Information brochure Informed and Active Citizens of Europe

Project of the Regional Municipalities Association “Maritza”:

“Informed and Active Citizens of Europe”, funded through the Communication Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria for the EU

THE CITIZENS OF THE EU – RIGHTS AND DUTIES

EU CITIZENSHIP

Every person holding a nationality of a Member State is a citizen of the Union.

EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP:

•  is acquired without specific procedures

•  is lost with the loss of the national citizenship

• does not replace national citizenship of the Member States but complements it

• can not exist separately

• can not be acquired apart from the national citizenship – by residents of a country which is not a Member State or by people without citizenship

• aims at bringing the citizens near “European affairs”

• provides more effective participation of the citizens in the process of forming and implementing the European policies

The EU citizenship is under the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE EUROPEAN CITIZENS

The fundamental rights of the European citizens are defined by their national citizenship and the European institutions are obliged to keep, respect and guarantee them.

The rights of the European citizens are four basic groups:

I. RIGHTS CONFFERED BY EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND THE RIGHT OF RESIDENCE WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF THE MEMBER STATES

European citizenship gives you the right to cross the borders of the Member States without a visa, customs control and without a passport, only with an identity card.

RIGHT TO VOTE AND STAND AS A CANDIDATE AT ELECTIONS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND AT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN THE MEMBER STATE OF RESIDENCE

Every Bulgarian citizen has the right to vote and stand as a candidate at elections to the European Parliament and at municipal elections in the Member State in which he or she resides, under the same conditions as nationals of that State.

RIGHT OF DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR PROTECTION IN THE TERRITORY OF A THIRD COUNTRY /NOT AN EU MEMBER/

Every Bulgarian citizen shall, in the territory of a third country in which Bulgaria is not represented, be entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State, on the same conditions as the nationals of that Member State.

RIGHT OF PETITION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Petitions are:

• a way to initiate and participate in discussions on determining Community policies of the EU

• an instrument for direct public involvement in the process of forming and implementing European policies

• means for carrying out out-of-court control on the European institutions

• a written appeal, addressed to the Committee of Petitions of the European Parliament

RIGHT TO REFER TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

Any Bulgarian citizen or legal person has the right to refer to the Ombudsman of the European Union.

Important: Complaints, concerning the work of Bulgarian institutions must be directed to the Bulgarian Ombudsman.

RIGHT TO WRITE TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE UNION IN ONE OF THE LANGUAGES OF THE TREATIES AND HAVE AN ANSWER IN THE SAME LANGUAGE

European citizenship gives you the right to write to the institutions of the Union in Bulgarian and ask for information about any matter, concerning to the activity of the EU.

RIGHT OF JUDICIAL PROTECTION BY THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES  

RIGHTS CONFERRED BY THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF COURT DECISIONS

The principle of mutual recognition of court decisions gives you the opportunity to benefit from the adoption of the decisions of the Bulgarian Courts by the courts of the Member States of the EU and vice versa.

RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING EUROPEAN POLICIES

As an EU citizen you can participate in the policy-forming process through:

• The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

• The European Parliament

• The National Parliaments

JOB OPPORTINITIES IN THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS

If you wish to apply for a job in an European institution you must be aware of the following principles:

• In 2003 The European Personnel Selection Office was established for recruiting of staff for the EU institutions.

• The general requirements for the successful candidate are: to be an EU citizen and to speak fluently at least two of the official languages of the EU. For example, it means Bulgarian and one more of the languages of the Community.

II.RIGHTS CONFERRED BY THE JOINING OF BULGARIA TO THE INTERNAL MARKET OF THE EU  

• Free circulation of services 

• Free movement of capitals

• Free movement of goods

• Free movement of workers

• Protection of the rights in the Internal market of the EU

• Consumer protection

• Rights of the producers of agricultural goods, conferred by the Common agricultural policy (CAP).

 

III. SOCIAL RIGHTS

• Right of healthy and safe working conditions

• Right of healthcare

• Right of education and study

• Right of social security

• Retirement rights

IV. RIGHTS CONFERRED BY THE COHESION POLICY

The EU citizenship provides full access to financial instruments which guarantee successful implementation of the cohesion policy. Bulgarian citizens and legal persons have the opportunity to benefit from the EU financial resources through the Structural funds, the Cohesion fund and other financial instruments of the Union.

DUTIES

There are no clearly defined duties, conferred by the EU citizenship: there is no obligatory military or civil service, there is not even an European tax. Anyway, according to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU “citizens of the Union enjoy rights conferred by the Treaty and they are subject to duties imposed thereby”.

This project is implemented by EU	This project is performed by RMA “Maritza”

“This document is issued with EU financial support. RMA “Maritza” is responsible for the document’s contents and it can not be considered that this document presents the EU official statement.”