Citizenship Rights in the European Union

Citizenship of the EU is one of the most fundamental and most original institutions of the EU legal order. On this basis, the general objective of this module is to increase awareness and knowledge in legal studies of the importance of the EU citizenship as a tool to foster the democratic dimension of the EU. In fact, despite the importance of the citizenship of the EU, the theme is scarcely addressed by specific teaching or research courses in legal studies. The module has three specific objectives, each corresponding to a different set activities.

First: to increase awareness and knowledge in bachelor and master law students of the importance of the EU citizenship as a tool to foster the democratic dimension of the EU. The corresponding set of activities is the inclusion each year of four modules in some subjects taught in the bachelor and master degree courses in law of the Department of Law of the University of Siena: EU citizenship and national citizenship, EU citizenship in comparative perspective, European Electoral Rights and European Political Parties.

Second: to increase awareness and knowledge in PhD students of the importance of the EU citizenship as a tool to foster the democratic dimension of the EU. The corresponding set of activities is the organization each year of a summer school open to students of doctoral courses in legal sciences and dedicated to the electoral rights of the citizens of the EU, the role of European political parties and the instruments of direct and participatory democracy in the EU.

Third: to increase awareness and knowledge in civil society and political class of the importance of the EU as a tool to foster the democratic dimension of the EU. The corresponding set of activities is the organization of two meetings each year on on topical issues connected to the topics of the module. These lectures are open to undergraduate and postgraduate students and representatives of civil society and political class.