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Residence Rights for EU Citizens Strengthened

March 11, 2004

The administrative hassle of moving within the EU will be reduced under a new law passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday.

https://p.dw.com/p/4mCF

The administrative hassle of moving within the EU will be reduced under a new law passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday. Under the new directive, which is set to become national law in 2006, EU citizens who live in member states other than their own for five years automatically be accorded permanent residence. The residency rights will also apply to partners as long as the member state where the couple want to move recognizes the partnership. This means that a non-EU citizen with a gay partner in Denmark could move to Belgium and have automatic residence rights, since partnerships between gay couples are recognized in both countries. However, the same would not apply if the couple were to move to Spain or Greece, where gay partnerships aren't legally recognized. (EUobserver.com)