REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Citizenship Report 2020 Empowering citizens and protecting their rights
Date: 2020-12-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: European citizenship, civil rights, coronavirus disease, democratisation, diplomatic protection, epidemic, equal treatment, free movement of persons, political participation, social participation

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 15.12.2020  COM(2020) 730 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Citizenship Report 2020      Empowering citizens and protecting their rights   
 
 
1. 

Introduction 

Alongside peace, EU citizenship is one of the most significant achievements of the European 
project and is unique in the world. EU citizenship rights, including free movement, political 
and  democratic  rights  and  the  right  for  EU  citizens  to  benefit  from  consular  protection  by 
other  Member  States  when  not  represented  abroad,  have  had  a  transformative  impact  on 
Europe. There are now over 13.3 million Europeans1 who enjoy their right to reside in another 
EU country.  

The  Commission  reports  on  the  application  of  the  EU  citizenship  provisions  every  3  years2 
and proposes new priorities for the next 3 years. Since the last EU Citizenship Report in 2017, 
there  have  been  significant  challenges  in  exercising  EU  citizenship  rights,  including  in  the 
context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have also been many positive developments. 
For  example,  9  out  of  10  European  citizens  are  now  familiar  with  the  term  'citizen  of  the 
European Union' - the highest number on record3. Furthermore, turnout in the last European 
elections was at its highest in two decades4, largely driven by young and first-time voters. The 
gender  gap  in  voting  and  in  the  composition  of  the  European  Parliament  has  decreased 
further. Support for free movement is at its highest in 12 years5.  

Since  the  last  Citizenship  Report,  Europe  has  seen  the  emergence  of  powerful  social 
movements  on  issues  such  as  climate  change,  economy  and  taxation,  racism  and  equality. 
These  movements  often  combined  street  protests  with  online  activism,  successfully 
overcoming  geographical  and  linguistic  borders  to  create  pan-European,  and  even  global, 
synergies. If ever there was a doubt that European citizens were losing their taste for political 
engagement, the recent years have shown that they are keener than ever to make their voices 
heard, and to shape the society they live in. 

Recent challenges have also been many and complex. The COVID-19 crisis shows how much 
Europeans have come to rely on free movement and depend on it for economic and personal 
reasons. In the first half of 2020 thousands of Europeans were stranded abroad due to travel 
restrictions imposed following the COVID-19 outbreak, which resulted  in an unprecedented 
coordinated effort of the EU and its Member States that brought more than 600 000 citizens 
home  safely.  While  Europe  rose  to  the  challenge  of  rescuing  its  citizens  abroad,  there  were 
questions  about  whether  the  pooling  of  EU  resources  in  third  countries  should  be  more 
streamlined,  and  whether  assistance  to  citizens  should  be  made  more  flexible.  During  the 
pandemic,  as  well  as  during  the  European  elections  and  beyond,  Europeans  were  targeted 

1 Eurostat database migr_pop1ctz. 
2 For 2017 report see  https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/item-detail.cfm?item_id=51132  
3 Flash Eurobarometer 485, see: 
https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/survey/getsurveydetail/instruments/flash/surveyk
y/2260 
4 See the report on the 2019 elections to the European Parliament, COM(2020) 252 final. 
5 Flash Eurobarometer 485 

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with  online  disinformation,  jeopardising  the  basic  requirement  for  their  democratic 
participation in public life and their informed choices.  

Overshadowed  by  the  impact  of  new  technologies  and  the  global  health  emergency,  many 
everyday practical administrative and legal burdens continue to affect the lives of EU citizens. 
They  range  from  complicated  voting  registration  procedures  for  mobile  EU  citizens,  to 
insufficient digital options for administrative procedures and tax regimes for frontier workers. 
In  addition,  the  Brexit  referendum  that  led  to  the  UK's  departure  from  the  EU  has  had  an 
impact on the lives of close to 3.7 million EU citizens6 who made their home in the UK and 
millions of UK citizens who lost their status of EU citizens. 

The  Citizenship  Report  is  strongly  linked  to  the  Commission’s  six  headline  ambitions  for 
Europe7, particularly the new push for European democracy and bringing citizens closer to the 
EU. It should be seen in combination with and as complementing other initiatives, such as the 
new Strategy for strengthening the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights8 and, in 
particular,  the  European  Democracy  Action  Plan9.  The  actions  and  priorities  set  out  in  this 
report directly focus on empowering the citizen, thereby complementing the European action 
plan  on  democracy,  which  addresses  key  challenges  to  our  democracies  and  encompasses 
policy areas with a broad societal impact10.  

The proposed priorities are based on dedicated consultations11, including a public consultation 
on  EU  citizenship  rights  and  a  Flash  Eurobarometer  survey  on  EU  citizenship  and 
democracy12,  and  on  research,  including  the  work  of  the  Network  of  Academics  on  EU 
Citizenship Rights.  In defining its priorities, the Commission has also drawn directly on the 
numerous letters it has received from citizens who regularly write to explain the problems and 
issues they encounter when exercising their rights in their day-to-day lives. 

6 Eurostat database migr_pop1ctz. 
7  These  are  mentioned  in  the  Political  Guidelines  for  the  next  European  Commission  2019-2024:  A  European 
Green Deal, An economy that works for people, A Europe fit for the digital age, Promoting our European way of 
life, A stronger Europe in the world and A new push for European democracy. 
8 COM(2020) 711. 
9 COM(2020) 790 
10 The scope of the Citizenship Report also goes beyond democratic rights of EU citizens and covers other EU 
citizenship rights enshrined in the Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Apparent links exist also with 
the recently adopted “New Consumer Agenda”, which addresses consumers’ immediate needs in the face of the 
COVID-19  pandemic  and  presents  a  vision  for  EU  consumer  policy  for  the  next  five  years.  The  Agenda  puts 
forward a holistic approach to consumer policies aiming to protect and empower EU citizens as consumers by 
safeguarding their right under the green transition and digital transformation of our society. 
11  Including  with  Member  State  experts  in  the  framework  of  the  European  Cooperation  Network  on  Elections 
and  the  expert  group  on  free  movement  in  September  2020.  A  specific  consultation  meeting  was  held  in 
September  2020  with  beneficiaries  of  the  'rights,  equality  and  citizenship'  programme  and  the  'Europe  for 
citizens' programme. 
12 Flash Eurobarometer 485 “EU Citizenship and Democracy”, conducted in the 27 EU member States between 
27 February and 6 March 2020. 
https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/survey/getsurveydetail/instruments/flash/surveyk
y/2260  

2 

 
 
                                                           
The  2020  Citizenship  Report  is  composed  of  two  separate  documents:  this  Report  and  the 
Report under Article 25 TFEU13 presenting the Court of Justice jurisprudence in the area of 
citizenship rights. 

The  Report  takes  stock  of  the  progress  made  on  EU  citizenship  since  the  2017  report  and 
proposes  new  priorities  and  actions  to  bring  real  benefits  to  EU  citizens  ensuring  they  can 
enjoy  their  citizenship  rights  in  practice,  particularly  in  a  cross-border  context.  It  sets  out  a 
number of concrete actions and priorities around the four main themes: 

  Strengthening  democratic  participation,  citizens’  empowerment  and  fostering 

inclusion of citizens in the EU; 

  Facilitating the exercise of free movement and simplifying daily life; 
  Protecting and promoting EU citizenship; 
  Protecting EU citizens in Europe and abroad, including in times of crisis/emergency. 

2. 

Strengthening  democratic  participation,  citizens’  empowerment  and  fostering 
inclusion of citizens in the EU  

2.1.   Effective exercise of voting rights 

Voting  and  standing  for  election  is  the  basis  of  a  democratic  society.  The  2019  European 
Parliament elections saw the highest turnout of the last two decades. The increase in turnout 
was driven by young and first-time voters. Women also participated in greater numbers, and 
the  voting  gender  gap  narrowed  from  4%  in  2014  to  3%  in  2019.  The  number  of  women 
elected to the Parliament increased from 37% to 39.4%. Data on the electoral participation of 
other underrepresented groups remains limited, as few Member States collect it14. 

However, underrepresented categories of voters face additional challenges. For people with 
a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background,  it  can  be  more  difficult  than  for  the  rest  of  the 
population to feature on candidate lists, registering for elections or performing other electoral 
procedures. For instance, social and economic vulnerabilities of many Roma people are often 
exploited  during  election  processes15  through  vote  buying  and  vote  manipulation,  direct 

13 COM(2020) 731 
14 Data about turnout to national elections suggest that a number of citizens  may  face  additional challenges to 
vote. Among people with the nationality of the  country in which they live, close to 60 % of those born in the 
reporting country to immigrant parents report that they voted in the most recent national parliamentary elections 
in their country of residence, across the EU. This is almost 10 percentage points lower than among their peers 
with parents born in the reporting country, and 5 points below turnout among those who arrived as children and 
then  acquired  the  citizenship  of  the  reporting  country.  However,  it  is  10  points  higher  than  among  those  with 
nationality  of  the  reporting  country  who  arrived  after  the  age  of  15.  For  further  details,  please  see  OECD-EU 
(2018), Settling in 2018: Indicators of Immigrant Integration. 
15  See  Roma  Civil  Monitor:  Synthesis  report  on  implementation  of  national  Roma  integration  strategies  in 
Bulgaria,  Czech  Republic  Hungary,  Romania  and  Slovakia  (March  2018),  pp.  12-13  and  p.  28;  Roma  Civil 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
pressure or threats. Successful inclusion of Roma depends on whether their right to vote and 
be  voted  for  is  adequately  exercised.  Therefore,  Member  States  should  put  more  effort  into 
raising  election  awareness  in  order  to  increase  the  participation  of  Roma  and  other 
disadvantaged groups - ensure that they can make free and informed choices in elections and 
encourage their political representation16.  

Persons  with  disabilities  continue  to  be  underrepresented  in  elections  when  exercising  both 
their right to vote and to be elected. They face diverse barriers, such as limited accessibility of 
premises  and  ballots  or  insufficient  accessible  information  on  candidates  and  debates.  An 
estimated 800 000 EU citizens from 16 Member States may have been deprived of the right to 
participate in the 2019 elections to the European Parliament17 because their national rules and 
organisational  arrangements  do  not  take  their  specific  needs  sufficiently  into  account.  The 
Commission  will  work  with  Member  States  and  the  European  Parliament  to  guarantee 
political  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities  on  equal  basis  with  others18  and  in  particular  to 
ensure that this right is enjoyed in the next European Parliament elections. 

Many Member States took specific measures to improve the participation of women in the 
EU elections19. These included linking the allocation of public funding for political parties to 
promoting  the  political  participation  of  women20,  quota  systems  for  candidate  lists21  and 
introducing  a  general  obligation  for  political  parties  to  have  gender-balanced  lists  of 
candidates22.  There  are  still  many  challenges  to  address,  however.  Online  hate  speech  and 
cyber  violence  against  women  in  politics  increasingly  creates  barriers  to  women’s  political 
participation by, for instance, discouraging female candidates from running for office23.  

With a view to the next European Parliament elections, the Commission will organise a high 
level event bringing together various authorities to address the challenges related to electoral 
processes  as  well  as  empowering  citizens  to  participate  as  voters  and  candidates  in  the 
democratic process. 

Monitor: A synthesis of civil society’s reports on the implementation of national Roma integration strategies in 
the European Union (March 2020), p. 23. 
16 The new Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation was adopted on 7 October 2020: 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/new-eu-roma-strategic-framework-equality-inclusion-and-participation-
full-package_en  
17 2019 report of the European Economic and Social Committee ‘Real rights of persons with disabilities to vote 
in EP elections’. 
18  EU  and  all  Member  States  are  parties  to  the  UN  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities 
(UNCRPD). Consequently, in agreement with the Article 29 on Participation in political and public life, States 
Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal 
basis with others. 
19  Data  on  women’s  representation  in  the  various  levels  of  political  decision-making  in  the  Member  States  is 
published  in  the  gender  statistics  database  of  the  European  Institute  for  Gender  Equality  (EIGE), 
https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/browse/wmidm/wmidm_pol  
20 Ireland 
21 Examples: BE, ES, SI, FR, PT, SI. 
22 Romania. 
23 Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2018: Sexism, harassment and 
violence against women in parliaments in Europe: 
http://www.assembly.coe.int/LifeRay/EGA/WomenFFViolence/2018/20181016-WomenParliamentIssues-
EN.pdf  

4 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
Within  the  European  Cooperation  Network  on  Elections  the  Commission  has  helped  EU 
countries exchange best practices that help different groups of citizens participate in elections, 
and it will continue to do so24. It will also continue to help promote best practices within the 
network, in line with the highest European standards for free and fair elections, including the 
standards recommended by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe25.  

In 2021, the Commission will organise workshops for the European Cooperation Network on 
Elections  on:  (i)  improving  the  accessibility  of  European  elections;  (ii)  practices  in  remote 
voting and specifically electronic voting (e-voting) or online tools that can facilitate electronic 
democratic  participation  while  addressing  security  and  confidentiality  concerns26;  and  (iii)  
developing  indicators,  e.g.  on  the  democratic  participation  of  specific  groups.  Further 
encouraging the European dimension in elections to the European Parliament strengthens 
the link between individuals and European institutions, and hence the democratic legitimacy 
of  European  decision  making.  It  also  helps  political  accountability.  To  be  able  to  hold 
politicians to account, people need to see a clear link between candidates’ national campaigns 
and  programmes,  European  policies  and  the  political  parties  with  which  they  are  affiliated. 
During the 2019 elections, Europe and European issues such as ‘values’, ‘economics’, ‘social’ 
and the ‘environment’ were prominent in the materials used during the campaign27. A number 
of  political  parties  provided  voters  with  information  about  their  European  affiliations  and 
several  parties  took  steps  to  raise  awareness  of  the  European  dimension  of  the  elections 
through their campaign materials and websites. Two political parties were directly present in 
several Member States and campaigned on a pan-European programme28. One Member of the 
European  Parliament  was  elected  from  such  a  party  in  Germany29.  When  asked  about  this 
topic in  the 2020 Eurobarometer30 survey, more than 4 in  10  respondents (43%)  believed it 
likely that having lists of candidates with nationals of other EU countries would make them 
more inclined to vote in the next European Parliament elections.  

and 

and 

best 

gaps 

threats, 

including 

practices, 

24  The  European  Cooperation  Network  on  Elections  was  set  up  in  January  2019  to  help  Member  States  share 
expertise 
See: 
enforcement. 
on 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/eu-citizenship/electoral-rights/european-
cooperation-network-elections_en 
25 For more information visit: 
https://www.venice.coe.int/WebForms/pages/?p=01_Elections_and_Referendums&lang=EN  
26  The  open  public  consultation  for  this  report  showed  a  majority  support  for  postal  voting,  while  many 
respondents consider that the risks of online voting still outweigh the benefits. 
27  Based  on  over  11 000  electoral  materials,  including  posters,  television  commercials,  social  media  posts  and 
printed announcements made by 418 political parties or candidates, as well as 193 official Facebook accounts, 
the  European  Elections  Monitoring  Centre  identified  the  most  common  issues  raised  in  election  campaigns  as 
‘Europe’ (15% of all topics), followed by ‘values’, ‘economics’, ‘social’ and the ‘environment’. See Johansson, 
Bengt  and  Novelli,  Edoardo,  ‘2019  European  elections  campaign  –  Images,  topics,  media  in  the  28  Member 
July  2019,  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e6767a95-a386-11e9-9d01-
States’,  9 
01aa75ed71a1/language-en  
28 Report on the 2019 elections to the European Parliament, COM(2020) 252 final.  
29  For  Volt  Deutschland.  DiEM25  was  unsuccessful  in  the  European  Parliamentary  elections,  but  it  also  had 
candidates in national elections in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Austria, Poland and Portugal, and 
has members in the Danish, Greek, Polish and Portuguese legislatures. 
30 Flash Eurobarometer 485. 

5 

 
 
 
                                                           
A growing group of citizens entitled to vote and stand as candidates in European Parliament 
elections are ‘mobile’ EU citizens: citizens who have moved to live, work or study in another 
Member State31. It is estimated that, in 2019, of the over 17 million mobile EU citizens in the 
EU, almost 15 million32 were eligible to vote (over 3% of the total EU voting population) in 
the  2019  European  Parliament  elections.  However,  a  relatively  low  number33  of  them 
exercised their rights.  

Nearly  two-thirds  of  respondents  (65%)  in  the  recent  Eurobarometer34  survey  considered  it 
likely  that  being  able  to  contact  a  helpdesk  that  provides  citizens  with  information  on 
European Parliament elections and voting procedures would make them more inclined to vote 
in  the  next  European  Parliament  elections.  More  than  60%  of  those  who  responded  to  the 
open  public  consultation  for  this  report  thought  that  not  enough  is  being  done  to  inform 
citizens about their EU citizenship rights, and the lack of information at national level was the 
most often mentioned barrier (22%). The Commission will explore, in close cooperation with 
the Parliament, the possibility of creating a dedicated shared resource to support EU citizens 
in exercising their electoral rights, as well as providing additional avenues for them to report 
hurdles and incidents affecting their political participation. This should be made available to 
both EU citizens (including mobile EU citizens) and relevant authorities by autumn 2023. 

Mobile EU citizens also have the right to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections 
and European Parliament elections in their Member State of residence. Yet, their turnout is 
frequently lower than that of citizens who are nationals of the country. This is partly due to 
complicated  registration  processes35  and  insufficient  voting  options36.  The  Commission 
intends  to  update  the  relevant  directives37  to  strengthen  mobile  citizens’  ability  to  exercise 
their electoral  rights.  This  would involve updating,  clarifying and strengthening the rules in 
order to ensure that they support the broad and inclusive participation of mobile EU citizens. 
Areas to  be covered include the provision of targeted information  to  mobile EU citizens38 - 
including on the deadlines, the implications and durability of voter registrations, the exchange 
of  information  on  the  registration  of  mobile  EU  citizen  voters  and  candidates  in  European 
elections, and the necessary adjustments following Brexit.  

31 The Commission supported Member States in implementing the specific provisions of EU law related to the 
electoral  rights  of  mobile  EU  citizens  within  the  Expert  Group  on  Electoral  Matters.  Exchanges  covered  the 
applicable formalities, including the relevant deadlines for registration, and practices to support participation. 
32 Eurostat database migr_pop1ctz. 
33  Data received from the Member States show that the registration of mobile EU citizens in their countries of 
residence remains  low across the EU, although the  numbers vary  greatly between Member States (as does the 
availability of relevant data): from 0.1% in Croatia and 0.2% in Latvia to 17% in Spain and 24% in Malta. For 
more information, see staff working document COM(2020) 252 final. 
34 Flash Eurobarometer 485. 
35 Deadlines to register to vote for the European Parliament elections can, for example, vary between Member 
States, making it more difficult for mobile EU citizens to register in time. 
36 This can include administrative letters being sent late and cumbersome postal voting procedures. 
37 Council Directive 94/80/EC and Directive 93/109/EC. 
38 This information  will be made available via the Your Europe portal and national portals participating  in the 
single digital gateway, as required by Regulation 2018/1724 (Cf. Annex I, D.3). 

6 

 
 
                                                           
Several  EU  Member  States39  deprive  their  nationals  who  permanently  reside  in  other 
countries  of  the  right  to  vote  in  national  parliamentary  elections.  These  disenfranchised 
citizens  often  face  exclusion  from  political  life  in  both  their  country  of  origin  and  their 
country of residence. In its 2014 recommendation40, the Commission urged Member States to 
allow  their  nationals  to  apply  to  remain  registered  on  the  electoral  roll  and  therefore  retain 
their right  to  vote.  It  will  continue to  monitor the situation and  calls for  the Member States 
concerned to abolish these disenfranchisement rules. 

EU citizenship rights do not grant mobile EU citizens the right to vote in national elections in 
their  Member  State  of  residence,  even  though  they  are  active  members  of  society  and  are 
affected by national policies. According to the Flash Eurobarometer 485 survey, more than 6 
in 10 Europeans (63%) consider that it is justified for EU citizens living in an EU country that 
is not their country of origin to acquire the right to vote in national elections and referenda in 
their  country  of  residence.  The  open  public  consultation  for  this  report  revealed  similar 
support for granting mobile EU citizens the right to vote in national elections of their Member 
State  of  residence41.  In  March  2020,  a  European  Citizens’  Initiative  on  this  subject  was 
registered42. The Commission will explore this topic further with the Member States.  

Election  observation  is  a  good  way  to  engage  citizens  with  the  electoral  process,  and  to 
improve public trust in free and fair elections. Election monitoring by citizens can go beyond 
observing  the  voting  and  counting  of  ballots  and  include  the  application  of  electoral  rules 
online,  which  can  greatly  help  the  work  of  the  national  authorities  responsible  for  electoral 
matters.  Building  on  existing  successful  practices,  the  Commission  intends  to  fund  projects 
that  foster  independent  election  observation,  including  by  citizens,  with  guidelines  or  good 
practices discussed within the European Cooperation Network on Elections. 

39 Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Ireland and Malta. 
40 Commission Recommendation 2014/53/EU. 
41 The respondents believed voters should be allowed to choose between the two countries or to vote in both the 
country  of  origin  and  of  residence  in  equal  proportions.  For  many,  the  length  of  residency  is  the  appropriate 
criteria for deciding whether to grant foreign nationals the right to vote in national elections. 
42  On  4  March  2020,  the  European  Commission  agreed  on  admissibility  and  registered  a  European  Citizens' 
Initiative entitled ‘Voters without borders, full political rights for EU citizens'. The organisers call for ‘reforms to 
strengthen  the  existing  rights  of  EU  citizens  to  vote  and  stand  in  European  and  municipal  elections  in  their 
country of residence and new legislation to extend them to regional, national elections and referenda'. 

7 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Action 1 – In 2021, the Commission will update the directives on voting rights of mobile 
EU citizens in municipal and European elections, to facilitate the provision of information 
to  citizens  and  improve  the  exchange  of  relevant  information  among  Member  States, 
including to prevent double voting.  

Action  2  –  The  Commission  will  explore  the  possibility  of  creating  a  dedicated  shared 
resource to support EU citizens in exercising their electoral rights.  The Commission will 
continue to  work with the Member States through the European Cooperation Network on 
Elections to facilitate and improve the ability of EU citizens to exercise their voting rights 
including by supporting the exchange of best practices and mutual assistance to ensure free 
and fair elections.   

Action  3  –  The  Commission  will  fund  projects  on  independent  election  observation, 
including monitoring by citizens.  

2.2.   Empowering citizens’ participation in the democratic process  

Increasing  citizens’  involvement  at  all  stages  of  the  democratic  process  is  key  for  our 
European  democracy.  Many  new  initiatives  to  involve  citizens  in  the  decision-making 
process43 are emerging. There is for example a surge of interest in deliberative democracy 
across the EU44, and this needs to be recognised and encouraged. Increasing the transparency 
of  policy-  and  decision-making  and  involving  citizens  in  deliberations  on  the  complex 
questions  faced  by  the  European  institutions  is  central  to  democratic  legitimacy.  It  is  also 
relevant to citizens’ confidence in and connection to EU institutions.  

A  major  pan-European  deliberative  democracy  exercise,  the  upcoming  Conference  on  the 
Future  of  Europe  will  create  a  new  public  forum  for  an  open,  inclusive,  transparent  and 
structured  debate  with  citizens  around  a  number  of  key  priorities  and  challenges.  It  will 
feature  from  the  start  a  ground-breaking  multilingual  digital  platform  that  will  make  the 
Conference  accessible  to  citizens  from  all  walks  of  life,  and  from  all  corners  of  the  Union. 
Citizens will be empowered to put forward ideas and proposals, or to organise local debates. 
Thanks  to  real-time  translation  in  all  EU  languages,  citizens  from  different  Member  States 
will  be  able  to  follow  the  debates,  offering  the  prospect  of  genuinely  transnational  debates 
about the future of Europe. The improvements to the lead candidate system for the European 

43 Initiatives included citizen assemblies (like the ones held in Wallonia to involve people in drawing up policy 
recommendations on recognising  ‘fake  news’). Citizen assemblies are deliberative bodies used in a number of 
Member States to enable people to contribute  to policy  making.  A notable example is  Ireland,  where they are 
commonly used to develop options for referenda. 
44 In a recent report,  the OECD described the depth and spread of inspiring deliberative democracy initiatives, 
including in the EU, where thousands of randomly selected citizens took part in more participatory governance 
styles  of  democracy.  (‘Catching 
the  Deliberative  Wave’:  https://www.oecd.org/gov/innovative-citizen-
participation-and-new-democratic-institutions-339306da-en.htm). 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
Parliament  elections,  as  well  as  how  to  address  the  issue  of  transnational  lists  could  be 
discussed at the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

Complementing  other  actions  proposed  under  the  European  Democracy  Action  Plan,  the 
Citizenship Report takes a citizen-centric approach and focuses on actions and initiatives that 
directly empower the citizens and protect their rights. Innovative and user-centred techniques 
that  are  suitable  for  different  ages  and  needs  should  be  used  to  support  deliberative  and 
representative  democratic  participation.  Policies  that  raise  awareness  and  increase  public 
involvement in decision making at European level should benefit all citizens. This is crucial 
for  ensuring  that  European  citizens  are  confident  that  their  voice  is  heard  and  that  voting 
matters. Empowered citizens should have the tools, the channels and the skills to make their 
voices heard in the public arena so they can contribute directly to shaping public policies at all 
levels.  The  Commission  will  explore  innovative  ways  to  consult  citizens  and  gather  their 
feedback on new EU legislation. 

The  Commission  is  already  testing  participatory  and  deliberative  processes,  for  example  in 
designing  and  implementing  cohesion  policy  projects45  and  in  identifying  the  possible 
priorities for the five EU missions that  will be  an integral part of Horizon Europe, the next 
framework  programme  for  research  and  innovation  (covering  cancer,  climate  adaptation, 
greener and smarter cities, healthy soils, and healthy oceans and waters)46. It will continue to 
fund  research  and  innovation  projects  that  aim  to  develop  deliberative  and  participatory 
democracies  through  experimentation  and  explore  the  practices,  challenges  and  impacts  of 
deliberative  democracy  processes  at  different  geographical  scales  and  in  different  social 
groups47. The Commission  will also  fund innovation  projects  that increase capacity or offer 
hands-on support to engage European citizens in the transitions that are part of the European 
Green Deal, through both deliberation and participation48, and other areas49.  

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/news/2020/04/22-04-2020-deadlines-reminder-boost-

45 
citizen-engagement-in-the-implementation-of-cohesion-policy 
46 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe-next-research-and-innovation-framework-programme/missions-
horizon-europe_en.  The  Commission  will  announce  the  final  selected  missions  at  the  end  of  2020.  Once 
missions launched, European citizens will continue to be engaged in all phases of their implementation. 
47  In  particular,  Horizon  2020  will  provide  almost  EUR 12  million  to  four  multi-stakeholder  consortia,  which 
will  run  research  and  experimentation  activities  on:  (i)  democratising  territorial  cohesion  (experimenting  with 
deliberative citizen engagement and participatory budgeting in European regional and urban policies), (ii) cities 
as arenas of political innovation in the strengthening of deliberative and participatory democracy, (iii) inclusive 
science  and  European  democracies,  and  (iv)  developing  participatory  spaces  using  a  multilingual,  dynamic 
deliberative approach. Its successor programme, Horizon Europe, has already identified the creation of a ‘more 
resilient, inclusive and democratic European society’ as one of its key strategic orientations and the first work 
programmes will therefore continue to fund research in these areas. 
48 This is done in particular via the ‘Green Deal call’, which mobilises EUR 1 billion for research and innovation 
projects that respond to the climate crisis and help protect Europe's unique ecosystems and biodiversity. Next to 
the  thematic  areas  reflecting  the  key  work  streams  of  the  European  Green  Deal,  a  cross-cutting  strand  will 
address  citizen  empowerment  by  mobilising  funding  for  three  key  topics:  (i)  European  capacity  for  citizen 
deliberation and participation for the Green Deal, (ii) behavioural, social and cultural change for the Green Deal, 
and  (iii)  enabling  citizens  to  act  on  climate  change  and  environmental  protection  through  education,  citizen 
science, observation initiatives and civic involvement. 
49  Citizens  are  also  consumers  who  have  been  significantly  challenged  by  the  pandemic  in  their  daily  lives, 
including as regards the availability and accessibility of products and services and travelling within, and to and 

9 

 
 
                                                           
 
Moreover, the European Union aims to further encourage the participation of young people in 
democratic life in Europe50. The promotion of inclusive participatory democracy is also one 
of  the  guiding  principles  of  the  European  Union’s  Youth  Strategy  (2019-2027)51  which 
aims to  support the involvement  of  young people in  Europe in  shaping society  and politics. 
The three core areas  of the EU Youth strategy are  Engage, Connect  and  Empower. Engage 
stands for youth participation and the EU’s resolve to encourage democratic participation of 
all young people, mainly through the EU Youth Dialogue52, a structured youth participation 
tool and one of the biggest citizens’ participation tools in the EU that contributes to bringing 
young people’s ideas to  the table.  It is an  excellent example of a bottom-up mobilisation of 
voices  successfully  reaching  policy-makers.  2020  marks  the  tenth  anniversary  of  the  EU 
Youth Dialogue53. 

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an important part of EU citizenship rights and a 
powerful  instrument  for  participatory  democracy  in  the  EU.  It  allows  one  million  citizens 
residing in one quarter of the Member States to ask the Commission to submit a proposal for a 
legal act that implements the EU treaties54. As of January 2020, there are new rules that make 
the  ECI  more  user-friendly  and  accessible  so  that  it  can  help  increase  the  participation  of 
European citizens in the EU's democratic process. On 15 July 2020, the European Parliament 
and  the  Council  adopted  temporary  measures  to  address  the  effects  of  the  COVID-19 
pandemic  on  the  ECI.  The  rules  have  been  modified  to  allow  for  an  extension  of  the 
collection periods of citizens' initiatives affected by the pandemic.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a massive wave of  false or misleading 
information, including attempts by people and groups from outside the EU to influence EU 
citizens  and  debates.  By  requiring  greater  accountability  for  online  platforms,  the 
Commission is continuing its work to support an information environment  in which citizens 
can develop well-informed opinions on public affairs. On COVID-19 related disinformation, 
the Commission has set up a monitoring and reporting programme as a follow up to the June 
2020  COVID-19  Joint  Communication55.  Signatories  of 
the  Code  of  Practice  on 
Disinformation  have  been  reporting  monthly  on  the  actions  taken  to  limit  the  spread  of 
COVID-19  disinformation  on  their  services.  In  addition,  consumer  scams,  such  as  offering 

from the EU. The “New Consumer Agenda” is based on the participation of consumers in the implementation of 
its  actions,  which  will  be  ensured,  among  others,  by  strengthening  consumer  organisations,  which  represent 
consumers’ interest, and advice and support them. This is particularly important for some categories of citizens 
who are more vulnerable because of social circumstances or particular characteristics, such as their age, gender, 
health, digital literacy or financial situation. 
50 Article 165(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 
51 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2018:456:FULL&from=EN  
52 https://ec.europa.eu/youth/policy/youth-strategy/euyouthdialogue_en  
53 The EU Youth Dialogue resulted in the adoption of the European Youth Goals that represent young people’s 
vision for Europe and are paramount of our ambition to seriously consider input from younger generations and to 
integrate  a  longer-term  perspective  in  policymaking,  encouraging  dialogue,  and  increasing  transparency  and 
accountability about our policy choices. 
54 So far, 75 initiatives have been registered, of which six have completed all stages of the procedure and have 
been successfully submitted to the Commission (source: https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/home_en). 
55  Joint  Communication  of  the  European  Commission  and  the  High  Representative  “Tackling  COVID-19 
disinformation - Getting the facts right”, 10 June 2020, JOIN (2020) 8 final 

10 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
unnecessary,  ineffective  and  potentially  dangerous  protective  products,  have  surged  as  a 
particular element of disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic56. Initiatives provided in 
the  Joint  Communication57  and  the  new  Consumer  Agenda58  address  these  issues.  The 
European Democracy Action Plan and the Digital Services Act are addressing the challenges 
posed for our societies by online disinformation. 

Participation  in  learning  activities  can  contribute  to  empowering  citizens’  participation  in 
democratic  processes.  This  is  recalled  in  the  European  Skills  Agenda59,  which  promotes 
skills  for  life  because  “democratic  societies  depend  on  active  citizens  who  can  discern 
information  from  various  sources,  identify  disinformation,  take  informed  decisions,  are 
resilient and act responsibly”. With this view, the Commission will support the development 
of quality and inclusive adult learning, in line with the first principle of the European Pillar of 
Social Rights. 

Digital technologies are transforming democratic decision-making in the EU, as well as the 
way  public  authorities  interact  with  citizens.  Online  tools  can  facilitate  interaction  and 
democratic  participation  in  current  times,  when  circumstances  have  forced  many  people  to 
change  their  working  habits  and  the  way  they  interact  with  each  other60.  At  the  same  time, 
digital engagement is limited by people's technical skills.  

One of the Commission's key priorities is ‘A Europe fit for the digital age’ and improving the 
digital  skills61  of  both  young  people  and  adults.  This  is  the  focus  of  the  updated  digital 
education  action  plan62  that  runs  from  2021  to  2027.  Relevant  actions  include  reinforcing 
efforts to foster digital literacy and promote the development of common guidelines to tackle 
disinformation  through  education  and  training,  and  supporting  the  development  of  a  better 
understanding of artificial intelligence and data among all citizens and systematic integration 
of  digital  literacy  into  formal  and  informal  education  projects.  The  Commission  is  also 
committed  to  addressing  the  impact  of  ageing  in  all  policy  areas  in  order  to  help  societies 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/fighting-disinformation/tackling-

56 
coronavirus-disinformation_en  
57  Joint  Communication  of  the  European  Commission  and  the  High  Representative  “Tackling  COVID-19 
disinformation - Getting the facts right”, 10 June 2020, JOIN (2020) 8 final. 
58 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council “New Consumer Agenda – 
Strengthening consumer resilience for sustainable recovery”, 13.11.2020, COM(2020) 696 final. In line with the 
initiatives  under  the  new  Consumer  Agenda,  the  Commission  will  support  the  development  of  online 
investigation  capacities  of  national  consumer  protection  authorities  and  facilitate  the  cooperation  between  the 
Consumer Protection Cooperation network and other enforcement networks and stakeholders to tackle consumer 
scams, unfair marketing practices and fraud. 
59 COM (2020) 274 final of 1 July 2020. 
60 During the 2020 European Week of Regions and Cities, the Commission hosted a session on ‘No lockdown 
for e-democracy’  featuring best practices of selected EU funded projects and exploring the potential of digital 
technologies to empower citizens to take part in the European democratic debate. 
61  Equipping  people  with  the  skills  needed  for  the  digital  transition  is  a  major  focus  of  the  European  Skills 
Agenda, which envisages a number of actions in coordination with the Digital Strategy, the Industrial and SME 
Strategies and the European Education Area. 
62  The  plan  has  two  strategic  priorities:  (i)  fostering  the  development  of  a  high-performing  digital  education 
ecosystem  in  Europe  (ii)  and  enhancing  the  digital  skills  and  competences  for  the  digital  transformation.  See 
https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/document-library-docs/deap-communication-sept2020_en.pdf   

11 

 
 
                                                           
and economies adapt to demographic changes63. It will outline specific actions to encourage 
the active participation of citizens in all stages of life, from  young to old64, with a potential 
additional focus on children's participation in EU political and democratic life. 

Mobile EU citizens settling in another Member State need support to ease their inclusion in 
the  host  society.  Some  mobile  EU  citizens  may  be  in  a  precarious  situation,  such  as  rough 
sleepers, or may come from a minority background and may be entitled to additional support. 
Currently, support is often made available to third-country nationals and mobile EU citizens 
as a specific group often lack sufficient support. There are, of course, exceptions to this and a 
growing number of local government and civil society projects are trying to  fill this gap. In 
addition,  every  year,  the  Commission  supports  awareness-raising  actions  on  EU  citizenship 
rights and the inclusion of mobile EU citizens through its dedicated funding in the area of EU 
citizenship.   

Furthermore, international research and literature finds a strong association between cultural 
participation  and  democracy.  Societies  are  said  to  be  more  open  and  tolerant,  better 
functioning,  economically  stronger  and  with  higher  democratic  security  where  people  have 
easy  access  to  a  wide  range  of  cultural  activities  and  where  participation  rates  in  these 
activities are high.  In this context, the Commission is preparing to launch, in early 2021, an 
independent study “The importance of citizens’ participation in culture for civic engagement 
and  democracy  –  policy  lessons  from  international  research”.  It  will  summarise  existing 
knowledge  and  evidence  on  this  topic,  will  distil  key  policy  lessons  and  will  highlight 
examples  of successful  actions  from  several  EU  Member States. The study  will support  the 
Commission  in  the  implementation  of  the  New  European  Agenda  for  Culture  and  of  the 
Council’s 2019-2022 Work Plan for Culture. 

63 In June 2020, the Commission adopted a Report on the Impact of Demographic Change, which presents the 
drivers for demographic change and their impact across Europe.  
64 In the Commission’s report on European Parliament 2019 elections COM(2020) 252 final, it was announced 
that a specific focus of the Commission to support inclusive and equal participation for the 2024 elections will be 
on younger and older people, women, mobile EU citizens and people with disabilities. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Action  4  -  The  Commission  will  support  the  active  participation  of  citizens  in  the 
democratic process, and will take innovative approaches to involving them in the legislative 
process to ensure that EU laws are fit-for-purpose and align with EU values. It will lead by 
example by funding projects that support European citizens’ engagement, via the Citizens, 
Equality,  Rights  and  Values  programme,  deliberation  and  participation  in  the  Horizon 
Europe programme and in the European Green Deal transitions.   

Action  5  –  The  Commission  will  fund  specific  local  actions  that  aim  to  support  the 
inclusion  of  EU  citizens  in  EU  society  via  the  Citizens,  Equality,  Rights  and  Values 
programme. 

Action  6  –  The  Commission  will  raise  EU-wide  awareness  about  the  importance  of 
participation  in  culture  for  society  and  democracy  through  targeted  actions  including 
funding. 

3. 

Facilitating the exercise of free movement and simplifying daily life 

3.1. 

Improved legal certainty when exercising free movement rights 

The  freedom  of  movement65,  which  allows  any  EU  citizen  to  live,  work  or  study  in  any 
Member State, is EU citizens’ most cherished right. In a Eurobarometer survey, more than 8 
in 10 respondents (84%) thought that the free movement of EU citizens within the EU brings 
overall benefits to the economy of their country66. It is estimated that around 13.3 million EU 
citizens have exercised their right  and moved to  another Member State. Moving abroad can 
entail  a number of legal and  administrative challenges67 and the Commission  has supported 
both  Member  States  and  EU  citizens  by  issuing  guidelines68  on  the  issues  identified  as 
problematic during transposition or when applying the free movement rules in practice.  

Since  the  last  Citizenship  Report,  a  number  of  new  problematic  issues  have  been  identified 
and the European Court of Justice has delivered important judgments further clarifying the 

65  This  right  is  conferred  directly  on  every  EU  citizen  by  Article  21  of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the 
European  Union  and  is  enshrined  in  Article  45  of  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights.  Article  21(1)  TFEU 
stipulates that every citizen of the EU has the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member 
States, subject to the limitations and conditions set out in the Treaties and by the measures adopted to give them 
effect. The respective limitations and conditions are to be found in Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens 
of  the  EU  and  their  family  members  to  move  and  reside  freely  within  the  territory  of  the  Member  States 
amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1612/68  and  repealing  Directives  64/221/EEC,  68/360/EEC,  72/194/EEC, 
73/148/EEC,  75/34/EEC,  75/35/EEC,  90/364/EEC,  90/365/EEC  and  93/96/EEC,  OJ  L  158,  30.4.2004,  p.  77 
(hereinafter also referred to as the “Free Movement Directive”). Moreover Article 45 TFEU confers on every EU 
citizen the right to take up employment in any Member State and reside there for that purpose. 
66 This is an increase of 17 percentage points since 2012. 
67  The  open  public  consultation  for  this  report  revealed  that  while  overall  citizens  moving  abroad  feel  well 
informed, they encounter administrative problems when living abroad. In a number of cases, they wish they were 
better informed prior to their move in matters such as taxes, social benefits, or health insurance. 
68 COM (2009) 313 final. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
right to free movement of EU citizens and their family members. One issue was related to the 
fact that, due to differences in legal rules across Member States, family ties may not be given 
relevance  when  rainbow  families  (i.e.  families  where  at  least  one  member  is  LGBTIQ  
exercise their right of free movement.  

In its judgment in the Coman case, the Court of Justice held that, as regards the exercise of 
free movement rights, the term ‘spouse’ of an EU citizen in the Free Movement Directive also 
applies  to  a  person  of  the  same  sex  as  the  EU  citizen  to  whom  he  or  she  is  married69.  In 
another  instance,  non-EU  family  members  holding  a  (permanent)  residence  card  were  not 
always able to benefit from the visa exemption when travelling from their host Member State 
to another Member State. The Court of Justice clarified in two judgments their right to benefit 
from  such exemption70. On minors covered by the Free Movement  Directive71, the Court of 
Justice  found  that  the  concept  of  a  ‘direct  descendant’  of  an  EU  citizen  used  in  the  Free 
Movement  Directive should  be understood as including both  the biological  and the adopted 
child of an EU citizen.  

The  Commission  intends  to  review  the  2009  guidelines  on  free  movement72  in  order  to 
improve legal certainty for EU citizens exercising their free movement rights, and to ensure a 
more effective and uniform application of the free movement legislation across the EU73. The 
reviewed  guidelines  should  reflect  the  diversity  of  families  and  therefore  help  all  families  - 
including  rainbow  families  –  exercise  their  right  to  free  movement.  They  should  provide 
updated guidance for all interested parties, in particular EU citizens, and support the work of 
national authorities dealing with citizens’ rights, as well as courts and legal practitioners.  

When  updating  the  guidelines,  the  Commission  intends  to  address  the  application  of 
restrictive  measures  on  free  movement,  specifically  those  that  are  due  to  public  health 
concerns.  The  COVID-19  outbreak  has  presented  a  number  of  unique  challenges  to  free 
movement across the EU, with many Member States having imposed travel restrictions as a 
health precaution74.  

In March 2020, the Commission adopted dedicated guidelines concerning the exercise of free 
movement of workers75. To help gradually lift travel restrictions and coordinate the actions of 
individual Members States, in May 2020 the Commission presented a  package of measures, 

69 Judgment of 5 June 2018, Coman and Others, C-673/16, EU:C:2018:385. 
70 Judgment of 18 December 2014, McCarthy and Others, C‑ 202/13, EU:C:2014:2450 and judgment of 18 June 
2020, Ryanair Designated Activity Company, C-754/18, EU:C:2020:478. 
71 Judgment of 26 March 2019, SM (Child placed under Algerian kafala), C-129/18, EU:C:2019:248. 
72 COM (2009) 313 final  
73 Member States are assisted in applying free movement legislation correctly by the SOLVIT network, which 
works at a national level to address problems of compliance with EU law.  See Commission Recommendation of 
17.9.2013 on the principles governing SOLVIT, C(2013) 5869 final. 
74 In line with the free movement legislation, restrictions to free movement should comply with proportionality 
and non-discrimination requirements. 
75 Communication  from the  Commission Guidelines  concerning the exercise of the free  movement of  workers 
during COVI-19 outbreak 2020/C 102 I/03 

14 

 
 
                                                           
including a common approach to restoring free movement76, as well as a set of guidelines and 
recommendations  for  tourists,  travellers  and  businesses,  and  criteria  for  restoring  tourism77. 
The  flexible  approach  presented  was  based  on  epidemiological  criteria,  the  application  of 
social  distancing  considerations.  On 
containment  measures,  and  economic  and 
4 September 2020, the Commission presented a proposal for a Council Recommendation on a 
coordinated  approach  to  the  restriction  of  free  movement  in  response  to  the  COVID-19 
pandemic,  which  was  adopted  by  the  Council  on  13 October 2020.  The  Recommendation78 
aims  to  ensure  that  any  measures  taken  by  Member  States  to  restrict  free  movement  due  to 
COVID-19  are  proportionate,  non-discriminatory,  well-coordinated  and  clearly 
communicated at EU level. 

The Commission also launched ‘Re-open EU’79, a web platform with essential information in 
all EU languages for a safe relaunch of free movement and tourism across Europe. It includes 
real-time  information  on  borders,  travel  restrictions,  public  health  and  safety  measures,  as 
well as other practical information for travellers. 

As  indicated  in  its  New  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum80,  the  Commission  will  adopt  a 
Strategy on the future of Schengen, which reinforces the Schengen Borders Code81 and the 
Schengen  evaluation  mechanism,  and  establish  a  Schengen  Forum  to  foster  concrete 
cooperation and ways to deepen Schengen through a programme of support and cooperation 
to help end internal border controls. A first meeting of the Schengen Forum took place on 30 
November 2020.  

Brexit  has  had  a  significant  impact  on  those  EU  citizens  -  around  3.7  million82  -  who,  as  a 
result of exercising their free movement rights when the UK was still a member of the EU, 
currently live in the UK83. The Commission remains committed to protecting their rights. The 
Withdrawal  Agreement  guarantees  these  citizens  and  their  family  members  broadly  the 
same rights as they have now: they can continue to live, study, work and travel between their 
host country and the UK or the EU-27. The same applies to any EU citizen who moves to the 
UK before the end of the transition period84. The Commission will help EU citizens in the UK 
to  have  full  knowledge  of  their  rights  and  will  make  sure  to  raise  any  potential 
implementation issues with the UK authorities. Part Two of the Withdrawal Agreement also 

76 Communication from the Commission: Towards a phased and coordinated approach for restoring freedom of 
movement and lifting internal border controls - COVID-19 2020/C 169/03. 
77 Communication from the Commission: EU guidance for the progressive resumption of tourism services and 
for health protocols in hospitality establishments - COVID-19 2020/C 169/01. 
78 Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/1475 on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in 
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, OJ L 337, 14.10.2020, p. 32. 
79 https://reopen.europa.eu  
80 COM(2020)609 of 23.9.2020 
81 Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code 
on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), OJ L 77, 23.3.2016, 
p. 1. 
82 Eurostat database migr_pop1ctz. 
83  And  that  an  estimated  1  million  UK  nationals  live  within  the  EU-27  (source:  First  joint  report  on  the 
implementation of residence rights under part two of the Withdrawal Agreement). 
84 The same applies to any UK national who moves to an EU Member State during the transition period. 

15 

 
 
                                                           
protects  the  rights  of  the  over  1  million  UK  nationals,  who  since  1  February  2020  are  no 
longer EU citizens but still live in EU countries, safeguarding their right to live, work or study 
in their host country. It provides for residence rights, rights of entry and exit, right to work, 
the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications,  and  social  security  coordination.  The  correct 
implementation  of  the  citizens’  rights  part  of  the  Withdrawal  Agreement,  including  on 
disadvantaged  groups, is a top  priority  for the Commission.  All  citizens should have all the 
necessary information to be able to exercise their rights. 

Action 7 – In 2022, the Commission will improve legal certainty for EU citizens exercising 
their  free  movement  rights  and  for  national  administrations  by  updating  the  2009  EU 
guidelines on free movement. The updated guidelines will take into account the diversity of 
families (rainbow families), the application of specific measures, such as those introduced 
due to public health concerns, as well as the relevant judgments by the Court of Justice.  

Action  8  –  In  line  with  the  Withdrawal  Agreement,  the  Commission  will  continue  to 
support the protection of the rights of EU citizens who as a result of exercising their right to 
free movement while the UK was still a member of the EU, were resident in the UK before 
the end of the transition period. 

3.2. 

Simplifying cross-border work and travel 

In  2019,  the  EU  introduced  tighter  security  for  identity  cards  and  residence  documents 
issued to EU citizens85. The new cards will facilitate the daily lives of mobile EU citizens and 
their family members, frontier workers, students, tourists and other travellers. The new rules, 
which  will  become  applicable  on  2  August  2021,  will  improve  the  security  of  ID  and 
residence  cards  across  the  EU  by  introducing  minimum  standards  both  for  the  information 
contained  in  them  and  for  security  features  common  to  all  Member  States  that  issue  such 
documents86.  The  Commission  will  explore  ways  to  encourage  the  use  of  digital  tools  and 
innovations that make use of the capabilities offered by ID cards issued according to the new 
rules for e-government and e-business services.   

The  simplification  of  administrative  procedures  and  formalities  is  critical  for  citizens 
moving from one Member State to another. This is particularly relevant for public documents 
such  as  birth  certificates,  proof  of  nationality  or  extracts  from  criminal  records  that  were 
established  abroad  and  need  to  be  translated  and  legalised  to  be  accepted  by  a  public 

85 Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on strengthening 
the  security  of  identity  cards  of  Union  citizens  and  of  residence  documents  issued  to  Union  citizens  and  their 
family members exercising their right of free movement, OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 67. 
86 The new rules include strong data protection safeguards to ensure the information collected does not fall into 
the wrong hands. In particular, national authorities will have to ensure the security of the contactless chip and the 
data stored in it, so that it cannot be hacked or accessed without permission. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
authority. The Public Documents Regulation87 became fully applicable on 16 February 2019, 
and makes it easier for citizens to exercise their right to freedom of movement within the EU. 
The Commission closely monitors the correct implementation of these new rules and actively 
supports Member States in overcoming the problems reported by citizens and authorities.  

EU citizens are entitled to move freely between EU Member States for work reasons without 
suffering  discrimination  in  terms  of  employment  conditions  -  including  remuneration. 
Frontier workers are people who work in one EU Member State but live in another. In 2019, 
this  term  applied  to  2  million88  of  the  220  million  employed  people  aged  20-64  in  the  EU, 
equivalent to nearly 1 % of the total EU workforce. In the field of taxation, there are no EU-
level  rules  on  the  definition  of  frontier  workers,  the  division  of  taxation  rights  between 
Member  States  or  the  tax  rules  to  be  applied.  Neighbouring  Member  States  with  many 
citizens  crossing  borders  to  work  often  include  special  rules  for  frontier  workers  in  their 
bilateral double taxation conventions. Such rules often apply to citizens living and working in 
a  narrow  zone  along  the  border.  Since  these  rules  reflect  the  special  situation  between  two 
Member  States  and  are  the  result  of  negotiations  between  them,  they  vary  from  one  double 
taxation convention to  another.  Income earned by  a frontier worker may be taxed in  one or 
both of the Member States concerned, depending on the tax arrangements89. The Commission 
intends  to  issue  recommendations  to  improve  the  situation  of  taxpayers  with  cross-border 
activities, including frontier workers.  The Commission  announced in  its Tax Action Plan of 
July 202090 that it would launch in 2021 an initiative on EU taxpayers’ rights and to simplify 
tax obligations for EU citizens. 

Travelling between Member States can sometimes involve using several  modes of transport 
(‘multimodality’).  Multimodal  journey  planners91  provide  European  travellers  with 
comprehensive  door-to-door  information  so  they  can  make  well-informed  travel  decisions 
tailored to their needs. They seamlessly integrate information on different modes of transport, 

87 Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 on promoting the 
free  movement  of  citizens  by  simplifying  the  requirements  for  presenting  certain  public  documents  in  the 
European Union and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012, OJ L 200, 26.7.2016, p. 1–136. The Regulation 
alleviates  most of the problems  met by European citizens  when  submitting certain public documents issued in 
another Member State. In particular, public authorities cannot request an apostille on a public document or its 
certified  copy  anymore.  In  addition,  some  public  documents  do  not  need  to  be  translated  anymore,  as  long  as 
they are presented with a multilingual standard form, which is available to the Member State authorities on the e-
Justice portal. 
88 In 2019, the largest number of cross-border workers among the Member States were for those living in Poland 
and working in Germany (122 000 people), France and Luxembourg (93 000), Hungary and Austria (56 000), 
Germany  and  Luxembourg  (54  000)  and  France  and  Belgium  (50  000).Most  cross-border  workers  worked  in 
construction, manufacturing or in healthcare-related jobs.  
See for more https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/digpub/eumove/bloc-2c.html?lang=en  
89  It  is  established  case  law  that  under  bilateral  agreements  to  prevent  double  taxation,  Member  States  are  at 
liberty  to  determine  the  connecting  factors  for  allocating  powers  of  taxation  between  themselves.  They  must, 
however, exercise such power of taxation consistently with EU law. This also means that there are no rules that 
guarantee frontier workers the right to the most favourable of the tax regimes of the Member States involved. 
90 COM(2020) 312 
91  A  multimodal  journey  planner  (JP)  is  an  IT  system  able  to  propose  a  set  of  one  or  more  transport  services 
answering at least the question “How can I go from location A to location B at a given departure/arrival date and 
time and under which conditions”. The most common point of access to such a journey planner is via a specific 
web service. (European Commission study “Towards a European Multi-Modal Journey Planner”, 2011) 

17 

 
 
                                                           
especially rail and local  public transport  and lead to  a more efficient  transport system.  This 
will significantly benefit citizens, as it is not always easy to get accurate information on cross-
border  transport  and  connections.  It  should  also  make  it  possible  for  people  to  choose  the 
modes  of  transport  that  are  the  least  harmful  for  the  environment.  The  Commission  will 
increase its support for services that help  people in  the EU search for and book multimodal 
transport connections. 

Action  9  –  The  Commission  will  work  with  Member  States  to  promote  the  inclusions  of 
cross-border e-government and e-business solutions into newly issued ID cards.  

Action 10 – The Commission will launch in 2021 an initiative on EU taxpayers’ rights and 
to simplify tax obligations for EU citizens. 

Action 11 - The Commission will launch an initiative to support further the development of 
multimodal  journey  planners,  as  well  as  digital  services  facilitating  the  booking  and 
payment of the different mobility offers. 

4. 

Protecting and promoting EU citizenship 

4.1.  Protecting EU citizenship  

EU  citizenship  and  the  rights  granted  by  it  are  anchored  in  the  Treaties.  Holding  the 
nationality of a Member State is the one and only condition for being an EU citizen. Member 
States,  when  awarding  nationality,  must  ensure  that  they  do  so  without  undermining  the 
essence,  value  and  integrity  of  EU  citizenship.  This  integrity  is  undermined  when  Member 
States  grant  nationality  and  therefore  EU  citizenship  in  return  for  pre-determined  levels  of 
investment without any requirement for a real link between the investor and the country. EU 
values and principles such as solidarity among Member State nationals are weakened if being 
part of the European project,  the enjoyment of its rights,  and participation in  its democratic 
life  is  subject  to  a  mere  economic  transaction.  These  fundamental  principles  are  further 
threatened by investor citizenship schemes which facilitate money laundering, tax evasion, 
and corruption, as highlighted in the Commission’s reports of January 201992 and July 201993. 
On 20 October 2020, the Commission launched infringement procedures against two Member 
States  because  of  their  investor  citizenship  schemes,  also  referred  to  as  ‘golden  passport’ 
schemes94.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  monitor  the  situation  on  investor  residence 
schemes or ‘golden visas’, which pose similar risks. 

92 COM(2019) 12 final. 
93 COM(2019) 370 final and SWD(2019) 650 final. 
94 For more information see: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1925  

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Action 12 – The Commission will continue to monitor the risks posed by investor schemes 
for  EU  citizenship,  including  in  the  context  of  ongoing  infringement  procedures,  and 
intervene as necessary. 

4.2.   Promoting EU citizenship and EU values 

EU citizenship is underpinned by common values, as expressed in Article 2 of the Treaty95, 
encompassing  the  respect  for  democracy,  rule  of  law,  equality  and  fundamental  rights.  The 
Eurobarometer  survey  conducted  in  2019  showed  that  European  citizens  choose  almost  the 
same  values  as  best  representing  the  EU,  i.e.  democracy,  human  rights  and  the  rule  of  law, 
topped only by peace96.  

COVID-19  has  challenged  certain  EU  values,  as  it  has  led  to  temporary  restrictions  on 
fundamental  rights  and  democratic  values.  Questions  quickly  arose  on  how  elections 
should  be  run  in  these  circumstances,  how  electoral  campaigns  can  fairly  take  place,  how 
citizens  can  make  their  opinions  heard  and  what  restrictions,  if  any,  can  be  put  in  place. 
Addressing  these  issues  is  particularly  important,  knowing  that  in  times  of  crisis  the 
protection of democratic values is of utmost importance and that the circumstances that have 
led to such measures may well reoccur. The Commission will  continue to facilitate Member 
States exchange best practices on these issues, including regulatory measures, in the European 
Cooperation Network on Elections. Even without the pandemic, polarisation has increased in 
Europe in recent  years, as it has elsewhere, and European values have been challenged both 
from outside and inside the EU.  

To  help  promote  a  genuine  rule  of law  culture  among  the  general  public,  the  Commission 
announced a number of actions in its July 2019 Communication on ‘Strengthening the rule of 
law  within  the  Union  –  a  blueprint  for  action’97.  For  example  a  dedicated  public 
communication  campaign  on  the  rule  of  law.  It  also  published  its  first  annual  Rule  of  Law 
Report  on  30 September 202098,  which  is  at  the  centre  of  the  new  European  Rule  of  Law 

95  Article  2  reads:  ‘The  Union  is  founded  on  the  values  of  respect  for  human  dignity,  freedom,  democracy, 
equality, the  rule of law and  respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to  minorities. 
These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, 
justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.’ 
96 In Standard Eurobarometer 92 from autumn 2019, respondents were asked to choose values that they feel best 
represent the EU. 'Peace' stood out as the value best representing the EU (42%), followed by 'democracy' (34%) 
in second place and 'human rights' (32%) in third position. 'The rule of law' was in fourth place, mentioned by 
more than one in five respondents (22%). 
97 COM(2019) 343 final. In particular, the Commission has committed to using all funding possibilities to help 
civil society and academia strengthen a rule of law culture, for example the future citizens, equality, rights and 
values programme. 
98 https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/2020-rule-law-report-communication-and-country-chapters_en  

19 

 
 
 
                                                           
Mechanism99. This will stimulate a permanent discussion on the rule of law, year after year, 
and help create a rule of law culture in the EU.  

Many Europeans see the  Erasmus+ programme  as  one of the main achievements100 of the 
EU101.  Going  abroad  to  study,  learn,  train  and  work  or  to  participate  in  youth  and  sport 
activities contributes to strengthening European identity in all its diversity and fosters active 
citizenships among people of all ages. Erasmus+ encourages  youth participation in Europe's 
democratic  life,  raising  awareness  about  European  common  values  including  fundamental 
rights  and bringing together  young people and decision makers at  local,  national  and Union 
level102. Jean Monnet actions of Erasmus+ programme foster a sense of European identity and 
commitment  through  the  development  of  excellence  in  European  integration  studies.  The 
future Erasmus+ will expand Jean Monnet actions from the field of higher education to other 
fields of education and training.  

Citizenship  education  is  designed  to  promote  active  citizenship  and  help  young  people 
discover  their  place  in  today’s  complex  society.  Possible  activities  include  volunteering103 
with the European Solidarity Corps, taking part in virtual experiences through the Erasmus+ 
virtual  exchange104  or  going  abroad  and  discovering  new  cultures  through  Discover  EU.  In 
addition,  the  Council  Recommendation  on  Promoting  common  values,  inclusive  education 
and the European dimension  of teaching105  invites Member States  to  step up their efforts  to 
promote common values such as respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the 
rule of law and respect for human rights. The Recommendation also calls for more inclusive 
education  systems,  better  support  for  educational  staff  and  teaching  about  Europe  and  its 
Member  States  to  help  increase  a  sense  of  belonging  to  one's  school,  local  community, 
country and also the European family. The Commission will continue to work on innovative 

99 This Mechanism aims to trigger a genuine dialogue on the rule of law at both European and national level. It is 
conceived as a yearly process to prevent problems from emerging or deepening. It will create joint awareness on 
the situation of the rule of law across the EU, and strengthen inter-institutional cooperation on this topic. 
100  In  Standard  Eurobarometer  89  from  2018,  respondents  ranked  'student  exchange  programmes  such  as 
ERASMUS' as the third most positive result of the EU, following 'peace among the Member States of the EU' 
and 'the free movement of people, goods and services within the EU'.  
101 Over the last three decades, more than 10 million people have participated in Erasmus+ and its predecessor 
programmes.  More  than  EUR  1.7  billion  have  been  made  available  through  the  programme  for  learning 
opportunities abroad, as well as transnational partnerships to develop innovative policy approaches and practices 
at  grass-root  level,  which  prioritise  social  inclusion,  the  promotion  of  common  values  and  intercultural 
understanding. 
102 Also, the Erasmus+ Youth Participation Activities will as of 2021 support alternative, innovative, smart and 
digital  forms  of  youth  participation  and  civic  engagement,  through  a  wide  range  of  youth-driven  participation 
projects.    
103  Volunteering  is  one  of  the  most  visible  expression  of  solidarity.  By  taking  part  in  the  European  Solidarity 
Corps,  young  people  help  to  address  identified  needs  within  local  communities  and  contribute  to  overcoming 
important  societal challenges. Volunteering also enables  young people to acquire  useful experience, skills and 
competences for their personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, thereby improving their 
employability and active citizenship. According to participants reports, 76% of volunteers agree that after having 
taken part in their volunteering activity, they intend to participate more actively in the social and political live of 
their  community.  87%  of  volunteers  intend  to  remain  engaged  and  active  in  the  area  of  solidarity  on  their 
return.” 
104 This allows  young people in Europe and the  Southern Mediterranean to engage in  meaningful intercultural 
experiences online. 
105 2018/C 195/01. 

20 

 
 
                                                           
projects that promote young people's citizenship education and experiences, including through 
the future Erasmus programme (2021-2027). 

European  values  can  also  apply  when  conducting  economic  activities.  The  social  economy 
includes  business  structures  such  as  cooperatives,  mutual  societies,  non-profit  associations, 
foundations and social enterprises whatever their legal forms. Besides generating millions of 
jobs, such businesses and organisations are also  the engine for social innovation. The sector 
puts  people,  solidarity,  and  democracy  at  the  heart  of  its  work.  It  provides  answers  to 
contemporary problems and fosters the idea of citizenship. This is particularly illustrated by 
the  numerous  associations  and  charities  it  encompasses,  and  the  acceleration  of  the 
volunteering  phenomenon  in  many  European  countries.  The  social  economy  promotes  an 
'economy that works for the people'. With its action plan for social economy due for adoption 
in the second half of 2021, the Commission will adopt new measures to improve the enabling 
environment for social economy and social innovation and thereby foster social inclusion and 
participation. As such, the Commission will continue to develop its European social economy 
regions  project  (ESER)  and  will  organise,  with  the  City  of  Mannheim,  the  European  Social 
Economy Summit in May 2021.  

In its political guidelines, the Commission underlined the importance of  tackling inequality 
in the EU. The EU can only reach its full potential if it uses all of its talent and diversity. The 
fact that people in the EU continue to face discrimination weakens the EU’s social cohesion, 
deprives the economy of its full potential, and is a direct challenge to fundamental rights and 
EU  values.  In  line  with  the  commitment  of  President  von  der  Leyen  to  build  a  “Union  of 
Equality’, the Commission adopted the 2020-2025 EU gender equality strategy106, EU anti-
racism  action  plan107  and  strategic  frameworks  on  LGBTIQ  108  and  Roma109.  The 
Commission  Work  Programme  for  2021  includes  further  initiatives  in  this  area,  such  as: 
Proposal  to  prevent  and  combat  gender-based  violence  and  domestic  violence,  Initiative  to 
extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech, Strategy on the rights 
of  persons  with  disabilities  and  Communication  on  the  EU  strategy  on  combating 
antisemitism.   

106 COM(2020) 152 final 
107 A Union of Equality : EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025: 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/a_union_of_equality_eu_action_plan_against_racism_2020_-
2025_en.pdf. One of the actions announced include that the Commission will organise a workshop on elections 
to  exchange  and  foster  best  practices  on  inclusive  democracy  with  the  aim  of  candidate  lists  that  reflect  the 
diversity  of  our  societies.  This  workshop  is  planned  for  2022  to  inform  the  next  European  parliamentary 
elections in 2024. 
108 Union of Equality: LGBTIQ equality strategy 2020-2025. 
109 The EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation sets out a comprehensive three-
pillar approach for 2020 to 2030: This approach complements the social and economic inclusion of marginalized 
Roma  with  promoting  equality  and  fostering  participation.  It  thus  aims  to  give  all  Roma  the  opportunity  to 
realise their full potential and engage in political, social, economic and cultural life. 

21 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Action 13 – The Commission will propose new equality and anti-discrimination measures, 
as announced in the strategic documents. 

Action  14  –  The  Commission  will  support  young  Europeans’  sense  of  European  identity 
through  the  ERASMUS+  programme,  the  European  Solidarity  Corps  Programme  and  the 
Jean Monnet Actions.  

Action 15 – The Commission will continue to monitor the impact of restrictive measures, 
specifically those put in place during crises, on EU citizenship rights, free and fair elections 
and  a  fair  democratic  debate  until  such  measures  are  lifted  and  will  continue  to  facilitate 
Member  States  exchange  best  practices  on  these  issues  in  the  European  Cooperation 
Network on Elections. 

5. 

Protecting  EU  citizens 
crisis/emergency 

in  Europe  and  abroad, 

including 

in 

times  of 

5.1 

 Solidarity in action for citizens in the EU 

The  COVID-19  pandemic  and  its  consequences  has  highlighted  the  value  of  solidarity 
between Member States, as well as individual members of society. The pandemic has affected 
Europeans in different ways, depending on their social status, gender, the sector they work in, 
whether they are considered essential or non-essential workers, and most seriously - in terms 
of  its  health  impact  -  depending  on  their  age  and  underlying  conditions.  The  pandemic  has 
also  highlighted  and  exacerbated  existing  inequalities  in  our  society110.  The  European 
response  has  been  multifaceted,  involving  the  EU  and  national  governments,  industry,  civil 
society and citizens active within their communities111.  

To  protect  lives  and  livelihoods,  and  to  secure  a  lasting  and  prosperous  recovery,  the 
Commission has proposed NextGenerationEU – a recovery programme of EUR 750 billion, 
as  well  as  targeted  reinforcements  to  the  2021-2027  EU  budget.  The  Commission  is 
committed  to  keeping  equality  at  the  heart  of  the  recovery,  to  ensure  sustainable  and  long-
term stability. 

The European public expects the EU to respond more effectively to health crises in the future. 
As  part  of  its  response  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  and  recognising  that  new  COVID-19 
vaccines  could  provide  a  contribution  to  exiting  from  the  pandemic,  the  Commission  has 

110  For  example,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  has  had  a  disproportionately  negative  impact  on  marginalised  and 
rights-deprived Roma communities. The EU Roma Strategic Framework includes specific guidance for Member 
States  to  ensure  that  future  strategies  better  prepare  them  to  face  similar  crises.  The  lessons  learned  from  the 
pandemic  also  inform  the  selection  of  headline  targets  of  the  new  framework  (e.g.  in  the  area  of  housing  and 
essential  services),  as  well  as  the  measures  suggested  in  the  draft  Council  Recommendation  (e.g.  support  for 
digital inclusion and distance education for Roma children). 
111  For  more  information  see:  Coronavirus:  European  solidarity  in  action,  https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-
travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/coronavirus-european-solidarity-action_en  

22 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
developed  an  ambitious  EU  strategy  for  COVID-19  vaccines112,  adopted  in  June  2020,  to 
secure access to such vaccines via Advance Purchase Agreements with leadings producers of 
COVID-19  vaccines.  It  also  supports  Member  States  in  preparing  for  the  successful 
deployment and sufficient uptake of COVID-19 vaccines once available113. The Commission 
is also building a strong European Health Union, which will better protect citizens’ health, 
equip  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  to  better  prevent  and  address  future  pandemics,  and 
improve the resilience of Europe’s health systems. To this end, the Commission adopted, on 
11 November 2020, a proposal for a regulation on serious cross-border threats to health114 to 
further protect the health of Europeans and collectively respond to cross-border health crises, 
together with proposals to extend the mandates of the European Medicines Agency115 and the 
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control116.  

The  Commission  has  also  proposed  a  new  EU  health  programme  -  EU4Health,  which  will 
support actions to protect citizens in the Union from serious cross-border threats to health, to 
improve the availability in the Union of medicines, medical devices and other crisis relevant 
products, contribute to their affordability, support innovation and to strengthen health systems 
and the healthcare workforce, including through the digital transformation.  

From the start of the von der Leyen Commission, fully implementing the European Pillar of 
Social Rights has been a political priority. Ensuring that all workers in the EU earn a decent 
living is  essential  for the recovery, as well as for building  fair and  resilient economies, and 
minimum wages have an important role to play in this. Minimum wages are relevant both in 
countries  relying  solely  on  collectively  agreed  wage  floors  and  in  those  with  a  statutory 
minimum  wage.  The  Commission  proposal117  was  adopted  on  28  October  2020.  The 
European Pillar of Social Rights will be the compass of Europe’s recovery and the best tool to 
ensure that no one is left behind. The Commission has announced118 that it will put forward 
an  ambitious  action  plan  to  ensure  full  implementation  of  the  Pillar.  The  action  plan  will 
contribute  to  socio-economic  recovery  and  resilience  in  the  medium  and  long-term,  with  a 
view to enhance social fairness of the digital and green transitions.  

112 COM/2020/245 final. 
113 Moreover, the upcoming pharmaceutical strategy for Europe tackles important issues that have preoccupied 
patients  and  health  systems  for  decades,  for  example  the  accessibility  and  affordability  of  medicines,  the 
sustainability of health systems, and shortages of  medicines. It foresees an evaluation  of the current system to 
enable  digitization  and  innovation,  especially  for  unmet  needs  and  foresees  actions  promoting  the  global 
competitiveness of EU industry. It will contribute to a crisis-resistant system that ensures access to safe, high-
quality and efficacious medicines under all circumstances. 
114 COM (2020) 727 final. 
115 COM (2020) 725 final. 
116 COM (2020) 726 final. 
117 COM(2020) 682 final. 
118  Communication  of  14  January  2020  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the 
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: ‘A strong social Europe for just 
transitions’, COM(2020) 14 final. This initiative has been confirmed in the Commission Work Programme 2021. 

23 

 
 
                                                           
The  crisis  has  also  negatively  impacted  the  lives  of  young  people,  which  can  in  part  be 
alleviated  by  the  Youth  Guarantee119.  Launched  at  the  peak  of  the  previous  youth 
employment crisis in 2013, the Youth Guarantee has had a significant transformative effect in 
many  Member  States.  Since  its  launch,  over  24  million  young  people  have  been  offered 
employment,  or  continued  education,  a  traineeship  or  an  apprenticeship  as  a  stepping  stone 
towards a future career.  In its 2020  youth  employment  support package120,  the Commission 
proposed  further  measures  to  support  young  people  in  the  labour  market,  including  by 
strengthening the Youth Guarantee and extending its outreach to disadvantaged young people 
across the EU121.  

Action 16 – The Commission will implement the EU strategy for COVID-19 vaccines 
together  with  the  Member  States,  giving  all  citizens  quick,  equitable  and  affordable 
access  to  these  vaccines.  The  Commission  will  continue  its  work  on  building  a  strong 
European Health Union, in which Member States prepare and respond together to health 
crises,  medical  supplies  are  available,  affordable  and  innovative,  and  countries  work 
together to improve prevention, treatment and aftercare for diseases such as cancer.  

Action 17 – The Commission will increase its support for young EU citizens, including 
those from disadvantaged groups, to help them access education, training and finally the 
labour market through the strengthened Youth Guarantee scheme.  

5.2.   Solidarity in action for EU citizens outside the EU 

Prior  to  the  global  pandemic,  a  growing  number  of  Europeans  travelled  outside  the  EU  - 
including to remote destinations122. It is estimated that close to 7 million EU citizens123 travel 
or live in places where they are unrepresented124. However, not all EU Member States have an 
embassy or a consulate in every country of the world. The right to equal access to  consular 
protection  is  one  of  the  specific  rights  that  the  Treaties  grant  to  EU  citizens125  and  is  a 

119 The Youth Guarantee is a commitment by all Member States to ensure that all young people under the age of 
25 are offered good quality employment or continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within 4 months 
of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. 
120 The package is coordinated with the European Skills Agenda and in particular the Commission’s proposal for 
a Council Recommendation on Vocational Education and Training (VET), which will help equip people with a 
balanced  mix  of  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  which  provide  strong  foundations  for  resilience,  lifelong 
learning, lifelong employability, social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development. 
121 COM/2020/276 final. 
122 Many EU citizens, including dual-nationality citizens, also live permanently in third countries. 
123 SWD (2018) 273 final 
124  The  term  'unrepresented'  refers  to  the  citizens  whose  Member  State  either  does  not  have  an  embassy  or 
consulate in a third country or is not effectively in a position to provide assistance. 
125 This right is enshrined in Articles 20(2)(c) and 23 of the  Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 
(TFEU) and in Article 46 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 

24 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
tangible  example  of  European  solidarity.  Member  States  must  assist  unrepresented  EU 
citizens  in  a  third  country  under  the  same  conditions  as  they  assist  their  own  nationals. 
According  to  Flash  Eurobarometer  485  survey,  around  three  quarters  of  respondents  (76%) 
are aware of this right. 

While consular protection is mostly provided on a day-to-day basis to individual EU citizens 
in  distress  around  the  world,  there  are  larger  events  that  require  EU-27  coordination  and 
common  action.  A  number  of  events  requiring  common  action  have  arisen  in  recent  years, 
including  natural  disasters,  terrorist  attacks,  civil  unrest  and  preparation  for  global  sporting 
events, but never to the extent and complexity as during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

In  an  unprecedented  repatriation  effort,  Member  States,  supported  by  the  European 
Commission and the European External Action Service, managed, between February and May 
2020,  to  bring  home  over  half  a  million  European  citizens  affected  by  COVID-19  travel 
restrictions  across  the  world126.  The  Commission  co-financed  joint  repatriation  flights  from 
the  EU  budget  through  the  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  at  up  to  75%.  This  effort 
demonstrated  EU  solidarity  in  action  during  a  difficult  period,  and  the  benefits  of  consular 
protection as part of EU citizenship rights127. 

When  organising  the  repatriation  of  EU  citizens  stranded  abroad  due  to  the  COVID-19 
outbreak, Member States rightly did not treat unrepresented and represented EU citizens 
differently.  Where  repatriation  capacities  were  available,  all  European  citizens  were 
assisted128.  

The  COVID-19  crisis  has  demonstrated  the  need  to  further  strengthen  EU  solidarity  to 
better  protect  EU  citizens  abroad,  in  particular  during  crises.  There  are  still  large 
differences  between  Member  States  as  regards  their  capacity  to  provide  assistance  in  third 
countries, including in terms of the size of their consular networks, number of local staff and 
material assets available for repatriation. This can affect not only unrepresented EU citizens, 
but also represented EU citizens when their Member State is not in position to provide timely 
assistance during a crisis129.  

The lessons learnt from the crisis shed light on the important role played by  EU delegations 
who  coordinated  with  EU  Member  States  to  repatriate  citizens,  helping  prepare  the  lists  of 
people on commercial flights and on flights organised by EU governments. Current EU law 

126 A dedicated consular taskforce was set up by the European External Action Service for this purpose, working 
in close cooperation with the Member States and the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre 
(ERCC) to coordinate repatriations. 
127 This effort was very visible to citizens, with more than 60% of respondents to the open public consultation for 
this  report  saying  they  were  aware  of  the  repatriation  flights  that  the  Member  States  and  the  European 
Commission  organised  for  those  EU  citizens  who  were  in  the  third  countries  at  the  time  of  the  COVID-19 
outbreak 
128 This  massive and historically  unique consular cooperation between EU Member  States and EU institutions 
also  benefited  citizens  from  partner  countries  such  as  Norway,  Serbia,  Switzerland,  Turkey  and  the  UK,  with 
their nationals also being repatriated with EU flights. 
129 The UK's departure from the EU must also be taken into account, as this country has a large consular network 
and capacity to assist in crisis situations. 

25 

 
 
                                                           
limits  the  role  of  EU  delegations  to  coordination  and  information  provision,  but  most  EU 
citizens130  would  welcome  their  more  active  role  in  providing  support  to  EU  citizens  in 
need131.  As  part  of  its  key  priority  ‘A  stronger  Europe  in  the  world’,  the  Commission  will  
review  of  the  consular  protection  Directive  to  facilitate  the  exercise  of  the  Union 
citizenship  right  to  consular  protection  and  to  reinforce  EU  solidarity  to  better  protect  EU 
citizens abroad, in particular during crises. This would enhance cooperation among Member 
States and strengthen the EU’s supporting role, making best use of its unique network of EU 
delegations  to  provide  consular  assistance  to  EU  citizens  in  case  of  need,  for  example,  by 
allowing them to organise of repatriation flights  and issue emergency travel documents. EU 
delegations  should  complement  Member  States’  consular  networks,  in  particular  in  third 
countries where no or very few individual Member States are represented. As not all of these 
challenges  can  be  addressed  on  the  basis  of  Article  23  TFEU  (consular  protection),  the 
Commission  will  also  reflect  on  whether  to  expand  the  EU  citizenship  right  to  consular 
protection based on Article 25(2) TFEU. 

Action  18  –  The  Commission  will  review  in  2021  EU  rules  on  consular  protection  in 
order to improve the EU’s and Member States’ preparedness and capacity to protect and 
support European citizens in times of crisis.  

6. 

Conclusions 

EU citizenship is at the core of the European project. Citizens look to the EU to protect their 
rights  and  add  value  to  different  areas  of  their  lives.  The  global  health  crisis  has  further 
illustrated  the  reality  of  today’s  EU,  where  the  multitude  of  cross-border  connections  and 
spill-over  effects  make  common  European  approaches  necessary  to  protect  the  lives  and 
livelihoods of Europeans. 

Even  before  the  COVID-19  crisis,  new  political,  social  and  technological  challenges 
prompted the rethinking of old approaches and the introduction of new actions to protect and 
improve the ability of EU citizens to exercise their three main rights: freedom of movement; 
participation in free and fair elections; and consular protection outside the EU. However, as 
this report reflects, the concept of EU citizenship and the EU's actions focused on the citizen, 
goes beyond this.  

130  In  the  2020  Eurobarometer,  more  than  9  in  10  respondents  (92%)  agreed  that,  if  they  were  in  a  country 
outside the EU with no consulate or embassy from their own country and needed help, they would like to seek 
support from an EU delegation instead. 
131 Similarly, the open public consultation for this report showed that around 90% of the respondents supported 
the idea that EU delegations should be able to assist EU citizens in third countries, if necessary. 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
The Commission continuously monitors and assesses the situation in the Member States and 
acts in accordance with the EU treaties and the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice. It will 
propose legislative actions in a number of areas in the coming years in order to close gaps and 
improve legal certainty for citizens in exercising their rights. In other areas, the full enjoyment 
of citizens’ rights does not only depend on legislation, but also on its implementation, which 
would change the context, enabling citizens to benefit fully from the spirit of these rights. In 
these areas, this report puts forward actions through which the Commission will work towards 
achieving the necessary changes. 

The Commission is committed to implementing the actions set out in this report. To this end, 
it will work in  partnership  with  others  – EU institutions, Member States, local  and regional 
authorities, civil society and, most importantly, citizens themselves. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex on follow up to the actions announced in the 2017 EU Citizenship Report 

Actions 

Priority 2017-2019 
Promoting EU citizenship rights and EU common values 
1.  In  2017  and  2018  conduct  an  EU-wide 
information 
awareness-raising 
campaign on EU citizenship rights including 
on  consular  protection,  and  electoral  rights 
ahead of the 2019 European elections    

and 

  To support electoral participation and empower citizens to take 
informed  decisions  in  advance  of  the  European  Parliament 
elections  in  May  2019,  the  Commission,  cooperating  closely 
with  the  European  Parliament,  conducted  information  and 
communication  campaigns,  including  on  what  the  EU  does, 
how  to  vote  and  how  to  engage.  These  campaigns  were 
proactive  and  multilingual  with  a  strong  local  dimension,  and 
provided  information  on  deadlines  for  registering,  where  to 
register, and all the necessary practical steps. 
In summer 2018, the Commission (DG JUST) ran a successful 
social  media  campaign  to  inform  EU  citizens  who  were 
travelling  about  their  right  to  consular  protection  abroad. 
The  campaign  marked  the  entry  into  application  of  the  EU 
Directive on consular protection. 

 

2.  Take  action  to  strengthen  the  European 
Voluntary  Service  and  promote  the  benefits 
and  integration  of  volunteering  in  education. 
By  2020,  invite  the  first  100 000  young 
Europeans  to  volunteer  with  the  European 
Solidarity  Corps  which  will  provide  the 
to  develop  new  skills  and 
opportunity 
meaningful experiences, to make an important 
contribution  to  society  across  the  EU,  and  to 
gain 
invaluable  experience  and  acquire 
valuable skills at the start of their career. 
3. Safeguard the essence of EU citizenship and 
its  inherent  values;  produce  a  report  on 
national schemes granting EU citizenship to 
investors  describing  the  Commission’s  action 
in this area, current national law and practices, 
and  providing  some  guidance  for  Member 
States. 

  Regulation  (EU)  2018/1475  laying  down  the  legal  framework 
of the European Solidarity Corps entered into force in October 
2018.  The  regulation  establishes  a  legal  framework  for  young 
people to volunteer or work in beneficial projects across Europe 
under the European Solidarity Corps. 

 

 

 

in 

residence  schemes 

In  January  2019,  the  Commission  adopted  its  report  on 
investor  citizenship  and 
the  EU 
(COM(2019)  12  final).  It  is  the  first,  comprehensive  factual 
study  on  all  investor  citizenship  (‘golden  passport’)  and 
residence  (‘golden  visa’)  schemes  in  the  EU.  It  maps  existing 
practices and identifies the risks such schemes imply for the EU, 
in particular as regards security, money laundering, tax evasion 
and  corruption.  The  Commission  continues  to  monitor  wider 
issues  of  compliance  with  EU  law  that  result  from  these 
schemes. 
In  May  2018,  the  Council  adopted  a  Recommendation  on 
promoting  common  values,  inclusive  education  and  the 
European  dimension  of  teaching.  The  Recommendation  aims 
to  promote  a  sense  of  belonging  –  conveying  common  values, 
practising inclusive education, and teaching about the EU and its 
Member  States  to  help  strengthen  the  sense  of  belonging  to 
one's school, local community, and country, and also to the EU 
family.  Also  in  May  2018,  as  part  of  the  first  package  in 
delivering on the European Education Area, the Council adopted 
a  Recommendation  on  Key  Competences  for  Lifelong 
Learning, which includes a competence related to citizenship. 
In  November  2019,  the  Commission  (DG  EAC)  launched  the 
Jan  Amos  Comenius  Prize,  which  rewards  secondary  schools 
that  use  creative  methods  when  teaching  their  pupils  about  the 
European Union.   

28 

 
 
 

the  Commission  (DG  EAC) 
In  2017,  2018  and  2019, 
implemented  the  Altiero  Spinelli  Prize  for  Outreach,  which 
rewarded  outstanding  works 
the  citizens’ 
knowledge and awareness of the EU. 

that  enhance 

Promoting and enhancing citizens' participation in the democratic life of the EU 
1. 
and 
Intensify  Citizens’  Dialogues 
encourage  public  debates,  to  improve  public 
understanding  of  the  impact  of  the  EU  on 
citizens’  daily  lives  and  to  encourage  an 
exchange of views with citizens. 

  From  2014  until  the  European  Parliament  elections  in  May 
2019,  some  1 800  Citizens'  Dialogues  were  organised,  in  more 
than  635  different  locations,  bringing  together  some  200  000 
citizens  of  all  nationalities,  ages,  races,  religions  and  political 
opinions.  Every  single  Commissioner  actively  participated  in 
these  dialogues,  which  helped  citizens  understand  how  EU 
policies  work  for  them,  in  an  effort  to  increase  their  direct 
engagement with senior decision-makers in the Commission, as 
well as with EU democracy more broadly.   

2. Report on the implementation of EU law on 
local  elections  to  ensure  that  EU  citizens  can 
effectively exercise their voting rights at local 
level. 

3.  Promote  best  practices  which  help 
citizens  vote  and  stand  for  EU  elections, 
including  on  retaining  the  right  to  vote  when 
moving  to  another  Member  State  and  cross-
border  access  to  political  news,  to  support 
turnout  and  broad  democratic  participation  in 
the perspective of the 2019 European elections 

  Delivering  on  its  commitments  in  the  2017  EU  Citizenship 
report,  in  February  2018  the  Commission  issued  a  report 
(COM/2018/044  final)  on  the  right  of  EU  citizens  to  vote  and 
stand  as  candidates  in  municipal  elections  when  they  live  in 
another  EU  Member  State.  The  report  took  stock  of  how  such 
‘mobile’  citizens  have  exercised  these  rights  since  2012,  and 
pointed  the  way  to  improving  knowledge  of  their  democratic 
participation,  informing  and  raising  awareness  of  this  right 
among citizens, making the voting process easier, and engaging 
with  stakeholders  to  help  achieve  this.  This  report  presented 
practices from the Member States on promoting the democratic 
engagement of citizens. 
In  February  2018,  the  Commission  issued  a  Recommendation 
on  enhancing  the  European  nature and  efficient  conduct of 
the 2019 elections to the European Parliament (C (2018)900 
final). It called on the competent national authorities to promote 
the  exercise  of  electoral  rights  of  underrepresented  groups, 
including  people  with  disabilities,  and  overall  to  support 
democratic conduct and help achieve a high turnout.  

 

  The same authorities were also tasked with identifying, based on 
the experiences of Member States, best practices in identifying, 
mitigating  and  managing  risks  to  the  electoral  process  from 
cyberattacks  and  disinformation.  The  Commission  hosted  an 
event  to  facilitate  this  in  April  2018,  which  centred  on  the 
planned  exchange  of  practices  between  Member  States,  and 
which  included  presentations  on  increasing  the  participation  of 
disabled citizens as candidates. 

a 

included 

Communication 

  As part of broader efforts to ensure free and fair elections,  the 
in  September  2018  the  Election 
Commission  adopted 
and 
package,  which 
Recommendation,  encouraging  Member  States 
to  set  up 
national election networks, involving national authorities with 
competence  for  electoral  matters  and  authorities  in  charge  of 
monitoring  and  enforcing  rules  related  to  online  activities 
relevant 
the  electoral  context.  The  national  election 
cooperation networks appointed contact points to take part in a 
European cooperation network on elections, which serves as 
a  platform  to  alert  on  threats,  exchange  best  practices,  discuss 
common  solutions  to  identified  challenges  and  encourage 
common projects and exercises among national networks. 

to 

29 

 
 
 

In  November  2018,  the  Commission  dedicated  its  annual 
Colloquium on Fundamental Rights to democracy in the EU. 
It  brought  together  high-level  representatives  from  Member 
State  governments,  international  organisations,  the  private 
sector,  academics  and  civil  society  to  debate:  (i) the  issue  of 
democratic  participation  and  political  representation  of  EU 
citizens in the democratic debate; (ii) the role of civil society for 
a vibrant democracy; and (iii) the importance of transparent and 
sound  information  for  an  informed  and  inclusive  democratic 
debate and secure elections.  

  The Commission also encouraged the promotion of EU citizens’ 
rights at local level, thanks to funding from the rights, equality 
and  citizenship  programme  and  via  events,  for  example,  the 
European Week of Regions and Cities.  

  Regulation  (EU)  2018/1724  establishing  a  single  digital 
gateway  to  provide  access  to  information,  to  procedures 
and 
to  assistance  and  problem-solving  services  and 
amending  Regulation  (EU)  No  1024/2012,  entered  into 
force  on  11 December 2018.  The  new  gateway  is  fully 
integrated in the upgraded Your Europe portal and provides 
access  to  online  information  and  procedures,  as  well  as 
assistance  and  problem-solving  services  to  individuals  and 
companies.  

  Delegated 

of 

2017/1926 

Regulation 

the  Intelligent 

31 May 2017 
supplementing 
transport  systems  Directive 
2010/40/EU  provides  a  framework  to  improve  the provision of 
EU-wide  multimodal  travel  information  services.  It  established 
the necessary requirements to make EU-wide multimodal travel 
information  services  accurate  and  available  across  borders.  It 
establishes the specifications needed to ensure the accessibility, 
exchange and update of standardised travel and traffic data and 
distributed  journey  planning  for  the  provision  of  multimodal 
travel information services in the EU. 

the  possibility 

Simplifying daily life for EU citizens 
1.  Submit  a  proposal  for  setting  up  a  ‘Single 
Digital Gateway’ to give citizens easy, online 
access to information, assistance and problem-
solving  services  and 
to 
complete  online  administrative  procedures  in 
cross-border  situations  by  linking  up  relevant 
EU and national-level content and services in a 
seamless,  user-friendly  and  user-centric  way. 
Moreover,  assess  cutting  red  tape  in  national 
administrations by requiring citizens to supply 
their data only once. 
2.  Further  facilitate  and  promote  EU-wide 
multimodal  travel  in  order  to  make  mobility 
of  EU  citizens  more  efficient  and  user-
friendly, through the specification of EU-wide 
multimodal  travel  information  services  and 
improvements 
interoperability  and 
compatibility of systems and services. 

the 

to 

  2018  was  designated  to  be  the  ‘Year  of  Multimodality’  –  a 
year  during  which  the  Commission  raised  the  importance  of 
multimodality for the EU transport system by holding a series of 
events  aimed  at  promoting  the  functioning  of  the  transport 
sector as a fully integrated ‘system’.  

Strengthening security and promoting equality 
1. In the first quarter of 2017 finalise the study 
on  EU  policy  options  to  improve  the  security 
of  EU citizens’  identity  cards  and  residence 
documents of EU citizens residing in another 
Member  State  and  of  their  non-EU  family 
members.  The  Commission  will  evaluate  the 
next steps, options and their impacts in view of 
a  possible  legislative  initiative  by  the  end  of 
2017. 

  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1157  of  20 June 2019  on  strengthening 
the  security  of  identity  cards  of  EU  citizens  and  of  residence 
documents  issued  to  EU  citizens  and  their  family  members 
exercising  their  right  of  free  movement  entered  into  force  on 
1 August 2019  and  will  apply  from  2 August 2021.  It  aims  to 
help mobile EU citizens and their family members exercise their 
EU  right  to  free  movement  by  increasing  the  reliability  and 
acceptance of their documents in cross-border situations. At the 
same  time,  it  aims  to  strengthen  European  security  by  closing 
security gaps that result from insecure documents.  

  Security features of identity cards will be aligned with those of 
passports,  as  both  types  of  travel  documents  will  contain  a 

30 

 
 
emergency 

travel  documents 

2.  In  2017  assess  how  to  modernise  the  rules 
on 
for 
unrepresented  EU  citizens,  including  the 
security features of the EU common format, to 
guarantee that citizens can effectively exercise 
their right to consular protection. 

3.  Carry  out  in  2017  a  campaign  to  combat 
violence against women, actively support the 
EU’s  accession  to  the  Istanbul  Convention 
alongside  Member  States 
and  present 
proposals  to  address  the  challenges  of  work-
life balance for working families. 

4.  Act  to  improve  the  social  acceptance  of 
LGBTI people across the EU by implementing 
the  list  of  actions  to  advance  LGBTI  equality 
and  actively  support  the  conclusion  of  the 
negotiations  on  the  proposed  horizontal  Anti-
Discrimination Directive. 

highly  secure  contactless  chip  with  the  holder’s  photo  and 
fingerprints. Member States will begin to issue the new identity 
cards in 2021. All new identity cards will have to comply with 
the new security standards. 

  Council Directive (EU) 2019/997 of 18 June 2019 establishing 
an  EU  Emergency  Travel  Document  and  repealing  Decision 
96/409/CFSP  entered  into  force  on  10 July 2019.  It  aims  to 
make  the  document  more  secure  and  streamline  the  applicable 
procedures.  

  The Directive updates the rules, format and security features of 
the  EU  emergency  travel  document  (ETD).  It  simplifies  the 
formalities  for  unrepresented  EU  citizens 
in  non-EU 
countries  whose  passport  or  travel  document  has  been  lost, 
stolen  or  destroyed,  to  ensure  that  they  are  provided  with  an 
emergency  travel  document  by  another  Member  State,  so  they 
can  travel  home.  The  Directive  therefore  allows  unrepresented 
EU citizens to easily and more effectively exercise their right 
to  consular  protection.  The  Directive  also  seeks  to  ensure 
consistency between the specific conditions and procedures for 
issuing  EU  ETDs,  and  the  general  rules  on  coordination  and 
to  facilitate  consular  protection  of 
cooperation  measures 
unrepresented EU citizens in non-EU countries. 

  The  then  Commissioner  Věra  Jourová  launched  a  ‘Year  of 
Focused  Actions  to  Combat  Violence  Against  Women’  in 
2017,  to  raise  awareness,  facilitate  national  and  cross-border 
collaboration,  provide  information  and  educate  about  violence 
against  women.  For  example,  EUR  15  million  was  made 
available  to  12  national  authorities  and  32  grassroots  projects 
tackling  violence against women  across the  EU. The  European 
Commission's Non.No.Nein. communication campaign – under 
the  hashtag  #SayNoStopVAW  –  drove  the  focused  actions 
forward, with new communications tools being developed until 
the end of 2018.  

leave  and 

family-related 

  Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance 
for  parents  and  carers  and  repealing  Council  Directive 
2010/18/EU  entered  into  force  on  1 August 2019.  It  aims  to 
increase the participation of women in the labour market and the 
take-up  of 
flexible  working 
arrangements.  The  new  act  also  provides  opportunities  for 
workers  to  be  granted  leave  to  care  for  relatives  who  need 
support.  The  legislation  means  that  parents  and  carers  will  be 
better able to reconcile their professional and private lives, and 
companies will benefit from having more motivated workers. 
  The Commission has supported every Council Presidency since 
2008  in  advancing  the  proposal  for  an  Equal  Treatment 
Directive.  Nevertheless,  the  proposal  remains  stalled  in  the 
Council, where it requires unanimity.   

  On 22 June 2018, the Commission adopted a Recommendation 
on  standards  for  equality  bodies,  in  order  to  ensure  that 
national  equality  bodies  are  independent  and  effective.  The 
Recommendation  sets  minimum  standards  for  the  mandate  of 
their  effectiveness, 
equality  bodies; 
including  sufficient  resources  and  appropriate  powers;  and  the 
national institutional architecture for equality. 

independence; 

their 

31 

 
 
 

 

In  April  2019,  the  Commission  issued  a  Communication 
(COM(2019)186), which highlighted the gaps in protection and 
proposed  ways  of  facilitating  decision-making  in  the  area  of 
non-discrimination 
through  enhanced  qualified  majority 
voting and the ordinary legislative procedure. 
In  October  2019,  the  Commission  published  the  Special 
Eurobarometer  493  -  ‘Discrimination  in  the  EU’  -  which 
included  detailed  data  from  Member  States  on  the  social 
acceptance of LGBTI people and perceptions on discrimination 
based  on  sexual  orientation,  gender 
identity  and  sex 
characteristics. 
Overall, support for LGBTI relationships has grown in the EU, 
but it varies considerably between EU Member States. 

  The Commission has also promoted equality through education, 
culture,  youth  and  sport,  including  through  the  2018  digital 
action plan, which includes a measure that supports girls (aged 
12-18) with developing digital and entrepreneurial skills through 
dedicated  educational  workshops  in  cooperation  with  the  EIT 
The measure will be continued and expanded in the new Action 
Plan (2021-2027).  
Also,  as  part  of  the  Strategic  Framework  for  European 
Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020), there is a 
dedicated  working  group  on  promoting  common  values  and 
inclusive  education  that  brings  together  experts  from  Member 
States  to  exchange  best  practice  on  topics  including  LGBTI 
rights,  gender  inequality  and  the  integration  of  migrants  and 
refugees. 

32