the citizens' right to free movement and by safeguarding the existence of an area in which diversity is respected and the most vulnerable are protected.
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In its ‘Resolution of 15 December on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2009) - effective implementation after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon’ the European Parliament called on the Commission to devote the 2013 European Year to citizenship in order to give momentum to the debate on Union citizenship and inform Union citizens of their rights and freedoms, in particular the new rights resulting from the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In particular, free movement and workers' mobility help addressing the consequences of demographic change and the problems arising from the mismatch between demand and supply on the labour market, while also increasing the employability of people and improving the competitiveness of European industries. At the same time, free movement either enables, as an essential condition, or stimulates the exercise by citizens of a broad range of rights available to them under Union law, such as their rights as consumers to access goods and services or their rights as passengers and tourists. Facilitating free movement has therefore the potential to enhance citizens' possibilities to fully benefit from the single market, whilst being a key driver for growth.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States without any kind of discrimination is highly valued by Union citizens as a core individual right deriving from Union citizenship. As such, it demonstrates and promotes a better understanding of the value of European integration, as well as citizens' participation in shaping the European Union. When extending aspects of their lives beyond national borders by travelling to other Member States or settling there, citizens become aware and take advantage of the broad array of rights granted to them under Union law in cross- border situations. Exercising the right to free movement and residence therefore contributes to making Union citizenship a tangible reality in the daily life of citizens.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Despite the fact that the right to free movement and residence is firmly anchored in primary Union law and substantially developed in secondary law, a gap still remains between the applicable legal rules and the reality confronting citizens (such as the Roma) when they seek to exercise this right in practice. Aside from an uncertainty over the advantages of being mobile, Union citizens perceive too many practical obstacles with regard to living and working elsewhere in the Union.
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) In the EU Citizenship Report 2010 ‘Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights‘, the Commission addressed the main obstacles which citizens still encounter in their daily lives when they seek to exercise their rights as Union citizens, in particular in cross-border situations and outlined 25 concrete actions to remove these obstacles. One of these obstacles was the lack of guarantees on the ground (i.e. citizens' rights are not fully enforced by Member States). Another obstacle identified in this context was lack of information. The Commission concluded, in the EU Citizenship Report 2010, that Union citizens are prevented from enjoying their rights because they lack awareness of them and announced its intention to step up the dissemination of information to Union citizens about their rights, in particular about their right to free movement.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) Citizens can enjoy their rights fully only if the fundamental values and principles of the Union are respected, and if citizens' rights are applied without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of their nationality, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – indent 3
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – indent 3
– to stimulate a debate about the impact and potential of the right to free movement (and its implementation by Member States), as an inalienable aspect of Union citizenship, in particular in terms of strengthening societal cohesion and mutual understanding between Union citizens and the bond between citizens and the Union.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) The Commission and the Member States should work towards abolishing any existing discriminatory barriers to the free movement of all citizens, and Member States should refrain from posing further obstacles to free movement, especially restricting the mobility of students and workers.
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – indent 2
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – indent 2
– exchange of information, sharing of experience (both positive and negative) and good practices of national, regional, local administrations and other organisations;
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – indent 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – indent 3
– conferences and events to promote debate and raise awareness of the importance and, the benefits ofand the obstacles to exercising the right to free movement and residence and more generally citizens' rights as Union citizens;
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – indent 1
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – indent 1
– to raise Union citizens' awareness of their right to move and reside freely within the European Union and more generally the rights guaranteed to Union citizensand principles guaranteed equally to all Union citizens without any discrimination, especially in cross-border situations, including their right to participate in the democratic life of the Union;
Amendment 125 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – indent 2 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – indent 2 a (new)
– to promote cross-cultural understanding and further combat xenophobia, racism, hate speech and hate crime;
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
The Commission shall implement this Decision at Union level, while Member States are called to develop further initiatives in line with the objectives of the European Year in order to achieve a substantive impact.