30.8.2018

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) has published a new report relating to the freedom of movement rights of EU citizens.

Making EU citizens’ rights a reality: national courts enforcing freedom of movement and related rights (August 2018) provides a comparative overview of the application of some of the rights deriving from EU citizenship, in particular the right to move and reside freely in other Member States, the right not to be discriminated on the basis of nationality and the right to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal and European Parliament elections. Based on a review and analysis of select case law of national courts, the report shows how courts in different countries vary in the interpretation of the key EU provisions regulating EU citizens’ rights. These include the definition of a family member, sufficient resources, or when they can receive benefit. This can affect people’s everyday life, their family, career and well-being.

FRA’s research covered all 28 EU Member States. FRA’s inter-disciplinary research network FRANET collected the case law between February and June of 2017. The country study on Finland was prepared by the Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University. The Institute for Human Rights, together with the Finnish League for Human Rights, currently form the national focal point of FRANET.