Petition for a European Parliament Initiative on European citizenship

We ask the European Parliament to take an initiative to develop a real European citizenship. Ever since Union citizenship was included in the Maastricht Treaty it has raised more questions than answers. For example:

How to create a European citizenship based not only on nationality of a member state, but also on residence

How to widen access for all to EU youth and life-long learning programmes?

How to encourage a genuine European civil society, as a practical expression of citizenship?

How to ensure better awareness and enforcement of fundamental freedoms and European citizens' civil, political, and social rights?

How to develop European citizenship beyond just free movement rights, so that citizens have a sense of ownership of the Union?

We believe that such questions now need answers to realize the real potential of this first ever transnational citizenship. Europe is going through a period of increasing insecurity and doubt about its future, marked by resurgence of economic protectionism and intolerance. More than ever, the Union needs a firmer basis of common values expressed in the rights and obligations and what it means to be a European citizen.

We demand that the European Parliament make its own an issue which is everyone’s and no-one’s responsibility. In the absence of a forum bringing together the dispersed interests involved with the concept, European citizenship has become remote, used as a convenient label for this or that initiative, but lacking true meaning.

We ask the European Parliament:

To create a forum on European citizenship for study and hearings with citizens and civil society, academics from different disciplines, politicians and public authorities.

To hold a major debate leading to recommendations from the European Parliament for a founding act on European citizenship, for example in the form of a binding Charter.