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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8292
Contents Publication in full By article 33 / 44
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) ep/citizenship

EP demands rights for long-term immigrants that are similar to those for EU nationals

Strasbourg, 06/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the Carlos Coelho (EPP-DE, Portugal) report without amendments on the third European Commission report on European citizenship (see EUROPE, 4 September p 7), the EP is subsequently requesting that this citizenship be carried out fully within the dimensions of the EP and calls on Member States to "adapt the concept of Union citizenship to the political development within the EU" and grant legal immigrants who possess long-term residency rights that are "as close as possible" as those of EU citizens. In particular: a) on the political level it stresses necessary measures that will allow "greater elector awareness" about the June 2004 European elections and on a date for these elections that will "optimise the necessary conditions for electoral participation"; b) on the administrative level, it highlights "transparency and clear and easy access to information"; c) on a legal level, it emphasises the importance of the fight against criminality and in the respect of human rights. The EP calls on the European convention to "decide on what legal and binding value" to confer on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and to integrate the areas from the third pillar and "find a way of guaranteeing documents on EU policy can be read by all citizens".

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