A concept of European Union citizenship: Problems and possibilities

This chapter focuses on Union citizenship, which brings about a new level of complexity in relation to the constellation of identities within Europe. It presents in brief terms the nature and scope of citizenship of the Union, as a legal construct, focusing upon its emergence in the Treaty of Maastricht and its implementation hitherto. The chapter presents a critical account of both the problems and the possibilities which are associated with citizenship when applied in the EU context. The civil rights of EU citizens are primarily constituted through the existence of the European Community as a ‘community of law’. The chapter presents some of the difficulties often encountered in studies of citizenship in the EU context, leading to a discussion of possible ways of overcoming the conceptual obstacles to a fuller account of Union citizenship.