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(1) The Union is founded on the indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity and based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Those principles are fundamental to the Member States in societies in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail. Every citizen of the Union has and should enjoy the rights provided for in the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

(2) The Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 introduced the concept of ‘citizenship of the Union’. The Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999 and the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 further strengthened the rights associated with Union citizenship. The year 2013 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of citizenship of the Union. Point (12) of Article 1 and point (34) of Article 2 of the Treaty of Lisbon (now Article 9 TEU and Article 20 TFEU) provides that every person holding the nationality of a Member State is a citizen of the Union, that citizenship of the Union is additional to, and does not replace, national citizenship of a Member State and that citizens of the Union enjoy the rights and are subject to the duties provided for in the Treaties. Point (35) of Article 2 of the Treaty of Lisbon (now Article 21 TFEU) enshrines the right of citizens of the Union to free movement and residence.

(3) The Stockholm Programme — An open and secure Europe serving and protecting citizens puts the citizen at the heart of European policies in the field of freedom, security and justice. It focuses its actions on ‧building a citizens’ Europe‧, including through promotion of citizens’ rights, in particular the right of freedom of movement and rights which allow Union citizens to participate actively in the democratic life of the Union.

(4) In its Resolution of 15 December 2010 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2009) - effective implementation after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon , the European Parliament called on the Commission to make 2013 the European Year of Citizens in order to give momentum to the debate on Union citizenship, including its terminology, content and scope, and to inform Union citizens of their rights, in particular of the new rights resulting from the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, and of the means available to exercise those rights.

(5) 2013 should be designated as the European Year of Citizens. A European Year of Citizens would provide a timely opportunity to raise the awareness of the general public about the rights and responsibilities attached to Union citizenship. The European Year of Citizens should aim also to raise the awareness of citizens about their rights arising from Union citizenship when they exercise their right to move and reside freely in another Member State, for example as students, workers, job-seekers, volunteers, consumers, entrepreneurs, young people or retired persons. In that context awareness-raising should be mainstreamed geographically, demographically and socially, and should also focus on the removal of remaining obstacles to exercising rights arising from Union citizenship. The message should be conveyed that Union citizens themselves also have a critical role to play in strengthening those rights through their participation in civil society and democratic life.

(6) To enable Union citizens to make informed decisions about whether to exercise their right of freedom of movement, it does not suffice to raise their awareness about the right itself. It is essential that Union citizens are also adequately informed about other rights available to them under Union law in cross-border situations. That information would enable them also to enjoy those other rights fully, if they decide to make use of their right of freedom of movement.

(7) Since its introduction in the 1958 Treaty of Rome as one of the four fundamental freedoms, the right of freedom of movement and residence has demonstrated its value as one of the pillars for the creation of an internal market for the benefit of Member States’ economies and of individual Union citizens.

(8) The right to move and reside freely across the territory of the Member States is highly valued by Union citizens as a core individual right linked to Union citizenship. As such, it demonstrates and promotes a better understanding of the value of European integration, as well as citizens’ participation in shaping the Union.

(9) Despite the fact that the right of freedom of movement and residence is firmly anchored in primary Union law and substantially developed in secondary Union law, a gap still remains between the applicable legal rules and the reality confronting citizens when they seek to exercise those rights in practice. In addition to uncertainty concerning the advantages of mobility, Union citizens perceive too many practical obstacles with regard to living and working in another Member State.

(10) In its EU Citizenship Report 2010 of 27 October 2010 entitled "Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights", the Commission addressed the main obstacles which citizens still encounter in their daily lives when they seek to exercise their rights as Union citizens, in particular in cross-border situations, and outlined 25 concrete actions to remove those obstacles. One of the obstacles identified in this context was lack of information. The Commission concluded, in its report, that Union citizens are prevented from enjoying their rights because they lack awareness of them and announced its intention to step up the dissemination of information to Union citizens about their rights, in particular about their right of freedom of movement.

(11) The TEU and the TFEU confer on every citizen of the Union the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States; the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament and in municipal elections in his or her Member State of residence under the same conditions as nationals of that Member State; the right to enjoy, in the territory of a third country in which the Member State of which they are nationals is not represented, the protection of the diplomatic and consular authorities of any Member State on the same conditions as the nationals of that Member State; the right to petition the European Parliament; the right to apply to the European Ombudsman; the right to address institutions of the Union; and other rights in various fields such as the free movement of goods and services, consumer protection and public health, equal opportunities and equal treatment, access to employment and to social protection.

(12) The Treaty of Lisbon introduced new rights, in particular the citizens’ initiative, provided for in its point (12) of Article 1 and point (37) of Article 2 (Article 11 TEU and Article 24 TFEU), which enables at least one million citizens, from a significant number of Member States, to ask the Commission to present a proposal in any of the Union's areas of responsibility, thereby further allowing citizens to be actively engaged in the political life of the Union and to participate directly in shaping the development of Union law .

(13) Since 1979, when the first direct elections were held, the European Parliament has acted as a direct interface between citizens and the Union. The European Parliament and its Members play a crucial role in communicating the rights and benefits of Union citizenship, in bringing Union citizens’ concerns to the fore in the formulation of policy, and in promoting the active participation of Union citizens. Raising awareness about Union citizens’ rights, gender equality, the participation of women and men in the democratic life of the Union including their electoral rights, as voters and as candidates, in their Member State of residence and about the scope of the European Parliament’s powers in the legislative process, is also important in view of the European Parliament elections in 2014. The impact of such awareness-raising actions should be multiplied through close coordination and exploitation of synergies with relevant actions implemented by Union institutions, in particular the European Parliament, by European political parties and foundations, and by Member States in the run up to those elections.