In the coming weeks, the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (Meusac) will be organising a series of public debates in various localities with the participation of experts in their respective fields related to European citizenship.

The public debates are financed by the European Commission as part of the Joint Communication Plan 2013 between the Government, the European Commission and the European Parliament in connection with the European Year of Citizens, being marked this year.

The aim is to raise awareness about EU citizenship and the rights and responsibilities this brings with it, including the right to free movement of people, settlement and employment across the EU, the right to protection by the diplomatic and consular authorities of any EU country, and the right to engage in the EU’s democratic life.

Meusac has already organised a conference about EU citizenship which focused on the EU Citizenship Report 2013 that the European Commission published last May.

The participants had the opportunity to discuss some of the 12 actions proposed in this report, namely removing obstacles for workers and trainees in the EU, protecting the more vulnerable in the EU, participating in the democratic life of the EU and targeted and accessible information in the EU.

For further details about the European Year of Citizens 2013, visit www.meusac.gov.mt and http://europa.eu/citizens-2013 .