The EU Citizenship Directive: A Commentary

Abstract

The EU Citizenship Directive defines the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area. It applies to EU citizens and their family members who move to visit or reside in another Member State. This might at first seem like a straightforward definition, but immediately questions arise. Who determines if a person is an EU citizen at all? What about dual citizens of two Member States, or of one Member State and a non-Member State (a ‘third State’)? What is the position of EU citizens who move to one Member State, and then return to their home Member State? This book provides a comprehensive commentary of the EU’s Citizens’ Directive tracing the evolution of the Directive’s provisions, placing each article in its historical and legislative context. Special emphasis is placed on highlighting the connections and interactions between the Directive’s constituent provisions so as to permit a global appreciation of the system of free movement rights to which the Directive gives effect. Each provision is annotated containing a detailed analysis of the case law of the Court of Justice as well as of related measures impacting upon the Directive’s interpretation including European Commission reports and guidelines on the Directive’s implementation.

Uniós polgárok kiutasítása más EU-tagállamból az Európai Bíróság legújabb gyakorlatában I.

“…Ezt vélhetően tovább fokozza majd az uniós büntetőjog növekvő szerepe, amely a társadalmilag nemkívánatos magatartások szankcionálása mellett már nem feltétlenül kívánja meg az uniós polgár elkövetők fogadó állam területéről való kiutasítását (Kostakopoulou, 2014). Ahogy azt a jogirodalom is egyre inkább kiemeli, a szabad mozgás irányelv semmilyen formában nem gátolja a tagállamokat a súlyos bűncselekmények szabadságvesztéssel történő büntetésében, azonban a szabadságvesztés büntetésnek nem kell, hogy szükségszerű velejárója legyen az elkövető kiutasítása (Guild, Peers & Tomkin, 2019).…”

Covid-19 Using Border Controls to Fight a Pandemic? Reflections From the European Union

“…It dates from the establishment of the European Economic Community in 1957. The detail of how this freedom is exercised is set out in Directive 2004/38 (Guild et al, 2019). Basically, every EU national and his/her family members of any nationality have the right to move and reside in another Member State without formalities for 3 months.…”

“…European human rights law does not recognize a human right to free movement across international borders. This is an EU right (Guild et al, 2019). But coupled with the right to nondiscrimination on the basis of nationality, EU nationals must be treated similarly to nationals of the state of entry, but also in accordance with EU law (Barnard, 2019).…”

The Right of European Union citizens and their family members to move freely within the territory of Member States (in the Light of the Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Oliari v. Italy)

“…The obligation of states that have not provided any legal framework for same-sex relationships remains unspecified; although, according to legal scholars, as the EU has no powers in the field of family law, such persons shall be treated as partners only within the meaning of point b of Article 3(2) of the Directive. 27 The Directive defines the conditions under which a given person may be considered a family member in the case of civil partnerships. Firstly, a registered partnership shall be contracted under the legislation of a Member State.…”

“…Some claim that this condition is also fulfilled if a civil partnership is contracted in another country and the host Member State recognises civil partnerships contracted in other countries. 28 The second condition to be complied with is that the legislation of the host Member State treats registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage. There is some doubt as to how to interpret the notion of equivalence.…”