EU Law and the Free Movement of Persons and goods

General Rights of EU Citizens

Introduction

Since our company New Foods plc is planning to set up a new regional headquarters in other countries of the EU , we who comprise the company 's legal team are presenting this brochure for the benefit of all those employees who desire to move to another country in the EU . In this connection The European Community Law offers several fundamental freedoms and one of them is the right to free movement of persons . This fundamental freedom encompasses the right to live and work in another

Member State . This right of free movement within the Community is applicable not only to workers , but also to students , pensioners and EU citizens . This right is the most important right granted by the Community law to individuals , and constitutes a fundamental ingredient of not only the Internal Market but also the European citizenship . Since migrating to another country is a major decision , it is essential to provide our employees with accurate information regarding their rights In the EU it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of nationality . As far as access to jobs is concerned it is the duty of the Member States to accord a higher priority to workers from Member States over workers from non - EU countries . However , we draw the attention of our employees to the fact that the host Member State is well within its rights to reserve some jobs in the public sector to its nationals

Family members

Moreover , it should be very encouraging for our employees to know that irrespective of their nationality , the following family members can accompany and stay with them in the host Member State , namely , a spouse a partner with whom the employee has entered into a registered partnership in a Member State (however , the laws of the host Member State should accord the same status to registered partnerships as they do to marriage and in accordance with the stipulation of the host Member State , descendants of the employees as also the descendants of the employee 's spouse or registered partner whose age is less than 21 years or dependant descendants , the employee 's and the employee 's spouse 's or registered partner 's dependent relatives in the ascending line Moreover , certain other family members of the employee have to be permitted and facilitated to enter and reside in a Member State and such persons are other dependant family members and members of the employee 's household who require the employee 's personal care on account of serious health grounds , and the partner with whom the employee has a duly attested long-lasting relationship

The employee 's family members who are EU citizens may have to register with the competent authority and thereafter they will be provided a certificate of registration . In general , only the following documents are insisted upon for issuing the registration certificate or the residence card , either a valid identity card or passport if the family members belong to a third-country then they have to...