This year is special because 1 November will mark the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty which created Union Citizenship. This is an opportunity to think about the meaning of European Citizenship, what it has achieved so far, where it is today and its future prospects.
Celebrating an anniversary means standing back, reflecting and debating new ideas. It is a chance for academics, civil society activists and policy makers who have come together at previous Annual Conferences to think beyond their immediate interests and concerns.
The 30th anniversary should be about taking the plunge and imagining how this unique transnational citizenship could become more relevant to all Europeans and strike the popular imagination.
What has changed in Europe since the more optimistic period of the Maastricht Treaty and a series of crises leading up to the Russian war on Ukraine?
Does the new situation in Europe strengthen the case for a more inclusive and outward-looking European Citizenship?
Could Union Citizenship be developed with new rights- democratic, social, environmental or health rights — to become a citizenship more relevant for those that stay at home, and not just for mobile citizens?
How to promote the ECIT project for a Statute on European Citizenship which has been supported by the European Parliament and the Conference on the Future of Europe? Could this be the framework to bring what exists and new rights together for the next 30 years?
