Brussels, 07/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Year of Citizens 2013 was officially launched on 1 January and will be inaugurated in Dublin on 10 January by the European Commission and the Irish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, a press release states. This European Year marks the 20thanniversary of EU citizenship, introduced by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. It also paves the way for European Parliament elections in 2014. With European citizenship, citizens may vote in and stand for municipal (and European) elections in the country where they reside. Citizenship gives Europeans a whole range of rights, freedom of movement in particular. According to a study dating back to 2010, only 43% of respondents know the true meaning of “European Union citizenship” and nearly half of all European citizens (48%) feel they are “not well informed” about their rights. (SP/transl.jl)