This is a petition promoted by the participants of the Transeuropa Caravans. You can help us collect signatures – just print out the form and, when filled out, send it to us!
Genuine freedom of movement and a European citizenship for all
We, the undersigned, demand a Europe based on the right of every EU citizen to choose to be able to move anywhere in Europe for study, work, love and personal fulfilment. Europe should be built from the bottom-up by citizens for citizens or it will not be built;
Freedom of movement, the most popular of the EU achievements, should no longer be taken for granted and ignored politically -despite the lessons of Brexit leaving 5 million citizens in limbo- and extreme nationalist attacks on a Europe without internal borders;
These attacks are beginning to weaken respect for European rights and freedoms with a growing gap between the fine principles of European citizenship and the daily barriers people face in relation to their cross- border rights to residence, social security and recognition of professional qualifications;
These barriers are often insurmountable for job seekers, low-income groups and anyone from a minority likely to suffer discrimination, undermining a true European citizenship of equals;
Genuine freedom of movement within the EU cannot be achieved at the expense of migration to and from the rest of the world. Fortress Europe of walls and barbed wire should be condemned to the dustbin of history. A European space without borders should welcome asylum seekers and refugees. A Europe-wide migration policy should be finally agreed.
Against this background we have the following 6 demands to the European Parliament emerging from the elections:
- set up a new special committee to review all aspects of European rights and citizenship which, scattered across different EU departments, end up being everyone’s responsibility and none;
- draw up an action plan for the other EU Institutions and national governments to enforce European rights and remove all barriers to achieve genuine freedom of movement in Europe;
- recommend best practice to enforce rights to vote and stand in local and European elections in one’s country of residence and examine whether these rights should be extended to regional, national elections and referenda;
- promote an informed debate about migration whilst addressing real concerns: examine proposals to combat brain drain in countries of origin and strains on local services in countries of destination, using EU funds and minimum income schemes;
- build on its demand for a citizenship Charta by re-framing European citizenship with an Erasmus for all and citizens co-deciding in all areas of EU policy;
- demand immediately that a senior member of the new Commission should be responsible for listening to citizens and all aspects of EU citizenship and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.