Your rights
Everyone who is a citizen of an EU member state is also a citizen of the European Union – an EU citizen. Being an EU citizen also brings with it a number of rights. As an EU citizen, you can take part in elections in order to elect the politicians who will represent you in the European Parliament. You also have the right to travel freely and to work or study in other EU countries. If you have a complaint about how you have been treated by an EU institution, there is a European Ombudsman to help you.
As an EU citizen you can
- vote in elections to the European Parliament
- travel, work and study in all EU countries
- write to the EU and receive an answer in your own language
- access documents from the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European Commission
- make a complaint to the European Ombudsman if you consider that you have been wrongfully treated by an EU institution
Travel, work and study in another EU country
As an EU citizen, you enjoy a whole range of rights. You can, for example, travel, work or study in all countries within the EU. This is known as free movement of people, and is one of the EU’s fundamental principles. You can also receive help from the embassy of another EU member state if there is no Swedish embassy where you are.
Travel freely between EU countries
All EU countries are covered by the rules on free movement. This freedom of movement means, for example, that EU citizens have the right to travel to and stay in another member state for three months without any special formalities. If you wish to stay for longer than three months, you may need to prove to the country’s authorities that you are able to support yourself economically.
Bring your passport and national ID card when you travel in the EU
When you as a Swedish citizen travel within the EU or to the Schengen countries Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Lichtenstein, you must always bring your passport or your national ID card that has been issued by the police. This is important, so that you can identify yourself and show which country you are a citizen of. An ordinary ID card or Swedish driving licence is not sufficient as a travel document.
Work and study in another EU country
Studying, taking a trainee position and working anywhere in the EU are rights that come with EU citizenship. EU citizens have the right to stay for longer than three months in another EU country if they are there to:
- work or run a company
- study
- live as an old-age pensioner.
- EU citizens also have the right to stay for longer than three months in another EU country if they are able to support themselves economically.
Help from EU countries’ embassies outside the EU
When you visit countries outside the EU, you can receive help from the embassy of another EU member state if there is no Swedish embassy where you are.
Write and receive a reply in your language
Do you want to write to the EU in Swedish? No problem. As an EU citizen you can send an email or letter to the EU institutions in any of the 24 EU official languages, for example, Swedish. Most EU legislation and other important documents have also been translated into all of the official languages.
Important EU documents are published in all languages
According to the EU’s language policy, all EU legislation, important policy documents and general information about the EU is to be published in the 24 EU official languages. The idea is that EU citizens should be able to access information and read about the EU’s legislative process in a language they understand. EU citizens can also write to and receive a reply from the EU institutions in any of the official languages. However, if you make a phone call to an EU institution, you should be prepared to speak in another language than, for example, Swedish.
Documents that are translated into a small number of languages
Documents which are not legally binding are normally available in English, French and German. Urgent, short-lived or very specific information is often only published in a small number of languages depending on the target group.
Older documents are not translated
The number of official languages in the EU has increased with the growing number of member states. As a rule, EU legislation is available in a country’s language from the year it joined the EU. For example, almost all EU legislation is available in Swedish from 1995 onwards. Older documents, for example, from the time of the European Coal and Steel Community and the EU’s predecessor, the EEC, are only available in French, German, Dutch and Italian.
The 24 EU official languages
- Bulgarian
- Croatian
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- Estonian
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Hungarian
- Irish
- Italian
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
- Maltese
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Swedish
Access EU documents
The EU’s activities are based on meetings between representatives of the EU member states and the EU institutions. These meetings result in minutes and decision documents. EU citizens can access EU documents from the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission.
Request an EU document
EU citizens are entitled to request documents from the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission. Applications may be submitted in writing in one of the 24 EU official languages, for example, Swedish. You do not need to explain why you wish to access the document.
- Access to documents on the European Parliament website
- Access to publications on the Council website
- Access to documents on the European Commission website
Reply within 15 working days
You should receive a reply to your application within 15 working days. The EU institutions must provide a written explanation if your request is rejected, and provide information about how to lodge an appeal against the decision. It is not unusual that parts of EU documents cannot be disclosed. You then have the right to access the other parts. The question of secrecy must be examined and justified in each individual case when someone requests to access a document.
Find EU documents in databases
All of the EU institutions have databases in which you can search for documents yourself. The databases contain a great deal of information and it may be complicated to find the right document. A tip is to search in several languages and, if possible, to use the document or file number when you search. If a document is not directly available in the database, you can submit an application to the relevant EU institution to access the EU document you are looking for.
Make a complaint to the European Ombudsman
The European Ombudsman receives complaints about improper procedures or unfair treatment by the EU institutions. Private persons, companies and organisations in member states can turn to the Ombudsman in order to have a matter examined.
Investigates whether the EU institutions have acted inappropriately
The European Ombudsman investigates whether the EU institutions, bodies and agencies have acted inappropriately. It may be a question of an EU institution having made an error in the administration of a matter, refusing to provide information, or that processing of a matter takes an unreasonably long time. It may also be a matter of someone feeling that they have been unfairly treated or discriminated against by an EU institution. Anyone who is a citizen or resident of an EU country has the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman. Companies, associations and other organisations in EU member states also have the right to make complaints. The Ombudsman can also conduct investigations at its own initiative.
In brief about the European Ombudsman
- Based in the premises of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
- Is fully independent and may not take instructions from anyone.
- The European Ombudsman is elected for a period of five years by the European Parliament.
Investigates and gives recommendations
The Ombudsman can investigate improper procedures and give recommendations, but cannot institute legal proceedings itself. Nor can the Ombudsman take up matters that have already been settled by a court. However, the Ombudsman can report a matter to the European Parliament which, in turn, can institute proceedings in the Court of Justice of the European Union.