Policy Focus

Europe should focus on its citizens, says French MEP

French MEP Alain Lamassoure has called on the EU to takea look at the way it treats its citizens, and wants the Frenchpresidency to make citizens a firm priority.

The proposal, which Lamassoure is calling a ‘Europe for Europeancitizens’, is an initiative of the ruling French UMP party, andcomes on the back of several complaints he says the party hasreceived from citizens.

"Europe for us doesn’t work," he told journalists in Brussels onThursday. "European legislators are easily amazed – once texts areadopted, they are happy.

"Europe should be interested in its citizens."

According to commission statistics cited by the French MEP, 12 percent of the EU’s population – around 10 million people – are notliving in their country of origin. And some 350,000 Europeans arein marriages where the two partners are not from the samecountry.

The problem arises, says Lamassoure, when those couples are livingin a third country – not either partner’s country of origin – thenmarry in a fourth country, and later have a child in a fifth.

There is “no legal solution” to cover these European “nomads”, saysLamassoure.

He is pushing for a 1979 law on “portable” social security to beamended, as well as better recognition of diplomas and professionalqualifications.

The EPP-ED deputy also set out priorities for the Frenchpresidency, which will take over on 1 July. First up isratification of the Lisbon treaty, which Lamassoure says is thebasic common denominator for the other items on the Frenchagenda.

“The unavoidable lack of clarity facing the essential priorities ofthe French presidency is the ratification of Lisbon. I don’t knowwhat we’ll do if it doesn’t pass.”

He also said immigration, the climate and energy package anddefence policy are major concerns for his country in the coming sixmonths.