CEDAG - The European Council for Non-profit Organizations (Comité européen des associations d’intérêt général), is a European network advocating for citizens’ participation to the democratic life of the Union and aiming to contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of Europe.

CEDAG welcomes the consultation process launched by the European Commission in view of identifying concrete actions for strengthening and completing citizens’ rights.

The Commission has acknowledged1 that important gaps exist between the rights granted in theory by European citizenship and the ability of citizens to enjoy these rights in practice.

Obstacles to the exercise of rights stemming from European citizenship include:

• The low and declining level of engagement of citizens in the political and democratic life of Union;

• Lack of information about rights and how to exercise them reaching the citizens;

• Persistence of unequal treatment in cases of mobility within the Union, particularly for nationals of third countries