Brussels, 29/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding will attend the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) on Thursday 31 March, when the Committee will hold a debate on European citizenship and will discuss European Union efforts to communicate on European integration down to the level of the regions and municipalities. The CoR will vote on the adoption of the draft opinion prepared by Robert Pella (EPP, Italy) on the 2010 report on citizenship of the Union.
In terms of the priority objectives of local and regional authorities, the draft opinion makes requests of the Commission on: (1) active citizenship: also highlighting issues related to EU citizenship within the framework of pre-accession aid so that future European citizens are made aware of and know their rights; (2) social citizenship: action it intends to take to facilitate cross-border access to health care and to launch pilot projects on providing secure online access to some of European citizens' health information should make provision for the involvement of local and regional authorities as the public authorities closest to citizens; (3) political citizenship: undertaking specific action to promote the effective exercise of European citizens' acknowledged right to take part in municipal elections in the state where he/she has established his/her residence and in European elections. The Committee supports the European Commission's plan to make 2013 the European Year of Citizenship. (G.B./transl.rt)