The FINANCIAL — After three years of negotiations,the EU Member States have adopted the Directive on consular protection for European citizens living or travelling outside the EU.
The agreement by the Council clarifies when and how EU citizens in distress in a country outside the EU have the right to receive assistance from other EU countries’ embassies or consulates. The aim is to ease cooperation between consular authorities and strengthen European citizens’ right to consular protection, according to EU.
“This Directive represents an important step in consular cooperation within the European Union. Following the Lisbon Treaty, it aims notably at ensuring the right of EU citizens to consular and diplomatic protection in a third country, in which the Member State of which they are a national is not represented. The EEAS and the EU Delegations will actively cooperate with Member States’ embassies and consulates in contributing to these efforts” said Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European External Action Service and Vice President of the European Commission.
“At the start of my mandate, I promised to help EU citizens get better protection and rights. The Directive adopted today reinforces citizens’ right to equal consular protection and contributes to increasing European solidarity in third countries. It lays down clear and simple rules on how Member States should coordinate and cooperate among themselves and with the Union delegations. With rising numbers of EU citizens travelling and living abroad it is crucial that everyone knows what their right to consular protection means in practice” said Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.
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