To set the twentieth anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht in 2013, that established the concept of citizenship in the European Union, thenext year has been designated as «European Year of citizens.» The establishment of the concept of the European Union by the treaty in 1993 was a great advance for Europe, and had a direct impact on the lives of millions of citizens.
Certainly, free mobility is the most valued right among those conferred by EU citizenship. However, the report on EU citizenship, in 2010, showed that there are many barriers remaining, and which prevent people from moving to another Member State. The Commission also expects to organize events at national, regional and local levels to help give more visibility to EU actions on citizenship and rights.
Through this project, we recognize the importance of the Treaty, as well as its evolution and influence on the concept of European citizenship, to the recognition of new rights to be acquired and consolidated in the 2020 Strategy.