Permanent EU citizenship

The Permanent European Union Citizenship initiative was registered by the European Commission on 23 July 2018. A few days before, we had a phone call from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), picking up the European Commission’s press release about its successful registration. That was when we knew we were on the road again in pursuit of a million endorsements for the Commission to ‘propose means to avoid risk of collective loss of EU citizenship and rights, and assure all EU citizens that, once attained, such status is permanent and their rights acquired'.

News outlets picked up the story. Guy Verhofstadt MEP, the European Parliament's co-ordinator for Brexit, welcomed registration by saying the European citizen initiative was ‘important and deserves support’, adding that the EP has ‘repeatedly called for an examination on how to mitigate this loss' of EU citizenship entailed by Brexit. Some 12 000 people liked Mr Verhofstadt ’s tweet and 7 000 retweeted it. Social media holds the key to successfully launching this and other initiatives. We quickly received thousands of enquiries via our website with many people signing on for contact and donating towards the cost of the campaign.

But there is a month’s hiatus between the Commission deciding to register an ECI and online collection of statements of support commencing, whilst the online systems are certified. People ask what we are doing to bridge this gap. We ask them to be patient. This is surely a task for the European Citizens’ Initiative reform, which is currently under way.

Status under threat

Meanwhile, we seem to have struck a chord, not only in the UK but also throughout the rest of the Union. Brexit has been linked with growing support for the Union amongst EU citizens in all 28 Member States. But it has also signalled that EU citizenship entails a risk that one day, as in the case of the UK, this precious and effective status, with associated rights and responsibilities, may be removed. In November 2017, Jane Golding of the coalition platform British in Europe had sought the support of the European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee, warning:   

‘If you disappoint us now, you quash our hopes and dreams and those of EU citizens in the future, by sending a clear message that embracing EU citizenship is a risk, it can be taken away from you, and you can be penalised for embracing it.’ She concluded, 'EU citizenship is our fundamental status and it should protect us now in this unprecedented situation – and if not now, then when?’        

In May 2019, a new European Parliament will be elected. Will elections take place in the UK? Their annulment would mark another democratic deficit. That is why the Permanent EU Citizenship initiative highlights that EU citizens constitute and elect the European Parliament. Exercising these rights enacts our citizenship of the Union, just as organising and endorsing a European Citizens’ Initiative does. We continue to act as EU citizens and request the support of fellow EU citizens throughout the EU-28 in pursuit of a million endorsements for Permanent EU Citizenship.   

Permanent European Union Citizenship

EU citizens elect the European Parliament and participate in its work, thereby exercising treaty rights, enhancing Union democracy, and reinforcing its citizenship. Noting the Court of Justice of the European Union’s view of Union citizenship as a ‘fundamental status’ of nationals of Member States, and that Brexit will strip millions of EU citizens of this status and their vote in European elections, we request the Commission proposes means to avoid risks of collective loss of EU citizenship and rights, and assure all EU citizens that, once attained, such status is permanent and their rights acquired. 

www.eucitizen2017.org

@EUCitizen2017