Europese consumentengroeperingen willen eurocommissaris voor Consumentenzaken (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - As citizens across the EU struggle to figure out where they may work, if their family is entitled to go with them and whether their degrees will be recognised in other member states, it has prompted a call for a commissioner for citizens.

The Euro Citizen Action Service (ECAS) says a citizens commissioner is needed because there is great confusion - all the more so since EU enlargement on 1 May - about citizens' rights when they go to other member states.

Tony Venables, director of ECAS, says the problem is that "everyone and no-one is reponsible" for the issue in the Commission.

Different units - such as justice and home affairs and internal market - are responsible for different aspects.

"The Commission must be put back in the picture", said Mr Venables.

No influx

Aside from not having a single authority responsible for these issues, the whole question about whether citizens may work or reside in other member states is clouded by ignorance - because information has not been made available.

In the run up to enlargement, tabloid newspapers, particularly in the UK, ran scare stories about migrants from new member states queuing up to rush into `old' member states.

"This huge influx is not happening", said Mr Venables but conceded there is no data available to show people.

Moreover, the last specific eurobarometer - EU poll - on citizenship was carried out four years ago.

Member states contribute to the general lack knowledge - particularly on whether they will allow workers access to their labour markets.

In the UK, the proposed policies changed day-to-day in the run-up to 1 May, said Monika Byrska, author of an ECAS report on the situation.

"The information available to an average citizen is scattered, often incomplete and (regretfully) on occasions misleading", says the report.

Greece and Luxembourg - no information

"The majority of member states are still deliberating" about how they will restrict workers' access, said Mr Venables saying that France is the only country that is relatively clear about what measures it is taking - though it is clear for EU law-makers and not for citizens, he added.

The report, which attempts to outline what countries are imposing which restrictions, notes that for Luxembourg and Greece, no information at all has been released.

Social security, degrees, family members

The range of uncertainty facing citizens from new member states is large. One good issue to illustrate this is whether a worker's family members can gain access to the labour market.

Under the accession treaties signed by the new member states, they must wait for 18 months. However, under the Europe Agreements they may have access to employment straight away.

It is not clear what the actual situation is.

Similarly, the modification of social security arrangement was not sorted out before enlargement and there is also the additional issue of whether educational qualifications from central and eastern Europe will be recognised in other member states.

Ms Byrska said that ECAS is quite concerned about the qualifications issue because "it gives quite some latitude" to national authorities to process applications.

"The atmosphere of confusion as to who is welcomed in the enlarged Union and on what terms only seems to be thickening", says her report.