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Making EU Citizens' Rights a Reality: National Courts Enforcing Freedom Of CITIZENS’ RIGHTS FRA From promise to reality: how national courts enforce freedom of movement and related EU citizens’ rights rights EU citizens’ and related movement of freedom enforce courts national how reality: to promise From Making EU citizens’ rights a reality: national courts enforcing freedom of movement and related rights This document is not legally binding and is intended as guidance only. It can therefore neither provide legal advice on issues of national law nor an authoritative interpretation of EU law, which remains within the sole remit of the Court of Justice of the EU. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). Photos (cover & inside, from left to right):© Stock.adobe.com (olly, Monkey Business, Nodari). More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018 Print: ISBN 978-92-9474-083-0 doi:10.2811/96394 TK-01-18-709-EN-C Web: ISBN 978-92-9474-085-4 doi:10.2811/395667 TK-01-18-709-EN-N © European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2018 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under FRA’s copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. Printed by Imprimerie Centrale in Luxembourg Neither the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights nor any person acting on behalf of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is responsible for the use that might be made of the following information. Printed on process chlorine-free recycled paper (PCF) Making EU citizens’ rights a reality: national courts enforcing freedom of movement and related rights Foreword Citizens of the European Union, as well as their family members, have the freedom to move and reside freely in any EU country of their choice. While most travel for holidays or business, growing numbers are moving to other Member States to set up their lives there, some permanently. Several million people – four per cent of all working age EU citizens – now live in a Member State other than their own. Students and pensioners are moving in greater numbers, too. The founding treaties, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and secondary EU law all provide for this fundamental freedom, and other rights – such as not to be discriminated against based on nationality – support its enforcement. But, as this report’s review of relevant national court decisions shows, making these rights a reality remains a challenge. Interpreting certain undefined terms in the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) can pose problems. Moreover, national administrations are not always fully aware of the interpretative guidance provided by the Court of Justice of the EU or by their own domestic courts. Sometimes national courts across the EU, or even within the same Member State, reach divergent conclusions. This report fills an important gap by presenting an EU-wide, comparative overview of the application of Directive 2004/38/EC across the 28 Member States based on a review of select case law at national level. Providing insight for the first time into how national courts approach the provisions relating to Union citizenship and freedom of movement, it highlights the importance of their proper interpretation. It also underscores their significant impact on vital areas of life for EU citizens and their families, particularly when the rights to entry or residence are at stake. In allowing legal professionals across the EU to analyse the application of problematic provisions by judges in other Member States, and compare this against their national legal frameworks and European standards, the report aims to support effective enforcement of these crucial rights. Michael O’Flaherty Director 3 Contents FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Why this report? .....................................................................................................................................................................8 Legal and policy background ................................................................................................................................................9 Methodology ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 1 NON-DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUND OF NATIONALITY ......................................................................................13 1.1. Scope ............................................................................................................................................................................ 14 1.2. Derogations .................................................................................................................................................................15 1.3. Indirect discrimination and possible justifications ................................................................................................15 1.4. Setting aside national legislation that violates EU law ........................................................................................ 17 1.5 Administrative and legal requirements ................................................................................................................. 17 1.6. Access to services ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.7. Access to employment ............................................................................................................................................. 18 1.8. Application of tax reliefs to non-nationals ........................................................................................................... 19 1.9. Register of birth certificate of child with same-sex parents ..............................................................................20 2 RIGHT OF UNION CITIZENS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO MOVE AND RESIDE FREELY .................................... 21 2.1. Family members (EU and third-country) .................................................................................................................21 2.2. Entry and residence up to three months ...............................................................................................................36 2.3. Residence for more than three months ................................................................................................................ 37 2.4. Eligibility for social benefits .....................................................................................................................................39 2.5. Restrictions of right to move and reside freely on grounds of public policy or public security ..................43 3 POLITICAL RIGHTS OF EU CITIZENS – SCOPE AND PREREQUISITES ............................................................................ 47 CONCLUSIONS - THE WAY FORWARD ..................................................................................................................................49 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................................51 INDEXES .................................................................................................................................................................................. 53 5 Introduction The free movement of people is a cornerstone of Union citizenship, giving all Union citizens the right to travel, Most of these rights are related to or dependent on the live and work wherever they wish within the EU. In exercise of the right to free movement. autumn of 2017, 57 % of Europeans considered “the free For more information, see the Section on ‘Legal movement of people, goods and services within the EU” and policy background’. the most positive achievement of the European Union, slightly ahead of “peace among the Member States The CJEU expressly interpreted the freedom of of the EU” (56%).1 The number of EU citizens living movement to cover all EU citizens regardless of their in another EU country has been increasing steadily, economic activity (originally this right was granted reaching 16.9 million on 1 January 2017.2 essentially to ‘workers’). Directive 2004/38/EC of the While an increasing number of people avail themselves European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 of the right to free movement,3 and despite regular on the right of citizens of the Union and their family monitoring of the transposition of the EU legislation by members to move and reside freely within the territory Member States, there is little knowledge about how EU of the Member States5 (the Directive) was adopted to Member States put into practice citizens’ right to move consolidate different pieces of secondary legislation freely
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