Citizenship of the European Union in the case law of the European Court of Justice

Državljanstvo Unije je institut, ki se je od uvedbe naprej vsebinsko spremenil in dopolnil predvsem z aktivnim delovanjem Sodišča EU. Čeprav ne gre zanemariti njegov postopni razvoj v zakonodaji EU vse odkar je leta 1993 bilo uvedeno, je prav Sodišče EU tisto, ki je (vsaj v določeni meri) pojasnilo vsebino državljanstva Unije. To je sicer tesno povezano z nacionalnim državljanstvom, kar izhaja že iz primarne zakonodaje in se kaže tudi v tem, da so države članice pristojne za določanje pogojev za pridobitev in izgubo državljanstva, vendar pa ob tem še vedno morajo spoštovati temeljna načela EU. Prelomni korak v razvoju sodne prakse na področju državljanstva Unije in z njim tesno povezano pravico do prostega gibanja, je prinesla novejša sodna praksa z uvedbo merila dejanskega izvrševanja bistvene vsebine pravic, ki so podeljene zaradi statusa državljana Unije. Pristop Sodišča EU namreč daje podlago za širšo uporabo prava EU. Merilo omogoča, da se v primerih, kadar bi bilo onemogočeno dejansko izvrševanje bistvene vsebine pravic, ali kadar bi bilo oteženo izvrševanje pravic državljana Unije, pravo EU lahko uporabi, čeprav ni podanega čezmejnega elementa. Takšen pristop Sodišča EU, kljub restriktivni razlagi, je sicer omogočil sklicevanje na pravo EU tudi v primerih, ki po prejšnjem pristopu z njim niso bili zajeti, vendar pa v ospredju še vedno ostaja problem obratne diskriminacije v povezavi s popolnoma notranjimi položaji in vprašanje razmerja s temeljnimi pravicami. Tako se tudi niso uresničili strahovi držav članic, da bi takšen pristop razširil področje uporabe prava EU. Vsekakor gre za področje, ki je z nacionalno zakonodajo držav članic tesno povezano, in ki bo v prihodnosti vplivalo predvsem na oblikovanje politike priseljevanja držav članic. To se kaže tudi v velikem številu intervencij držav članic v zadeve s področja državljanstva Unije, saj je državljanstvo institut in eden izmed pokazateljev suverenosti, ki se jim države članice niso pripravljene odpovedati v celoti. Tako je državljanstvo Unije predmet nenehnih sprememb, ki je v marsičem olajšalo življenje svojih državljanov, je pa za njegovo učinkovito varstvo potrebno vnesti več jasnosti, določnosti in predvidljivosti, zato da se bodo državljani Unije na te pravice z gotovostjo lahko zanesli.The master\u27s thesis titled ‘Citizenship of the European Union in the case law of the European Court of Justice’ deals with citizenship of the Union (also Union citizenship). Citizenship of the Union has changed substantially since its introduction in 1993 and has been defined mainly by the Court of Justice of the European Union (hereinafter: CJEU, European Court of Justice). Union citizenship has evolved over time through European legislation, although more significant changes are apparent in ECJ case law. The CJEU has determined that Union citizenship is subject to national citizenship of a member state. This determination is derived from primary legislation, and is also reflected in the fact that Member States have the power to define the conditions for acquiring and losing citizenship, but they still have to respect the fundamental principles of the European Union (EU). European Court of Justice case law has, in the areas of Union citizenship and free movement, led to significant developments including the enforcement of genuine enjoyment of the substance of rights conferred by virtue of the status as a citizen of the Union. This provides a basis for the wider application of EU law and allows an individual to invoke the provisions of EU law on Union citizenship in cases where European citizen would be in danger of being deprived of the ‘genuine enjoyment of the substance of rights’. In these exceptional cases individuals can refer to Union citizenship rights, even if there is no sign of a cross-border element. According to the CJEU the loss of rights itself constitutes a sufficient link with the EU law. In other words, despite restrictions imposed by the CJEU it is possible for a Union citizen to refer to EU law in purely internal situations, but only in certain cases. However this approach still presents issues of reverse discrimination, and fundamental rights. Despite initial concerns from Member States, wide application of EU law is not guaranteed, as the application of ‘genuine enjoyment’ is more restrictive than initially thought. It is clear that Union citizenship is closely linked to national legislation and will influence the immigration policy of a Member State. The importance of Union citizenship is also obvious due to the numerous interventions by Member States in CJEU proceedings. This is not surprising given that citizenship is an indicator of sovereignty, which Member States are not willing to relinquish. Union citizenship is subject to continual changes, which to date, in many ways have made life easier for European citizens. But for more effective protection, it is necessary to provide more clarity, precision and predictability into case law, so Union citizens can rely on the provisions of EU law with certainty