11/06/2026
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on new legislation that will directly shape the rights of millions of people living across EU borders. You have until 19 June to respond.
On 22 May, the European Commission launched a call for evidence on the forthcoming Citizens Omnibus Initiative, a proposed package of targeted legislative amendments allegedly aimed at reducing administrative burdens for people living in cross-border situations within the EU. The initiative touches on mobility, residence rights, access to public services, and participation in the Single Market. This directly concerns anyone who has moved countries within the EU, anyone whose work, family, or life crosses a border and anyone who believes that European citizenship should be more concrete in practice.
What Is the Citizens Omnibus?
As part of its broader “simplification” agenda, the Commission is preparing a dedicated legislative package focused on citizens. The Citizens Omnibus is intended to streamline procedures, dismantle legal and administrative obstacles, and make it easier for mobile EU residents to access the rights they are already entitled to on paper. The call for evidence is broad by design: it covers a wide range of policy areas affecting cross-border life. That breadth is precisely why civil society engagement matters. Without robust input from NGOs, advocacy organisations, and the people most affected by these barriers, the process risks being shaped by other interests.
Based on the available evidence, the Citizens Omnibus does not address political rights. The right of EU citizens to vote and stand as candidates in municipal and European Parliament elections in their country of residence – one of the most tangible expressions of European citizenship – is not part of this initiative’s scope. This is a significant omission worth naming. Administrative simplification for mobile citizens is welcome, but citizenship is more than bureaucratic convenience: it is also democratic participation. Civil society and individuals responding to this consultation should use the opportunity to push for political rights to be part of the conversation.
The Commission’s omnibus packages are being rolled out at speed and scale, with limited time for democratic scrutiny. Our Deregulation Monitor has been documenting this wave since it began: the opacity, the pace, and what is at risk of being lost when “simplification” becomes a catch-all justification for dismantling protections.
The choices made about which barriers to remove, which procedures to streamline, and which rights to strengthen will reflect the priorities of whoever shows up in the consultation process. Civil society, researchers, trade unions, and individuals living and working across EU borders should be at that table.
Make Your Voice Heard
The deadline for submitting feedback is 19 June 2026. We strongly encourage citizens, organisations, and advocates to take part. Cross-border rights belong to all of us who live in the EU. Decisions that shape mobility, residence, and access to rights across internal borders deserve broad democratic engagement, not just input from well-resourced lobbies.