Free Movement within the EU - A Fundamental Right

Free movement of people is a basic pillar of the single area the European Union (EU) has been building since its creation. It is acknowledged as a fundamental right for EU citizens. A right of free movement across the EU was originally envisaged only for the working population, as a single market could not be achieved while limitations to workforce mobility remained in existence. The Schengen Convention was the first agreement to abolish controls on people at the internal borders of the signatories, to harmonise controls at the external frontiers of the 'Schengen area' and to introduce a common policy on visas and other accompanying measures like police and judicial cooperation. The Schengen signatories agreed that each country could only reintroduce controls on their mutual borders in certain well-specified circumstances. The right of every European citizen to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, adopted in December 2000. The charter also states that these rights 'may' be granted to third-country nationals.