merrion street

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and EU Commission Presidency José Manuel Barroso today launched the European Year of Citizens 2013 in Dublin.

The objective of the Year is to to ensure that people know their rights as EU citizens and how to exercise them to the full. The Year of Citizens will also encourage public debate about what EU citizenship means for the people of the EU.

The launch was held in Dublin City Hall where 200 people from all walks of life had registered to take part in the first Citizens’ Dialogue of the Year. It’s part of a series of Dialogues taking place across Europe about the future of Europe.The debate centred on the current economic crisis, the rights and benefits of EU citizenship and what the EU is likely to look like in the year 2020.

The Taoiseach said:

As well as acknowledging what has been achieved together in Europe, we need to focus on what the EU means for individual citizens. People should be aware of what membership of the EU means and how they can take the fullest benefit to improve their lives.

And at a time when part of Europe’s response to shared challenges is through deeper integration, it is more important than ever that the Union be transparent, and accountable, to its citizens.

The Tánaiste  said:

The economic crisis has seen levels of public trust suffer at national and EU levels. We need to act to restore that trust and to empower our citizens. During the next six months, the Irish Presidency is committed to prioritising those measures on the EU agenda that can help to restore financial and economic stability in Europe and create the conditions for sustainable jobs and growth – issues that are of direct concern to all our citizens.

Read the full press release here.

Read the Taoiseach's speech from the launch here.