PAPER CHASE NEWSBURSTDigest RSS feedFull RSS feed
Serious law. Primary sources. Global perspective.


Thursday, December 11, 2008

EU members infringing free movement rights: report
Jaclyn Belczyk at 4:18 PM ET

Photo source or description
[JURIST] Vice President of the European Commission Responsible for Justice, Freedom, and Security Jacques Barrot [official website] on Wednesday reported [press release] that European Union (EU) [official website] governments are violating people's right to travel freely among the EU member states. Directive 2004/38/EC [materials] gives nationals of EU member states the right to move and reside freely among any of the states. According to the report, no member states have fully implemented the directive. The two biggest problems are the right of entry and residence of third country family members and the requirement of submitting additional documents for residence not foreseen in the directive. Barrot said:
Free movement of persons constitutes one of the fundamental freedoms of the internal market, to the benefit of EU citizens, of the Member States and of the competitiveness of European economy. Flaws in the implementation of EU law in this field might result in a breach of the principles laying at the very core basis of the European construction. This is why the Commission will step up its efforts to ensure that EU citizens and their families effectively and fully enjoy their rights under the Directive. The Commission will use fully its powers under the Treaty to achieve this result, launching infringement proceedings when necessary, providing guidance to the Member States and ensuring that EU citizens are informed of their rights.
Barrot added that the responsibility lies ultimately with the member states.

The free movement of people among EU member states is described as a fundamental right [EU materials], but not all members are satisfied with the current rules. Ireland has requested to amend [Irish Times report] the part of the directive giving non-EU spouses the right to live in Ireland, but this was rejected Thursday. Other states including Denmark and Italy have also taken issue with the directive.



Link | |  | print | subscribe | RSS feeds | latest newscast | Facebook page

For a one-stop snapshot of the latest legal news that matters, with breaking documents, new legal videos, live law-related webcasts, commentary by expert law professors and more - all updated through the day in real time, with no ads and no registration barriers - visit JURIST's homepage and check back often...


LATEST LEGAL NEWS

 British embassy staff facing Iran trial for allegedly provoking protests
11:56 AM ET, July 3

 Liberia truth commission urges war crimes prosecutions in special court
9:56 AM ET, July 3

 Florida Supreme Court say governor cannot delay judicial appointment for diversity
9:45 AM ET, July 3

 click for more...

Get JURIST legal news on your intranet, website, blog or news reader!

LATEST FORUM

Tyrants, Dictators, and Thugs: Fearing the Bogeyman
FOREIGN
David Crane, Syracuse U. College of Law

ABOUT

Paper Chase is JURIST's real-time legal news service, powered by a team of 30 law student reporters and editors led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. As an educational service, Paper Chase is dedicated to presenting important legal news and materials rapidly, objectively and intelligibly in an accessible, ad-free format.

CONTACT

Paper Chase welcomes comments, tips and URLs from readers. E-mail us at JURIST@pitt.edu