Freedom of Movement Under Attack: Is It Worth Defending As the Core of EU Citizenship?

56 Pages Posted: 22 Dec 2016

See all articles by Floris de Witte

Floris de Witte

London School of Economics - Law School

Rainer Baubock

European University Institute

Jo Shaw

University of Edinburgh

Date Written: December 2016

Abstract

This forum debate discusses the link between Union citizenship and free movement. These concepts were long understood as progressive and fundamental mechanisms in drawing the citizen closer to the European integration project. Both concepts now appear in crisis. This is, of course, reflected in the run-up to, and outcome of the Brexit vote. But criticism on the link between Union citizenship and free movement must be understood in a wider context. It is the context within which welfare systems are perceived to struggle with the incorporation of migrant citizens; and within which the benefits linked to free movement are perceived to fall to specific groups or classes of citizens in society. This EUDO forum debate takes on this discussion in two different ways. One the one hand, it discusses whether free movement contributes to, or detracts from, the capacity of the EU to create a more just or legitimate relationship between its citizens. On the other hand, it discusses whether Union citizenship – a status that is fundamental to all nationals of the Member States, whether they move across borders or not – should be centred on free movement, or whether we need to rethink the premise of what it means to be a European citizen.

Kickoff contribution and rejoinder by Floris de Witte, Daniel Thym, Richard Bellamy, Päivi Johanna Neuvonen, Vesco Paskalev, Saara Koikkalainen, Rainer Bauböck, Sarah Fine, Martijn van den Brink, Julija Sardelić, Kieran Oberman, Glyn Morgan, Reuven (Ruvi) Ziegler, and Martin Ruhs.

Keywords: Free movement, Union citizenship, migration, Brexit, mobility, emancipation, welfare

Suggested Citation

de Witte, Floris and Baubock, Rainer and Shaw, Jo, Freedom of Movement Under Attack: Is It Worth Defending As the Core of EU Citizenship? (December 2016). Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. RSCAS 2016/69, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2888363 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2888363

Floris De Witte (Contact Author)

London School of Economics - Law School ( email )

Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

Rainer Baubock

European University Institute ( email )

Villa Schifanoia
133 via Bocaccio
Firenze (Florence), Tuscany 50014
Italy

Jo Shaw

University of Edinburgh ( email )

Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh, EH8 9YL
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/staff/joshaw/

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