Page 30 - Demo

30n 1. 2. 2. Evolution of the conceptAs demonstrated in paragraph 1.2.1., the concept of European citizenship isdynamic.According to the definition of the Maastricht Treaty (the TEU, in force since1993), European citizenship consists of the possibility granted to any individualwho holds the citizenship of a Member State to be considered a citizen of theEuropean Union. The legal rights associated with Union citizenship are: to traveland reside anywhere in the EU; to vote and stand as a candidate in municipaland European elections in the Member State of residence, regardless ofnationality; to receive consular protection from another Member State%u2019sconsulate while staying outside the EU; to submit petitions to the EuropeanParliament and to appeal to the European Ombudsman.The relatively limited scope of these rights did not fully reflect the extent givento the idea of European citizenship in the treaties. As a consequence of thedevelopment of the single market, citizens enjoy a range of general rights inareas such as the free movement of goods and services, consumer protectionand public health, equal opportunities and treatment, access to employmentand social protection, and more. In the Consolidated Treaty of Rome, provisions regarding citizenship werepresented separately in Part 2 (titled %u201cCitizenship of the Union%u201d), thusemphasising its symbolic and political importance. The establishment ofEuropean citizenship was considered at one point as the first of the four %u201cmainobjectives of the Union%u201d (Painter, 2008). In 2004, the European Commission identified three priorities for the extendedEU, including %u201cgiving full meaning to European citizenship%u201d. Subsequently, in2006, the second phase of the EU Programme for the Promotion of ActiveEuropean Citizenship was launched, which promoted common values, activeparticipation in public life, a sense of belonging, the promotion of %u201cEuropeanawareness%u201d, and engagement in civil society.The new priorities at the EU level, adopted in 2014 and 2019, have expandedthe scope of opportunities and possibilities for engagement within activeEuropean citizenship. The most significant moments in the conceptualisationof European citizenship are presented in Fig. 1.2.2.1 Citizen Commitment