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European group calls for EU Commissioner for European expats

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Europeans Throughout the World has released a set of recommendations aimed at giving recognition and support to European citizens living outside their countries of origin. The recommendations, decided at the group’s 25th anniversary meeting in Stockholm this month (which I attended as an associate member on behalf of Ireland), concern such issues as the recognition of multiple nationalities, consular protection, and the harmonisation of family law.

Perhaps most significant is the call for a dedicated EU Commissioner for expatriate Europeans and an agency to monitor concerns. This resonates with Ireland’s recent experience in establishing the Irish Abroad Unit, and Ireland could perhaps be an instructive case study in establishing this type of initiative.

Most of the recommendations would be relatively uncontroversial here: Ireland  takes a particularly open approach to multiple citizenships, for example. But the recommendations call for expatriate citizens to be granted voting rights – a right granted to most European citizens, but not Irish nationals. The organisation notes that the current situation, in which some nations allow their non-EU resident expats to vote for representatives at European level and others do not, leads to inequality among European citizens.

Europeans Throughout the World is a non-governmental federation of national associations representing Europeans living outside their countries of origin.

The full text of the recommendations:

STOCKHOLM RECOMMENDATIONS

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their founding, The Europeans throughout the World, the confederation of associations of European expatriates, meeting in Stockholm at the kind invitation of the Federation Swedes Abroad, recalls that citizens of the European Union living in another country than their own throughout the world are estimated to number between 60 and 80 million, thus together forming the equivalent of a large member state, make very substantial contributions to Europe’s presence in the world, and should be considered a great asset for Europe.

The Europeans throughout the World urges European national governments and the institutions of the European Union, particularly the European Parliament,

• to give political and practical recognition and support to this large body of citizens, many of whom have a very high degree of international mobility, consistent with and often a consequence of the progress of the EU and their professional and societal role within it;

• to act upon the following recommendations, which proceed from over fifty-five years of experience of the EU and twenty-five years of action, and which also build upon and extend the Paris Declaration adopted at the Meeting of European Citizens resident outside their country of origin in Paris on 30 September 2008.

Voting rights – all expatriate European citizens should be given specific national and EU-level representation in order that their voices may be properly heard and their concerns, specific to their condition as expatriates, properly taken into account:

• All EU citizens should be given the right to vote in their national elections at national and regional level, and practical arrangements made to facilitate the convenience to the citizen, wherever he or she resides in the world, for example through proxy, postal and/or electronic voting mechanisms.
• All EU citizens should be given the right to choose to vote in European Parliament elections in their country of residence or of one of their EU nationalities, and practical arrangements made to facilitate the convenience to the citizen, wherever he or she resides in the world.

Multiple nationalities

• All EU citizens should be given the right to possess and to gain or regain multiple  nationalities to which they may have a claim, given the fundamental nature of nationality to the citizen and his or her means of livelihood.

Diplomatic and consular protection

• Full and uniform protection should be ensured to all EU citizens through the network of EU member states’ embassies and consulates throughout the world, irrespective of their nationalities and countries of residence.
• This should extend especially to prisoners, who are often particularly vulnerable – judicial proceedings in third countries should be closely monitored and full defence of the accused ensured. Wherever possible they should be able to purge their sentence in (one of) their own country(ies).

Social Security

• The right of patients to treatment in the country of their choice, regardless of the country(ies) in which they have paid their state and/or private health insurance contributions, should be ensured in practice, in line with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice.

Pensions

• The acquisition of state and supplementary pensions should be ensured in practice, and their payment ensured from the age of retirement, to all expatriate EU citizens, wherever they reside in the world, and existing EU legislation enforced and extended. Cases of multiple taxation need to be removed. Particular attention should be given to the situation of people who have followed their spouses abroad and may find their rights seriously curtailed.

Education

• The possibility of complementary education in one’s mother tongue should be extended to all children of expatriate EU citizens, allowing them to preserve the knowledge of their mother tongue and culture.

Mutual Recognition of Diplomas and Professional Training

• There are many diplomas and professional qualifications of EU member states which are not recognised in other EU countries. The ongoing efforts towards mutual recognition should be intensified and extended to further fields.

Justice

• Expatriate EU citizens should be guaranteed a legally indisputable choice of competent jurisdictions and simplified access to these.
• Family law should be harmonised and enforced, particularly in the areas of the consequences of divorce for children.
• Contradictions and multiple taxation should be removed from the area of succession and inheritance.

“European Referent� in the national public services

• A personalised “European Administrative Windowâ€? should be created within the national, regional and/or local administrations, fully aware of the legal and administrative aspects at EU level.

A European Commissioner and an Agency for expatriate Europeans

• Considering that the above concerns have not been fully addressed, we reiterate our recommendation that a Member of the European Commission should be given specific responsibility for expatriate EU citizens.
• All European Institutions should set up specific mechanisms to take account of the specific concerns of expatriate EU citizens.
• An agency should be created to take up these concerns on a permanent basis. It should be charged with monitoring and furthering all the above concerns, and should be given appropriate means to carry out these tasks.

Related website:

Europeans Throughout the World

European Commission reminds EU citizens of right to consular protection

Monday, December 1st, 2008

The European Commission has issued posters to inform EU citizens of their rights to consular protection.

The poster reminds expats that if there is no consulate of their home country in the non-EU state in which they are in, they may request urgent assistance from any other EU country.

As a citizen of the European Union, you can expect the embassies and consulates of any other EU country to assist you on the same conditions as nationals of that State and in particular to :

• provide you with an emergency travel document
• contact your family, your next of kin and the authorities in your country
• protect you if you are in danger or difficulty, especially as a result of arrest, detention, an accident or serious illness
• provide the help you need to be evacuated or repatriated.

To enjoy this protection :

you must be a citizen of an EU Member State

you must be in a country that is not a Member of the European Union

your country must have no consular or diplomatic representation in the country in question.

Download the poster.

Visit the European Commission’s website on consular protection for more information.

See the Department of Foreign Affairs’ list of Irish embassies and consulates abroad.

Independent explores lure of Spain

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

The Irish Independent says there are an increasing number of Irish families moving to Spain, with 78,000 Irish people registered as living there. Journalist Niamh Horan says the Irish-born are lured by cheap and convenient flights, warm weather, an inexpensive lifestyle, and the widespread use of English.

Additionally, some claim they are finding they are having to give up few of their comforts. Patrick Hughes, MD of an estate agency selling to Irish people, says, “There’s no sacrifice. We have RTE here. We can get the Irish papers every day; it’s like home from home, except warmer and more comfortable… You live the same here as you do at home”.

The one caveat expressed in the article is that children tend to become more independent and grow up more quickly in Spain.

The Irish in Spain have been in the headlines over the last two weeks with the disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick, who went missing from Mijas on New Year’s Day. Her family has lived in the Costa del Sol for about a year.

See the full article in the Irish Independent, “Boom in Irish families living Spanish dream“.

Migrant priests to be honoured in Rome

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

The Irish community in Rome will be celebrating the lives of two priests, one an Irish native who worked in Rome and the other who came from Holland but worked in Dublin.

The Basilica of San Clemente will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the excavations undertaken by Dominican priest Joseph Mullooly. Fr Mullooly was born in Longford in 1812 and in 1840 left for Italy, where he entered the Dominican Order. He became superior of San Clemente in 1850 and remained there for the rest of his life. (more…)

Ireland’s success can be model for new EU: McAleese

Friday, May 25th, 2007

Ireland’s success in attracting emigrants home emerged as a major theme of President Mary McAleese’s remarks during her visit to Latvia and Lithuania this week.

During her visit to Latvia on Tuesday, President McAleese said, ‘The largest number of Irish migrants left because they had little opportunity at home. We know they would wish to come home, so it’s important to explain to them what’s happening in Ireland now”.

President McAleese told Lithuanians, “As your economy expands, many Lithuanians currently living in Ireland will surely feel the pull of home”. She added, “When they do return, they will bring with them valued skills and experience to help develop your own country as it seeks to reap the full advantages of EU membership.”

Migrant workers disadvantaged in workplace

Friday, May 25th, 2007

Migrant workers in Europe are likely to experience disadvantage in the workplace, according to a new report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

The report investigated employment conditions of workers who travelled from one country to another for any reason, found that migrants in Europe face segregation into low-paid jobs with little opportunity for mobility. They are more likely than non-migrants to  face unhealthy working conditions; work longer hours; and perform night, weekend and shift work. They are also more frequently exposed to discrimination in the workplace.

Migrant workers are often overqualified for the work they do, are exposed to greater job insecurity and are more likely to be unemployed. Despite these additional hardships, migrant workers are often poorly represented by trade unions.

Download the report from the Eurofound website.

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