Although many Europeans are not aware of it, the right to ask assistance from any EU consulate or embassy when their Member State is not represented in one country, is part of their rights as EU citizens. Those citizens facing crisis or disaster situations such as those lived in Japan, Libya or Egypt can ask for consulate or embassy assistance, and can also do so in more usual situations such as passport theft or serious accidents.

The events which took place in Japan, Libya or Haiti have shown the importance of consular support for foreign nationals stranded in crisis situations abroad. The number of Europeans travelling abroad is rising, as it is also the number of EU citizens who live in a country outside the European Union and may, occasional or in regular basis, need consular assistance. Situations may vary from administrative assistance to the coordination and co-finance for costs of evacuation in situations such as the crisis in Libya, where the EU took swift action and triggered the Civil Protection Mechanism to repatriate EU citizens.

While crucial in a crisis, the right to consular protection also applies in more everyday situations such as a lost or stolen passport, a serious accident or illness or after a violent crime. However, Member States' consular laws vary. Depending on which country an EU citizen turns to, the level of protection offered may differ.

In order to support consular assistance received by EU citizens when travelling or living in third countries, the European Commission has put forward a Communication on consular protection in third countries, setting out concrete actions to reinforce citizens' rights to consular protection and assistance in third countries. In the next year, the Commission will propose coordination measures to ease citizens’ day-to-day consular protection. In addition, the Commission is also launching a dedicated website on consular protection, which provides addresses of consular or diplomatic missions in non-EU countries and access to all Member States' travel advisory services.

These actions come as an answer to some issues which were highlighted in the Citizenship Report presented by the European Commission in October 2010 which showed Europeans’ high expectations for assistance abroad. It estimated that 62% would expect the same kind of help from another EU country's embassy as they would get from their own. Nevertheless, many Europeans and consular officials remain unaware of the right to such protection as an EU citizen. The Commission will step up awareness among EU citizens and consular officials about the right to turn to embassies/consulates of Member States other than their own, how to reach these facilities and what kind of help can be offered.

In addition to the actions foreseen in this Communication, the European Commission will also make legal proposals within the next twelve months to improve the legal certainty regarding the scope, conditions and procedures related to consular protection,  and optimise the use of resources, including in times of crisis; as well as to establish the coordination and cooperation measures necessary to facilitate day-to-day consular protection for unrepresented EU citizens and address the issue of financial compensation of consular protection in crisis situations.n how to raise EU citizens’ awareness of their rights.