EU Commission to issue a report at the end of the year looking into citizenship schemes across the EU

Commissioner Jourová, held discussion with Maltese authorities during her visit to Malta from 14 to 15 June 2018. She said in a twitter post that Commission will issue a report on citizenship schemes by the end of the year

Learnt about the Maltese citizenship programme with Jonathan Cardona and his team. The Commission will issue a report at the end of the year looking into citizenship schemes across the EU pic.twitter.com/frPVEX9KEY

— Věra Jourová (@VeraJourova) June 14, 2018

In a speech, she mentioned

Another area the Commission is closely following is the Maltese Individual Investor Programme.
Becoming a Maltese citizen also means becoming an EU citizen with all its rights, including of free
movement.

The Commission’s role is to guarantee that EU citizenship is delivered to people who actually have links
to the country in which they apply for citizenship.

The Commission required in 2014 the Maltese authorities to only give Maltese citizenship to people who
have a real link with the country and actually reside in the country for at least one year. I want to be
reassured that this link is effectively respected.

My teams are now working on a report looking into national schemes granting EU citizenship to
investors. It will be based on an in-depth fact-finding study, which will look in detail at legislation and
practice in all Member States concerned, including Malta. This report will be published at the end of
2018.

On 8 June 2018 Ms Jourova answered the following on behalf of the commission

E-001440/2018
Answer given by Ms Jourová on behalf of the Commission

As regards citizenship investor schemes, it is for each Member State to lay down conditions for the acquisition and loss of its nationality, subject to due regard for Union law. It is in the interest of the Member State concerned, but also of the EU in general, that such conditions include background checks on applicants for citizenship. It is the responsibility of Member States’ authorities to perform such checks.

Member States should use their prerogative to award citizenship in line with international and EC law and in a spirit of sincere cooperation with other Member States. The Commission is therefore monitoring citizenship investors’ schemes, including their application. In its 2017 EU Citizenship Report, the Commission announced it would produce in 2018 a report on national schemes granting EU citizenship to investors describing the Commission’s action in this area, current national law and practices and providing guidance for Member States.