2023/2085(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. whereas around 50 million people belong to a national minority or a minority language community in the EU; whereas the Commission has taken no legislative steps in response to the European Citizen’s Initiative “Minority SafePack - one million signatures for diversity in Europe”, despite the fact that it was supported by a large majority of MEPs;

Amendment 10 #

Cristian TERHEŞ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that there is no EU citizenship ~~is closely linked to and dependent on the citizenship of a Member State, which is~~per se, citizenship being an exclusive competence of every Member State; ~~firmly believ~~States that there c~~an be no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining~~itizenship of EU citizens means the citizenship of aone of the Member States from which they have received it, in accordance with its national requirements established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and values;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that EU citizenship is ~~closely linked to and~~ dependent on the citizenship of a Member State, which is an exclusive competence of every Member State; ~~firmly believes~~points out that there ~~can be~~is no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship of a Member State~~, in accordance with its national requirements established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and values~~; recalls that national requirements to acquire to national citizenship shall be in accordance with the principles and values of the Union;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Considers that EU citizenship comprises the shared and common European democratic identity and the specific rights and freedoms attached to it, and that the exercise of those rights strengthens citizens’ link with the EU, as well as offering them additional rights and tools to develop a life anywhere in the Union;

Amendment 13 #

Annika BRUNA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that creating a European citizenship not linked to the citizenship of a Member State would mean transforming the European Union into a federal state, which the Member States and their citizens do not want;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls for an access of third- country nationals to citizenship of the Union if they have resided legally and continuously within the Union for five years immediately prior to the submission of the relevant application;

Amendment 15 #

Sara SKYTTEDAL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls Article 20 of the TFEU which defines Union citizenship as a citizen of a Member State, underlines the importance of this regime continuing to apply even after future possible Treaty revisions;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Emphasises that EU citizens lack sufficient awareness, knowledge and understanding of the rights and freedoms deriving from their EU citizenship and that there are still substantial shortcomings in the practical application of EU citizenship, some of which are caused by the non-uniform implementation of EU legislation by the Member States;

Amendment 17 #

Annika BRUNA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Recalls that creating a European citizenship decoupled from the citizenship of a Member State would give the European institutions the right to grant that citizenship to third parties, which would constitute a new legal route for immigration, which the Member States and their citizens do not want;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Calls for the prohibition in the Treaties of those citizenship by investment schemes whereby national citizenship, along with EU citizenship, is offered to third-country nationals in exchange for primarily financial considerations;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Calls on the Commission to adopt a new communication clarifying certain key concepts contained in Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of EU citizens and their families to move and reside freely within the EU, in order to provide the Member States with up-to-date guidelines that could contribute to improving the Directive’s implementation at national level, thus benefiting EU citizens and their family members;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1 a. whereas the right of freedom of movement and its exercise is central to EU citizenship; whereas the creation of Schengen area is one of the greatest achievements of the European integration process and greatly enhances the freedom of movement within the EU; whereas the Council, in its conclusions of 9 June 2011 (9166/3/11 and 9167/3/11) confirmed the successful conclusion of the evaluation process and the technical readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Schengen area;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1 d. Calls for the EU to promote the adoption of a binding European Charter on Digital Rights, including digital citizenship rights, building on the European Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)

1 e. Calls on the Commission to present, without further delay, a proposal to update and improve the Consular Protection Directive, including by giving EU delegations a more active role in assisting under-represented citizens;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)

1 f. Calls on the Member States to put an end to ‘golden visa’ programmes and investor schemes and any other similar national schemes that lead to the acquisition of their citizenship and involve the direct or indirect sale of EU citizenship, as these undermine the very concept of EU citizenship and violate of EU principles and values;

Amendment 23 #

Nils UŠAKOVS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States to inform non-national Union citizens upon registration in their Member State of residence about their electoral rights and the electoral procedures regarding European and municipal elections, and to offer them the possibility to immediately register as a voter; considers that Members States should extend the right to participate in municipal and European elections to the holders of non-citizen's passports, issued by member states to citizens who possess no citizenship of any other state and are also known as aliens in particular member states.

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States to inform ~~non-national Union citiz~~residents upon registration ~~in their Member State of residence~~ about their electoral rights and the electoral procedures regarding European and municipal elections, and to offer them the possibility to immediately register as a voter;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Member States to inform ~~non-national Union~~mobile EU citizens upon registration in their Member State of residence about their electoral rights and the electoral procedures regarding European and municipal elections, and to offer them the possibility to immediately register as a voter;

Amendment 26 #

Peter POLLÁK, Loránt VINCZE, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Notes that some Member States do not grant their citizens who are residing in other Member States the right to vote in national elections; regrets that these EU citizens are deprived of their right to vote for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of movement under EU law; calls to enshrine in the Treaties the principle that each EU citizen has the right to vote in local, regional, national and European elections;

Amendment 27 #

Annika BRUNA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recalls, however, that the right of a citizen of a Member State to vote in another Member State, in local and European elections, must remain strictly circumscribed and not become a right to vote for foreigners who are not nationals of another Member State;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Member States to maximise participaton of all its citizens, including socially vulnerable groups by strengthening their electoral rights trough awareness-raising campaigns, encourage their participation in public debates and thereby determine their future and fundamental rights that lie in the heart of EU; implement appropriate arrangements tailored to their national voting procedures to facilitate voting by citizens with disabilities, such as the possibility to choose polling stations and the use of assistive technologies, formats and techniques; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to allow for persons with disabilities, at their request, to receive assistance in voting from a person of their choice and to endeavour to provide for the possibility of postal voting, and possibly advance physical voting, proxy voting and electronic and online voting;

Amendment 29 #

Evin INCIR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Member States to implement appropriate arrangements tailored to their national voting procedures to facilitate voting by citizens with disabilities, such as the possibility to choose polling stations and the use of assistive technologies, formats and techniques; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to allow for persons with disabilities, at their request, to receive assistance in voting from a person of their choice and to endeavour to provide for the possibility of postal voting, and possibly advance physical voting, proxy voting and electronic and onlolder persons, people in remote areas, members of vulnerable, marginalised and minority groups, and those who face difficulties ine voting;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 b (new)

-1 b. whereas EU citizenship is an important tool for fostering a sense of belonging and shared values among Europeans;

Amendment 30 #

Peter POLLÁK, Loránt VINCZE, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Member States to implement appropriate arrangements tailored to their national voting procedures to facilitate voting by ~~citize~~persons with disabilities, such as the possibility to choose polling stations and the use of assistive technologies, formats and techniques; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to allow for persons with disabilities, at their request, to receive assistance in voting from a person of their choice and to endeavour to provide for the possibility of postal voting, and possibly advance physical voting, proxy voting and electronic and online voting;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls on the Member States to adopt measures to keep their electoral process free from extremism, spread of desinformation and foreign interference;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Emphasises that national minorities and linguistic minority communities represent a special contribution to European diversity and culture; recalls that preserving and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity within and between Member States is a fundamental value and at the same time a major task for the European Union;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Calls on the Council and the European Council to take necessary action to ensure that countries that fulfil the technical criteria to become members of the Schengen area, thereby allowing all EU citizens to enjoy freedom of movement and enhancing the sense of European identity;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Considers that in order to better realise the potential of EU citizenship, the EU should take steps to guarantee the protection of the founding values of the EU and of the rights of minorities; reiterates the need to combat discrimination and hate speech against them and reiterates its call for a comprehensive EU protection system incorporating existing international law instruments and following proven best practices in the EU;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4 d. Calls on the European Commission to actively seek reciprocal visa agreements with third countries and concerned Member States to ensure equal treatment and uphold the principle of visa reciprocity, promoting the mobility and rights of all EU citizens;

Amendment 36 #

Evin INCIR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Recalls that schemes granting nationality on the basis of a financial investment (CBI schemes), also known as ‘golden passports’, are objectionable from an ethical, legal and economic point of view and pose several serious security risks for Union citizens, such as those stemming from money-laundering and corruption; considers that the lack of common standards governing schemes granting residence on the basis of a financial investment (RBI schemes) may also pose such security risks, affect the free movement of persons within the Schengen area and contribute to undermining the integrity of the Union

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Recalls that the right to participate in democratic life and the obligation to ensure that decisions are taken as openly and as close to citizens as possible are protected under Article 10 TEU and calls on the EU Institutions and the Member States to ensure sufficient time for public consultation, transparency and to publish public documents in a proactive manner;

Amendment 38 #

Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Urges the Council to proceed to a swift adoption of the revision of the Council Directive on Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in European Parliament elections1a and of the Council Directive on Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in municipal elections1b in line with the position approved by the Parliament; _________________ 1a Commission proposal/or a Council directive laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (recast) (COM(2021)0732 - C9-0021/2022 - 2021/0372(CNS)) 1b proposal/or a Council directive laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal elections by Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (recast) (COM(2021)0733 - C9-0022/2022 - 2021/0373(CNS))

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls to draw up an EU citizenship statute, on the basis of Article 25 TFEU, that compiles and updates existing citizenship rights and establishes new ones; recalls that both the drafting of the EU citizenship statute and the updating and creation of these new rights should be carried out within the framework of the Treaties;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 c (new)

-1 c. whereas visa reciprocity is a principle of the EU common visa policy and an objective which the Union should pursue in a proactive manner in its relations with third countries;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Calls for a horizontal non- discrimination clause to be included in the EU citizenship statute as an additional safeguard of equality in the exercise of citizenship rights, with a view to ensuring non-discrimination and protecting citizens, in particular people at risk of digital exclusion, people with disabilities and members of vulnerable and marginalised groups, such as homeless people;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Calls for a widening of the scope of application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in relation to the Member States; believes that to that effect, Article 51(1) of the Charter should be revised so as to state that EU fundamental rights should protect Union citizens vis-a-vis Member States in all situations;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Denounces that discrimination on a range of grounds persists across the EU and that even though Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, the EU and its Member States do not provide comprehensive and consistent protection to citizens against discrimination; considers it necessary that EU action to combat discriminations on the basis of Article 19 TFEU be taken in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, in order to ensure a uniform minimum level of protection within the Union for people who are discriminated against; calls for Article 19 TFEU to also cover the grounds of gender, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics, social origin, genetic features, language, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property and birth, as well as intersectional discrimination;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Calls on the Commission to take into account these proposals in the upcoming EU Citizenship Report 2023 and to take the necessary steps to implement them following the procedure under Article 25 TFEU;

Amendment 5 #

Daniel FREUND

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that EU citizenship is closely linked to and dependent on the citizenship of a Member State, which is an exclusive competence of every Member State; firmly believes that there can be no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship of a Member State, in accordance with its national requirements established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and values;deleted

Amendment 6 #

Evin INCIR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that EU citizenship is closely linked to and dependent on the ~~citizenship of a Member State, which is an exclusive competence of every Member State; firmly believes that there can be no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship~~nationality of a Member State, in accord~~ance with its national requirements established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and valu~~ing to the EU Treaties;.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that EU citizenship is ~~closely linked to and dependent on the citizenship of a Member State, which is an exclusive competence of every Member S~~granted on the basis of nationality of a Member State, which restricts access to the rights contained therein for non-EU nationals residing on EU territory, such as third country nationals with EU long- term residency stateus; firmly believes that ~~there can be no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship~~Article 20 TFEU should be revised by introducing a new paragraph 20(2a) stating that, without prejudice to the competence of a Member State~~, in accordance with its national requirements established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and value~~s to grant citizenship, the enjoyment of the rights mentioned under Article 20(2) should be extended to non-EU nationals residing on EU territory, including third-country nationals with EU long-term residency status;

Amendment 8 #

Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that EU citizenship is ~~closely linked to and dependent on~~additional to the citizenship of a Member State, which is an exclusive competence of every Member State; ~~firm~~strongly believes that ~~there can be no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship of a Member State, in accordance with its national requirements established in line wi~~extending certain rights under EU citizenship to non-EU nationals residing on EU territory would strengthen their connection to the EU and contribute to the objective of the EU citizenship; calls in this regard for EU citizenship or some of the rights contained therein to be expended to third country nationals with EU long-term residency status, without prejudice to the co~~nstitutional principles, traditions and value~~mpetence of Member States to grant citizenship in accordance with their national requirements;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that EU citizenship is ~~closely linked to and~~ dependent on the citizenship of a Member State, which is an exclusive competence of every Member State; ~~firmly believes~~points out that there can be no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship of a Member State, in accordance with its national requirements ~~established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and values~~;

source: 754.934

2023/11/07 AFCO 106 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 32

~~– having regard to the report on the final outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe,~~deleted

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizens lack sufficient awareness, knowledge and understanding of the rights and freedoms deriving from their EU citizenship; whereas there are still substantial shortcomings in the practical application of EU citizenship, some of which are caused by the non-uniform implementation of EU legislation by the Member States; whereas more and better targeted awareness-raising campaigns around rights and duties deriving from EU citizenship statute could facilitate better exercise of those;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Calls on the Commission to take into account these proposals in the upcoming EU Citizenship Report 2023 and to take the necessary steps to implement them following the procedure ~~under Article 25 TFEU~~of the treaties;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Underlines the significant role of Europe Direct offices in increasing the participation of citizens at local level in the democratic life of the European Union; encourages Member States and entities at regional and local level to increase cooperation with these offices;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Reiterates its call for the convening of a Convention for the revision of the Treaties, as provided for in Article 48 TEU; ~~strongly believes that the Convention should carefully assess how to strengthen EU citizenship further, beyond the current Treaties;~~

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Reiterates its call for the convening of a Convention for the revision of the Treaties, as provided for in Article 48 TEU; strongly believes that the Convention should carefully ~~assess how to strengthen EU citizenship further~~re-evaluate the role of EU citizenship in a digital age, while upholding core market principles and individual freedoms, beyond the current Treaties;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Reiterates its call for the convening of a Convention for the revision of the Treaties, as provided for in Article 48 TEU; strongly believes that the Convention should carefully assess how to strengthen EU citizenship and citizens' participation further, beyond the current Treaties;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission and Parliaments of the Member States.

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizens lack sufficient awareness, knowledge and understanding of the rights and freedoms deriving from their EU citizenship; whereas there are still substantial shortcomings in the practical application of EU citizenship and in the full exercise of its derived rights and freedoms, some of which are caused by the non-uniform implementation of EU legislation by the Member States;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizens lack sufficient awareness, knowledge and understanding of the rights, civic duties and freedoms deriving from their EU citizenship; whereas there are still substantial shortcomings in the practical application of EU citizenship, some of which are caused by the non-uniform implementation of EU legislation by the Member States;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas some EU citizens lack sufficient awareness, knowledge and understanding of the rights and freedoms deriving from their EU citizenship; whereas there are still substantial shortcomings in the practical application of EU citizenship, some of which are caused by the non-uniform implementation of EU legislation by the Member States;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas ~~EU citizens lack sufficient~~ awareness, knowledge and understanding ofneeds to be raised about the rights and freedoms deriving from their EU citizenship; whereas there are still substantial shortcomings in the practical application of EU citizenship, some of which are caused by the non-uniform implementation of EU legislation by the Member States;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas EU citizens have been facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the digital revolution and the social and economic transformations linked to it;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the compilation, consolidation and revision of existing rights and the creation of new rights and duties would facilitate better exercise of the rights and freedoms and duties deriving from EU citizenship;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the compilation, consolidation and revision of existing rights and the creation of new rights would facilitate a better and more informed exercise of the rights and freedoms deriving from EU citizenship;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas the Conference on the Future of Europe has to be recognized as a concrete manifestation of the exercise of democratic rights by the European citizens,

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE) include proposals and measures that reflect the agreement between the European institutions and EU citizens to strengthen EU citizenship;deleted

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas EU citizenship was established with the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 and further enhanced by the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 ; whereas thirty years have passed since thits establishment and major social, digital, economic and political changes have taken place;

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas existing obstacles to the exercise of citizenship rights create situations of inequality and discrimination among citizens, in particular mobile citizens, persons living in EU cross-border regions, persons belonging to national minorities and members of vulnerable and marginalised groups, such as older people and homeless people;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas existing obstacles to the exercise of citizenship rights create situations of inequality and discrimination among citizens, in particular mobile citizens and members of vulnerable and marginalised groups, such as older people, citizens from rural areas and homeless people;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas existing obstacles to the exercise of EU citizenship rights create situations of inequality and discrimination among EU citizens, in particular mobile EU citizens and members of vulnerable and marginalised groups, such as older people and homeless people;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. whereas several Member States are still offering so-called golden visa programmes and investor schemes as means of obtaining their nationality and, consequently, EU citizenship;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. whereas Union citizenship does not as yet entail any duties for citizens of the Union, despite the wording to that effect in Article 20(2) TFEU;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU citizenship comprises the shared and common European democratic identity and the specific rights and freedoms attached to it, and that the exercise of those rights strengthens citizens’ link with the EU and its democratic legitimacy, emphasizing the importance of individual freedoms, both offline and online, as well as offering them additional rights;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU citizenship comprises the shared and common European democratic identity and the specific rights, civic duties and freedoms attached to it, and that the exercise of those rights strengthens citizens’ link with the EU and its democratic legitimacy, as well as offering them additional rights;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Recalls that EU citizenship is closely linked and dependent on the citizenship of a Member State that is an exclusive competence of every Member State; firmly believes that there is no other way to obtain EU citizenship than by obtaining the citizenship of a Member State, in accordance with its national requirements established in line with constitutional principles, traditions and values;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. 1 b. Stresses that, according to Article 20(2) TFEU, Union citizenship is not only about rights, but also about duties; such duties derived from the citizenship of the Union should not contravene the exercise of duties emanated from citizenships of Member States;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the construction of EU citizenship must move forward to address the needs and challenges of the 21st century ~~and the complexity generated by globalisation~~, recognizing the potential of digital innovations and the need for a balanced approach towards globalisation to ensure sovereignty and prosperity. and new technologies; stresses the negative impact of the growing digital divide on the exercise of citizenship rights, as it leaves a section of the public alienated from the European project;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas EU citizenship is complementary to, but does not replace, national citizenship;

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the construction of EU citizenship must move forward to address the needs and challenges of the 21st century and the complexity generated by globalisation and new technologies; stresses the negative impact of the growing digital divide on the exercise of citizenship rights, as it leaves a section of the public alienated from the European project; strongly believes that this should be done within the current framework of existing EU Treaties;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the construction of EU citizenship must move forward to address the needs and challenges of the 21st century and the complexity generated by globalisation and new technologies; stresses the negative impact of the ~~growing digital divide on the exercise of citizenship right~~digitalization of democratic processes as insufficient digital literacy and access to connection terminals creates a digital divide between citizens, as it leaves a section of the public alienated from the European project;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the construction of EU citizenship must move forward to address the current needs and challenges of the ~~21st century~~EU and the complexity generated by globalisation and new technologies; stresses the negative impact of the growing digital divide on the exercise of citizenship rights, as it risks leavesing a section of the public alienated from the European project;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that the CoFE underlined the importance of reinforcing EU citizenship by mentioning in its conclusions that an EU citizenship statute would be a useful tool for making the EU’s principles and values more tangible; points out that Parliament called for the creation of such a statute in its resolution of 12 February 2019 on the implementation of the Treaty provisions related to EU citizenship and in its resolution of 10 March 2022 on the EU Citizenship Report 2020: empowering citizens and protecting their rights;deleted

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that the CoFE underlined the importance of reinforcing EU citizenship by mentioning in its conclusions that an EU citizenship statute would be a useful tool for making the EU’s principles and values more tangible; pPoints out that Parliament called for the creation of such a statute in its resolution of 12 February 2019 on the implementation of the Treaty provisions related to EU citizenship and in its resolution of 10 March 2022 on the EU Citizenship Report 2020: empowering citizens and protecting their rights;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Regrets the fact that the Commission did not specifically mention the reinforcement of EU citizenship and potential ways to achieve this in its communication following up on the CoFE24 ; recalls that the Council did show willingness to strengthen citizenship in the technical assessment it published in relation to the CoFE; _________________ 24 Commission communication of 17 June 2022 entitled ‘Conference on the Future of Europe – Putting Vision into Concrete Action’ (COM(2022)0404).deleted

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Regrets the fact that the Commission did not specifically mention the reinforcement of EU citizenship and potential ways to achieve this in its communication following up on the CoFE24 ; recalls that the Council did show willingness to strengthen citizenship in the technical assessment it published in relation to the CoFE; but has not proposed, undertaken nor realized measures in order to meet this goal. _________________ 24 Commission communication of 17 June 2022 entitled ‘Conference on the Future of Europe – Putting Vision into Concrete Action’ (COM(2022)0404).

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the Commission will publish its EU Citizenship Report 2023 before the end of the year and expects it to propose new initiatives to reinforce EU citizenship and address the shortcomings of its implementation; regrets that this time, the Commission has chosen to publish a call for evidence and not a public consultation as it did in previous years; expresses concern that the report may therefore be prepared on the basis of outdated data and that the results of the call for evidence, which does not contain a comprehensive overview of the latest developments and implementation gaps, may mean that the report does not reflect the current situation;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Deplores the fact that mobile citizens are less likely to exercise their right to vote and run for office in European and municipal elections in their Member States of residence, with the reasons for this including insufficient information about their rights, language barriers, difficulties in registering to vote and the low success rate of non- national candidates; stresses that large communities of mobile citizens must be approached in the country of residence through targeted awareness campaigns within their own language; calls for increased support to political representatives of communities of mobile citizens in the country of residence;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

A b. whereas by making nationality of a Member State a condition for being a European citizen, the Member States intended to show that this new form of citizenship does not put in question European citizens first allegiance to their national bodies politic;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Deplores the fact that mobile citizens are less likely to exercise their right to vote and run for office in European and municipal elections in their Member States of residence, with the reasons for this including insufficient information, language barriers, difficulties in registering to vote and the low success rate of non- national candidates; calls on Member States to address this shortfall as fast as possible in light of the upcoming European elections

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Deplores the fact that mobile citizens are less likely to exercise their right to vote and run for office in European, local and municipal elections in their Member States of residence, with the reasons for this including insufficient information, language barriers, difficulties in registering to vote and the low success rate of non- national candidates;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Is concerned about the situation of millions of European young people and children facing social, educational, psychological, and health difficulties because they grow up without the direct care of one or both parents, who are generally forced by economic reasons to migrate to other European countries, and to leave their children behind; calls for increased support for these vulnerable citizens in Central and Eastern European countries in order to ensure EU citizenship rights for all;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Is highly concerned by the practice of certain Member States of depriving their citizens of the right to vote in national parliamentary elections when they live abroad, which leads to their exclusion from political life in both their country of origin and their country of residence; is particularly concerned by some cases where nationals temporarily living abroad face more difficulties when exercising their right to vote compared to nationals permanently living abroad in historical national or ethnic enclaves;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Is highly concerned by the practice of certain Member States of depriving their citizens of the right to vote in national parliamentary elections when they live abroad, which leads to their exclusion from political life in both their country of origin and their country of residenceReminds that all Member States have exclusive competences regarding their national elections and the exercise of that competences may involve depriving their citizens of the right to vote in national parliamentary elections when they live abroad;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Considers that multilingualism within the EU institutions and in their interaction with citizens is an essential aspect to reinforce the notion of EU citizenship; highlights, in this regard, that the Council Conclusion of 13 June 2005 foresees that non-official EU languages recognised in a Member State or in a part of its territory can be used by EU citizens in their interaction with EU institutions, as well as officially used in EU institutions or bodies, including the European Parliament;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is concerned by the fact that mobile citizens are treated differently to nationals by their Member States of residence as regards access to social and institutional benefits; Stresses that all barriers to freedom of movement within the EU should be removed to achieve equal EU citizenship rights for all European citizens; highlights that Schengen area is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union and calls for the admission of Romanian and Bulgaria, in line with the Parliament’s resolutions;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is concerned by the fact that mobile citizens, especially low-income groups and minorities, are treated differently to nationals by their Member States of residence as regards access to social and institutional benefits;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas citizenship is a unique construct reflecting the common democratic identity ~~of EU citizens, and has not yet reached its full potential~~and shared values of EU citizens keeping Europeans together due to forged connections, networks and collective values, inhabiting a space beyond the nation state, which has its own codes of behaviour to work properly, with equal opportunity, rejection of all forms of racism and discrimination, and mutual respect for differences;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is concerned by the fact that mobile EU citizens are treated differently to nationals by their Member States of residence as regards access to social and institutional benefits;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is concerned by the fact that mobile citizens are treated differently to nationals by their Member States of residence as regards access to ~~social and~~ institutional benefits;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Is concerned by the difficulties and challenges faced by citizens living in EU cross-border regions, especially in the event of border closures due to EU-wide or regionalised crisis; calls, in such cases, on the Member States to maintain cross- border cooperation and cross-border life to the extent possible while respecting the principle of proportionality and maintaining a close interaction and cooperation with the relevant local and regional authorities;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Points out that there have been cases where two people who are nationals of two different Member States have been unable to complete certain formalities, such as getting married, at the consular representation of one of the Member States, even if the other Member State has no ~~any~~ accessible consular representation in that country;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Considers that the lack of uniformity in Member States’ rules on the acquisition and loss of national citizenship has led to differences as regards the acquisition and loss of EU citizenship, and that these differences have resulted, in some cases, in the violation of EU principles and values;deleted

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

~~13. Calls on the Member States to uniformly apply the case-law on the acquisition of a derived right of residence for non-EU nationals whose minor dependants are EU citizens;~~deleted

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Member States to uniformly apply the ~~case-~~EU law on the acquisition of a derived right of residence for non-EU nationals whose minor dependants are EU citizens;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Strongly believes that third- country nationals, especially from neighbouring and applicant countries ahead of enlargement, who have resided legally and continuously in the European Union for at least 5 years and have contributed to our society, deserve to have access to EU citizenship and proposes that the Council and Parliament, in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, should be able to lay down common provisions;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Member States to fully implement the existing directives on mobile citizens’ rights and reiterates its call to extend mobile citizens’ rights to national and regional elections by making the necessary changes to Article 22(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in the next revision of the Treaties;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Member States to fully implement the existing directives on mobile citizens’ rights ~~and reiterates its call to extend mobile citizens’ rights to national and regional elections~~;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas EU citizenship is a unique construct reflecting the common democratic identity of EU citizens, and has not yet reached its full potential;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Member States and local authorities to fully implement the existing directives on mobile citizens’ rights and reiterates its call to extend mobile citizens’ rights to national ~~and~~, regional and local elections;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Member States to guarantee the right of their expatriate nationals to vote in their country of origin, where recognised, by removing the bureaucratic obstacles that hinder and sometimes prevent the exercise of this right;deleted

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Member States to guarantee the right of their expatriate nationals to vote in their country of origin, where recognised, by creating the material and regulatory conditions allowing their vote and by removing the bureaucratic obstacles that hinder and sometimes prevent the exercise of this right; Considers it essential to ensure uniform application of the right to vote in the European elections for EU citizenship residents outside of the EU;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Member States to guarantee the right of their expatriate nationals to vote in their country of origin, where recognised, by removing ~~the bureaucratic~~any obstacles that hinder and sometimes prevent the exercise of this right; calls, particularly, on the Member States to equally guarantee such right and eliminate any kind of differential treatment between their expatriate nationals when it comes to postal voting;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Calls on the Commission, Member States, regional and local governments to increase their efforts in informing mobile EU citizens about their right to vote and run for office in European and municipal elections in their Member States of residence;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to overcome the discrimination suffered by same-sex couples and their children when exercising the fundamental right to freedom of movement within the EU;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for the EU to promote the adoption of a ~~binding~~ European Charter on Digital Rights, including digital citizenship rights, building on the European Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Calls on the Commission to present, without further delay, a proposal to update and improve the Consular Protection Directive, including by giving EU delegations a more active role in assisting under-represented EU citizens;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the Member States to put an end to ‘golden visa’ programmes and investor schemes and any other similar national schemes that lead to the acquisition of their citizenship and involve the direct or indirect sale of EU citizenship, as these undermine the very concept of EU citizenship and violate of EU principles and values while acknowledging that some Member States have nationality acquisition programmes tailored for specific nationals or conditions. Urges Member States to ensure transparency and consistency in these programmes and to safeguard the integrity and value of EU citizenship, ensuring they align with EU principles and values;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the Member States to put an end toand sanction accordingly ‘golden visa’ programmes and investor schemes and any other similar national schemes that lead to the acquisition of their citizenship and involve the direct or indirect sale of EU citizenship, as these undermine the very concept of EU citizenship and violate of EU principles and values;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas EU citizenship is a unique construct reflecting the common democratic identity of EU citizens, and has not yet reached its full potential;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Stresses the need to enhance the European dimension of citizenship education in order to enable citizens’ participation in the EU decision-making process and ability to act as informed citizens and to fully participate in civic and social life at both, the European and Member State level, based on understanding of political, legal, social and economic concepts and structures;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Calls on the Commission to develop a comprehensive European strategy to enhance citizenship competences in the EU and develop supportive measures aimed at providing equal access to citizenship education to all people residing in the EU in order to enable them to exercise their political rights; underlines the important role that civil society, universities and other research organisations should play in such a strategy;

Amendment 72 #