M- REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF STATISTICS PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION www.stat.si/eng We, the Citizens of the EU jOLLECTIO^ BROCHURES y^/ STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA www.stat.si/eng We, the Citizens of the EU Original title: Mi, državljani EU Authors: Simona Klasinc and Tina Žnidaršič Translated by Boris Panič The publication is available at www.stat.si/eng/pub.asp Information provided by the Information Centre phone: + 386 1 241 64 04 e-mail: info.stat@gov.si CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 061.1EU KLASINC, Simona We, the citizens of the EU / [authors Simona Klasinc and Tina Žnidaršič ; translated by Boris Panič]. - Ljubljana : Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2013. - (Collection Brochures / Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia) Prevod dela: Mi, državljani EU ISBN 978-961-239-280-2 ISBN 978-961-239-281-9 (pdf) 1. Gl. stv. nasl. 269619712 Issued, published and printed by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Litostrojska cesta 54 - © SURS - Use and publication of data is allowed provided the source is acknowledged - Printed in 230 copies - ISBN 978-961-239-281-9 INTRODUCTION 2013 is the European Year of Citizens. Statisticians in Slovenia joined the events surrounding the European Year of Citizens by issuing a special publication. From a treasure of statistical data we selected some that can be linked to the rights people have as EU citizens. Our aim was to present some interesting and useful facts about how people in the EU live. Over half a billion people are living in the European Union; a large majority of them are EU citizens. In addition to being citizens of Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Greece and other Member States, we are also citizens of the European Union. But what do our common citizenship and our living and working in the same community bring? They bring rights and opportunities in many areas, which perhaps are not that commonly known. The European Year of Citizens is aimed at expanding the horizons of "Europeans"; politicians in Europe are striving to achieve this objective by informing, discussing, lecturing and organising various events on this topic. The wish to raise awareness can be seen in the slogan of the European Year of Citizens: "It's about Europe. It's about you. Join the debate." Hopefully our publication will broaden at least a part of our common "European" horizon. Genovefa Ružič Director-General CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5 EUROPEAN YEAR OF CITIZENS European year of Citizens........................................................................................................................................................................................8 European year of Citizens in Slovenia....................................................................................................................................................8 EU CITIZENS - WHO ARE WE AND HOW MANY OF US THERE ARE? Do I know that I am an EU citizen?..........................................................................................................................................................12 Who are we?..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................14 How do we communicate?..................................................................................................................................................................................15 How many of us there are?..................................................................................................................................................................................16 Portrait of the European Union ....................................................................................................................................................................18 EUROPE WITHOUT BORDERS Living and free movement......................................................................................................................................................................................24 Employment................................................................................................................................................................................................................................32 Education........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................36 Social security and health care ......................................................................................................................................................................41 Single market............................................................................................................................................................................................................................44 Elections............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................50 The newest EU Member State..........................................................................................................................................................................51 STATISTICAL SIGNS, ABBREVIATIONS AND UNITS OF MEASUREMENT............................................................52 LIST OF COUNTRIES ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................53 SOURCES AND LITERATURE ..........................................................................................................................................................................................54 EUROPEAN YEAR OF CITIZENS Wr MAvJD^e OM C^r IT'S ABOUT SUKOPS IT'S ABOUT yOU European Year of Citizens 2013 www.europa.eu/trtE»ns-2013 COtJSlGo CHobzi o eucop^ CH€tooCI6Blfr (kzUtz^. S6 TRATA "be euRoPA "V- ^^^^^'TVJ? SGTRATA^-fj ' I '--0 J U. cm rn JJLkV^ t/esKTev, CEST U EUROPE i L sA&irte VOUS ** GVROPO GRB ^ VAS V'jc^uiit & „ "fti J^er o evcopu ^er o v^s EUROPEAN YEAR OF CITIZENS The European Year of Citizens coincides with the 20th anniversary of the introduction of EU citizenship, which was introduced in 1993 when the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) came into force. In addition to EU citizenship, the treaty introduced common foreign and internal policy. The key purpose of introducing EU citizenship was strengthening the European identity and the aspiration for EU citizens to participate more actively in European integrations. EU citizenship does not replace national citizenship but is additional to it, since EU citizens have the possibility of exercising many rights all over the EU. The European Year of Citizens is intended for explaining rights and duties brought by EU citizenship as well as a broad discussion about what kind of EU citizens want, in which areas citizens expect it to act and in what direction the EU should develop in the next decade. The EU will strive to facilitate the exercising of the right of free movement and residence in the EU by providing easily accessible information on citizens' rights. Some measures from the European Commission action plan for removing obstacles faced by EU citizens: • Providing greater mobility of job seekers by extending entitlement to unemployment benefit from the country of origin beyond the current mandatory three months when seeking work in another EU Member State • Establishing a quality framework for traineeships • Cutting red tape in the Member States: facilitating recognition of identity and residence documents between countries; a single European document • Recognition of car roadworthiness certificates across the EU • Protection of vulnerable persons - preparation of the single European disability card • Eliminating barriers to shopping in the EU: improving the rules for setting cross-border disputes involving small amounts for shopping online in other EU Member States • Striving for the availability of targeted and accessible information on the EU for all citizens • Promoting citizens' participation in the democratic process - right to vote and be elected European Year of Citizens in Slovenia In Slovenia too the main objective of the European Year of Citizens is to raise awareness of the Slovenian public and foreign citizens living in Slovenia about the rights that enable EU citizens to exercise the right to free movement and residence on the territory of Member States and funds available for exercising them and promoting active participation in democratic life in the EU. EU CmZENS - WHO ARE WE AND HOW MANY OF US THERE ARE? 1957 126 mio i Belgium Franc« Luxembourg Italy Netherlands Germany 1111 = 11 = » 1973 204 mio t United Kingdom Ireland Denmark £512: SfSS ii := 1981 217 mio t Greece 1986 4 266 mio II Spain Portugal J^l RSI 1995 a 372 mio H 2004 459 mio 2007 495 mio t d Lithuania Estonia Latvia DO I KNOW THAT I AM AN EU CITIZEN? On 1 May 2004 citizens of Slovenia became citizens of the European Union. EU citizenship is additional to national (Slovenian) citizenship and brings special, additional rights. Living in another EU Member State we must be treated as the citizens of this other Member State, particularly in terms of employment, wages, access to labour, education, health care, etc. Rights of EU citizens What rights do EU citizens have when staying in any EU Member State? To move freely within the EU To reside freely within the EU To seek work in another Member State and get employment without a special work permit To not be discriminated on the basis of nationality (as regards employment, working conditions, welfare benefits and tax concessions, etc.) To vote and stand as a candidate at local and European Parliament elections, irrespective where in the EU one lives To be offered assistance by embassies or consular missions of any EU Member State outside the EU under the same conditions as the citizens of that country if our country does not have its own representation there To submit petitions to the European Parliament or complain to the ombudsman and other EU institutions To prepare citizens' initiatives together with other EU citizens or to support them as a call for new EU legislation Do we, the citizens of Slovenia, know that we are also EU citizens? • Asked about the most important and the most positive result of the EU, at the autumn 2012 Eurobarometer on public opinion of the European Union most of the Slovenian citizens selected free movement of people, goods and services. Two thirds of respondents agreed that they feel they are EU citizens and half of them were familiar with their rights as EU citizens. Answering what they expect of the European Union, half of the respondents selected solving the economic crisis and stimulating the economy, and a fifth selected better governance and cooperation between the Member States. • Answering the Eurobarometer on European Union Citizenship in autumn 2012, 81% of Slovenian citizens knew the expression EU citizen, which, of course, does not necessarily mean that they were aware that they themselves are EU citizens. Selecting between different statements, 89% of respondents agreed with the statement that they are both Slovenian citizens and EU citizens. 85% of respondents agreed with the statement that they have the right to reside in any Member State under certain circumstances and two thirds knew that residing in another Member State they have the right to equal treatment as citizens of that country. Will young people participate in 2014 European elections? Because few voters (in Slovenia fewer than half a million of the 1.7 million voters - 28%) participated in the 2009 European Parliament elections, one of the European Commission measures within the European Year of Citizens is also to raise awareness about the right to vote and stand as a candidate. The April 2013 Eurobarometer public opinion poll asked young people in Europe about participation in democratic life. • Most of the respondents (66% in Slovenia and 60% in the EU-27) had not yet decided whether they would vote in the European elections in 2014. This shows either lack of information or disinterest or inactivity in making decisions about common matters of the European Union. Chart 1: Will young people vote in the European elections in 2014? EU 11% -H ) 60% Source: European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_fact_si_si.pdf, 2 September 2013) |-1 undecided |-1 definitely yes ^^ definitely not 15% ^^ don't know WHO ARE WE? EU-27 41.51) years 77.52) years 83.22) years 61.82) years 62.22) years cardiovascular diseases AVERAGE RESIDENT Median age (2012) Life expectancy at birth (2011) man woman Healthy life years at birth (2011) man woman Main cause of death (2010) SLOVENIA 42.0 years 76.6 years 82.9 years 54.0 years 53.8 years cardiovascular diseases upper secondary 17.3 years English 1.5 Education (2011) Expected duration of schooling (2011) The most frequent foreign language taught in elementary schools (2011) Number of foreign languages learned by upper secondary school pupils (2011) upper secondary 18.4 years English 1.6 EUR 30,833 EUR 34,580 EUR 26,564 40.4 hours 33.6 hours 62.5 years 61.7 years Average annual gross earnings (2010) man woman Average weekly number of hours usually worked by persons in employment (2012) man woman Average age at labour force exit (2010) man woman EUR 21,135 EUR 21,715 EUR 20,457 40.8 hours 38.6 hours 61.4 years 59.2 years yes no Internet use3) (2012) Online shopping3) (2012) yes no no Participation in the EU Parliament elections3) (2009) 1) Provisional data. 2) Estimated data. 3) Yes: more than half of people. No: less than half of people. Sources: SURS, European Parliament, Eurostat no HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE? There are 23 official languages in the EU-27. The most widely spoken mother tongue in the EU-27 is German (16%), which is the official language in five EU Member States. Two other very widely spoken mother tongues are Italian and English (13% each). English is the official language in four EU-27 Member States as is French, which is the mother tongue of 12% of the EU-27 population. Spanish and Polish are each the mother tongue of 11% of the EU-27 population. Individual Member States recognised other official languages in their countries, e.g. Luxembourgish (Letzebuergesch) in Luxembourg. • Learning at least one foreign language in elementary school is compulsory in all EU-27 Member States, except in Ireland, while learning a second foreign language is usually optional. In the school year 2011/12 in Slovenia one foreign language was studied by half of elementary school children and two by 16% of elementary school children. 15% of elementary school children studied a foreign language as an optional subject. In Luxembourg at the lower level of compulsory education two foreign languages are studied by about 80% of pupils and at the higher level of compulsory education by all pupils. • The people of EU support the EU vision that every EU citizen should speak at least two foreign languages. But this objective has been achieved by at least half of the population in only eight EU-27 Member States, including Slovenia. Chart 2: Countries in which more than half of the population speaks two foreign languages, 2012 LU NL SI MT DK LV LT EE ©SURS Source: European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb_special_399_380_en.htm, 2 September 2013) • According to the Eurobarometer on Europeans and their languages, in spring 2012 two thirds of respondents considered English as the most useful foreign language. English is the most widely spoken foreign language in 19 of the 25 Member States where it is not the official language (i.e. excluding the United Kingdom and Ireland). • The five most widely spoken foreign languages in the EU-27 are English (38%), French (12%), German (11%), Spanish (7%) and Russian (5%). • In the EU-27 people in Slovenia stand out as regards the ability to speak at least one foreign language: in Slovenia 92% of people are able to communicate in a foreign language (the EU-27 average is 54%), two thirds in two foreign languages (EU-27 a quarter) and one in three people in Slovenia in three or more foreign languages (EU-27 one in ten). • In Slovenia the share of people who are able to follow the news on radio or television or read a newspaper or magazine article in a foreign language is twice as large as in the EU-27. HOW MANY OF US THERE ARE? PORTRAIT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Population, 1 January 2012 number EU-27 SI DE MT 1) Provisional data. 503,930,1911) 2,055,496 81,843,7431) 417,5201) Germany is the Member State with the largest population; in 2012 one in six people in the EU lived in Germany. Malta is the smallest country both in terms of area and population; in 2012 one in 1,200 people in the EU lived in Malta. One in 245 lived in Slovenia. Median age, 2012 EU-27 0 10 1) Provisional data. 20 30 40 50 years esuRS The median age in the EU-27 was 41.5 years (half of people were younger and half of people were older), half a year lower than in Slovenia (42 years). The Member State with the oldest population was Germany (median age 45 years) and the Member State with the youngest population was Ireland, where half of people were younger than 35 years. Foreign citizens, 2012 EU-27 si PL LU 10 20 30 40 50 % ©SURS As regards citizenships of its population, Luxembourg is the most diverse country (44% foreign citizens in 2012). Its capital is known as the city of banks and European officials; over 6,000 of them work for the numerous EU institutions. One in 24 people in Slovenia is a foreign citizen, which is also the EU-27 average. Healthy life years at birth, 2011 EU-271' SI SK SE _ 0 20 1) Estimated data. 80 ©SURS EU-2711 SI SK MT 1) Estimated data. 80 ©surs Employment rate, 4th quarter 2012 20 40 60 80 % ©SURS The country with the highest employment rate in the 4th quarter of 2012 was the Netherlands. Slovenia's employment rate (52.4%) was close to the EU-27 average. Greece had the lowest employment rate (39.2%); in addition the employment rate for women in Greece greatly lags behind the employment rate for men, which is also characteristic of other South European countries. Youth unemployment rate, 4th quarter 2012 EU-27 80 % ©SURS In Greece more than half of people aged up to 25 were unemployed in the 4th quarter of 2012; in Spain the situation is similar. More than a third of young people were unemployed in Portugal, Italy and Slovakia. The lowest youth unemployment rates were recorded in Germany and Austria. In Slovenia the rate was close to the EU-27 average. Women in EU-27 si BG NL part-time employment (aged 15-65), 4th quarter 2012 -1 For several years the share of persons in _I part-time employment (in Slovenia 35 hours per week or fewer) has been the highest in the Netherlands (one in two employees in the 4th quarter of 2012). This is mostly due to women, since 77% of women in employment worked part time. In Slovenia —,-,-,-,-, fewer women worked part time (13%) than 20 40 60 80 the EU-27 average; the share was the lowest ©surs in Bulgaria. At-risk-of-poverty rate, 2011 EU-27 SI cz BG 25 % ©SURS In 2011, 13.6% of Slovenia's population was living below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold (similar shares were recorded in Luxembourg, Finland and Hungary), which is below the EU-27 average (16.9%). Lower at-risk-of-poverty rates than in Slovenia were recorded in five countries. The lowest rate was recorded in the Czech Republic (9.8%) and the highest in Romania (22.2%) and Bulgaria (22.3%). Tertiary education population (aged 25-64), 2012 -1 Almost 40% of the population aged 25-64 -1 in Ireland and Finland had tertiary education -1 in 2012. With a 26% share Slovenia is just -1 below the EU-27 average (28%). As regards I the share of the population aged 19-24 --participating in tertiary education, Slovenia is among the top EU-27 Member States. 60 % ©SURS Foreign students, 2011 1)2009. 0 60 % ©SURS In 2011 one in two students in Luxembourg, one in three students in Cyprus and one in five students in Austria and the United Kingdom were foreign citizens. In Slovenia the share is one in 48. Only Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (fewest) have fewer foreign citizens among students than Slovenia. Average number of foreign languages studied by upper secondary school pupils, 2011 -1 In 2011 the largest number of foreign EU"27 -1 languages (on average 2.4) was studied by -1 upper secondary school pupils Luxembourg. -1 Upper secondary school pupils in Slovenia -1 study on average 1.6 foreign languages. -1 Pupils in general upper secondary schools in -1 Slovenia study two foreign languages, some —I ___of them even more. The fewest foreign 0 12 3 languages are provided by upper secondary ©surs schools in Portugal. Lifelong learning (aged 25-64), 2012 EU-27 SI RO DK 10 20 30 40 Slovenia achieved its goal determined by the EU in the Education and Training Strategy (EU 2020), i.e. at least 15% participation of adult population in education, in 2010. By 2012 the goal was exceeded by five EU-27 Member States; in Denmark almost one in three adults participates in some form of formal or non-formal education. The share was the lowest in Romania and Bulgaria. People (aged 16-74) shopping online, 2012 EU-27 RO 20 40 EO 80 100 % © SURS Annual price growth, 2012 EU-27 SI EL HU I 6 % ©SURS Almost half (45%) of the EU-27 population has already shopped online. In 2012 in eight countries more than half of the population order or bought goods or services online; in the Netherlands 85%, in Sweden 74%, and in Denmark and the UK 73%. In Slovenia one in three people aged 16-74 shopped online; the share was the lowest in Romania (only one in twenty). In Slovenia the annual price growth rate was higher than the EU-27 average. Six Member States had higher rates than Slovenia; Hungary had the highest (5.1%). In three Member States that joined the EU in 2004 or later and in eight "old" Member States the prices increased less than the EU-27 average. In one year the prices grew the least in Greece. Gross domestic product per capita in purchasing power standards, index (EU-27 = 100), 2012 The highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power standards in the EU-27 in 2012 was that of Luxembourg. Slovenia's GDP was 82% of the EU-27 average. All other countries that became Member States in or after 2004 had lower GDPs than the EU-27 average and among "old" Member States Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. LU 50 100 150 200 250 300 ©SURS Women in the European Parliament, 2009 EU-27 MT 20 40 60 Thirty percent of members of the European Parliament are women. The highest share of women members of the European Parliament (MEPs) was elected in 2009 in Finland (almost two thirds); women MEPs represent more than half of a country's MEPs in Estonia and Sweden. Slovenia is below the EU-27 average; three women and five men MEPs. ©SURS Sources: Eurostat (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat, July 2013), European Parliament (http://www.europarl.europa.eu, 23. 8. 2013) EUROPE WITHOUTH BORDERS These are some thoughts by a Slovenian citizen Ursula Lavrenčič and a Dutch citizen Auke Touwslager - who used to live in the Netherlands and are currently living in Slovenia - on the European Union and on the exercising of the rights of EU citizens. Ursula: "I haven't heard about the term EU citizenship in a formal sense, but more in a context of being European, feeling European. I didn't know that it is a formalised term." Ursula /vv Eu *tn?ssociate J_l0»enla 'the ^oment to°nlya7tU'<>on£Ze^r0 Ursula- 'a, - Auke: When I moved to Slovenia I was really open-minded about what to expect. The most comfortable way of moving to another country is to let go the perspective of how you used to do things. If you are more open-minded, you are not pressured by how the things should be and so you are not disappointed." Ursula: It was difficult for me to find a job in the host country because I had a master's degree with a broad knowledge and I was in a sense over-educated for the jobs offered. I continued to work on my own, I had opened my own company already at the time of studies to be able to freelance.' Auke: "The EU citizenship makes the cross-border relationships much easier to function". Auke: "I speak English and Dutch fluently. We mostly communicate in the family in Dutch. I attended some Slovene language classes. I've noticed that my personal motivation to better understand the Slovene language has increased because I know I will stay in Slovenia for a longer period. Auke: "I needed to sign a statement that I will be responsible for everything that concerns my girlfriend coming from a non-EU member country." Auke: Standardisation of th« the connectivity es 'Creased If ,rr>Po "Th mZi'SQu*, you don 'n the 'e 'o ..nou.gUa9e. * 59e 's ■socf consZre*«th:y,n^ c°»ner*>Onti:ne'o, you you th*>Z,arel^aPers. •ss 'ety - Ursula: The unified healthcare system makes the migration within the EU much easier. All members of the family have the European health insurance card. On the basis of the European health insurance card you will get your health expenses refunded in all EU Member States. But there is still a lack of experience among the health administration personnel in how to deal with the patients coming to the doctor with the European health insurance card.' Auke: "We intend to enrol our children in the primary and secondary school in Slovenia. But I will strongly motivate my children when they are 17 or 18 if they want to study abroad. I will provide them with everything that is needed for them to do so. Because this is also part of our family culture but also because this brings better opportunities for their development." Auke- "ft st'" *ept the samL 9 ,ncom* ,.<«s buying .^ps in the ,v.«nood and the diversity was .«jge. In Slovenia it is a bit different. Now I buy clothing and electronics on-line, abroad. Because the prices are better and also the offer is better. You just go to an on-online boutique shop in Berlin and they offer regulated transport prices." Wethank"rsu,aanH andA^forshai ,r,n9 their Ursula: I think that every vote counts. And I think it is extremely irresponsible to complain on one hand and then not even bother enough to look into what would be good options and to go to vote. For me, if you don't vote, you have no right to comment on politics. This is the minimum effort that everybody should make. My vote counts proportionally to other voters it the country but it is still one.' Pe,sonal p** Pene»