Implementation of «Civil Citizenship Concept» in European Union Migration Policy

Abstract

The author of the article addresses to the problem of integration of third-country nationals in the European Union and provides a detailed analysis of the development of the concept of «civic citizenship». The establishment of the rights of legal immigrants in the European Union at the supranational level, despite the contradictory goals of the Commission and member states, brings a new quality to the common immigration policy of the EU. The main instrument for ensuring the rights of immigrants in the European Union is Directive 2003/109/EC concerning the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents. The author highlights the role of supranational institutions (the Commission and the CJEU) in promoting the uniform application of the directive and guaranteeing the rights of legal immigrants in the European Union. The author notes that the EU long-term resident status can be considered as a step towards a post-national form of membership in the host community that overcomes the restrictive nature of national citizenship. However, despite the supranational regulation of legal immigrants’ rights in the EU, member states retain parallel national schemes and the right to impose integration conditions as well as they remain responsible for granting the EU long-term resident status.

Keywords

• european union
• migration
• citizenship
• civic citizenship
• postnationalism
• integration
• migrants’ rights