The European Commission launched on the Europe Day the broadest public consultation ever and asks citizens to set future agenda. The consultation will be open for four months during which time the public will be asked about the obstacles they face in exercising their rights as EU citizens, be it when travelling in Europe, when voting or standing as a candidate in elections or when shopping online.

The biggest ever EU public consultation on citizens' rights was launched by the European Commission on 9 of May, the Europe Day. The consultation will gather opinions about the obstacles the citizens face in exercising their rights as EU citizens, be it when travelling in Europe, when voting or standing as a candidate in elections or when shopping online.

According to a Eurobarometer survey published in 2011, freedom of movement is the most cherished right of EU citizenship. Europeans make over a billion journeys within the EU per year and more and more Europeans are benefiting from the right to live in another EU Member State. However, many people still continue to face obstacles when exercising their rights as European citizens. The Commission therefore wants to hear about these problems that citizens might face when moving around in the EU, whether for work, study or holiday, when exercising electoral rights or their rights as consumers. The Commission also wants to hear what kind of European Union citizens would like to see by 2020.

The input received from the public will feed directly into the Commission's policy agenda and form the basis for the 2013 EU Citizenship Report, to be presented in exactly one year's time: on 9 May 2013. Moreover, in 2013, the EU celebrates the European Year of Citizens.