The EU passport initiative

One of the grand goals of the European project is the union of all its citizens under the banner of democracy, equality and fraternity. The fathers of the European project dreamt with a united Europe, were all its citizens called themselves and see themselves as Europeans citizens. In what has been a very gradual and slow road towards the gradual and progressive integration of European states to ultimately generate the state of Pan-Europe. This initiative proposes an invaluable tool that can aid towards the creation, development, growth and maintenance of a feeling of pride and belonging to the European Union: The EU passport, a standardised identification document that identifies their possessor as a proud EU citizen and European national, much in the same sense that the USA passport works: US citizens are born in one of the 50 states of the USA but, ultimately, they are US citizens. Such document would initially work alongside the existing national documents with the ultimate goal of arise as the natural replacement to all of these national documents, serving has the identification document of every single European in this wonderful continent.

One of the big questions surrounding EU citizenship is in which way do the 503.7 millions habitants of the EU-27 see themselves in Europe? Do they consider themselves EU citizens?  According to the data from the latest Eurobarometer the EU28 average stands at 59%. The creation of such Identification document would give to every citizen a reminder of their status as an EU citizen and a growing sense of pride of belonging to such union.

Several initiatives and projects are being proposed towards an ever closer union, one of the most interesting is the   Fundamental Law of the European Union proposed by Andrew Duff and Guy Verhofstadt seeking to address the democratic deficit of the EU. Viviane Reding as called for a true political union. I believe that a united Europe, political, economic and social should be the ultimate goal of the European Union and the EU passport can contribute to a personal feeling of belonging to such union.

The passport is a symbol of identity, pride, belonging to a group, a culture, an idea. National passports are the symbol of one’s nationality and will retain a spectre  of nationalism and identity that ultimately will clash with the goal of an United Europe, while the EU passport will foster a more united and cohesive society, a growing sense of pride of holding such passport as a symbol of Union. The ultimate purpose of the European Union is the union of its citizens under principles of democracy and equality, the EU passport can be a democratic and equal tool to achieve that goal.

As the integration of states developed and the free movement of people, goods and services became a reality, this is now considered is the most positive result of the EU, followed by peace among the member states, the longest period of peace in Europe. EU citizens are less and less defined by a birth country and more by the possibilities that the EU aims to offers to all its citizens in terms of education, health, equality, etc.

Therefore it shouldn’t matter if you are born in the UK, Italy, Portugal or Poland, there are no restrictions on were each citizen choose to settle and build a life, and this is due to the European Union. The EU passport would just pure and simple be the only accepted document in the EU, with all the rights and duties that would entitle, including political participation and voting. The EU passport would render certain social injustices impossible to happen, one of the great examples is the fact that while any EU citizen is relatively free to settle anywhere in the EU, it is not guarantee that citizens will be able to vote on the EU country were resides. This injustice would be solved by the existence of the EU passport. EU allows residence and work anywhere in the Shengen space but the EU citizens that choose to use this benefit, witness their citizenship right decreased. Ultimately EU citizenship is not completely real.   

In order to make this standardised EU passport the most accepted and wide as possible the number of languages in the text would have to negotiated, but each country with the power to issue the passport would be able to had a translation page which would help all citizens to understand the contents of  the passport, it could also include a very basic manual presenting some of the most fundamental rights and duties of each EU citizens.

 All the European citizens are intertwined in a long history, spanning many centuries, a vast and multiple cultural world, The EU passport can contribute to the growing feeling of European multiculturalism, becoming a symbol of a new, stronger and increasingly united European Union.  

Please feel free to participate in this discussion, while I'm perfectly conscious this initiative will not be well received by some people, I'm looking forward to ear some constructive comments that would allow me to build on this idea and hopefully start the development of an initiative to take this idea to good course.

@costajoaoda