The Commission wishes to ensure that citizens are more fully informed about their rights as regards diplomatic and consular protection under Article 20 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (EC Treaty) and Article 46 of the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights.

While most rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU are not limited to Union citizens, certain rights are linked to citizenship of the Union, i.e. electoral rights (Articles 39 and 40), the right to move and reside freely (Article 45) and the right to diplomatic and consular protection (Article 46) .

The report focuses on the legal core of citizens' rights, namely the right to move and reside within the EU (Article 18), the right to vote and stand as a candidate in European and municipal elections in the Member State of residence (Article 19), the right to diplomatic and consular protection in third countries (Article 20), the right to petition the European Parliament (EP) and the right to apply to the Ombudsman (Article 21).

For the purposes of this report, the Commission would draw particular attention to the rights taken from the Treaty establishing the European Community and grouped under Chapter V on citizens' rights: the right to vote and stand as a candidate at elections to the European Parliament (Article 39); the right to vote and stand as a candidate at municipal elections (Article 40); the right of access to documents (Article 42); the right to refer matters to the Ombudsman (Article 43); the right to petition the European Parliament (Article 44); freedom of movement and residence (Article 45); diplomatic and consular protection (Article 46).

[61] These rights are the right to free movement and residence, the right to work, to establish oneself and to provide services, the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament and in municipal elections, the right to diplomatic and consular protection as well as the right to petition and to access documents and the right to non-discrimination on the basis of nationality

[61] These rights are the right to free movement and residence, the right to work, to establish oneself and to provide services, the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament and in municipal elections, the right to diplomatic and consular protection as well as the right to petition and to access documents and the right to non-discrimination on the basis of nationality