On behalf of EU Rights Clinic, on the implementation of Directive 2004/38/EC in Belgium 

The petitioner complains about the systematic verification by the Belgian authorities of EU citizens’ residence rights when the latter claim social benefits. In the petitioner’s view, this systematic verification goes against the principles laid down by Directive 2004/38. The petitioner asserts that, according to the Directive, such verification should only occur when doubts arise as to the residence rights of the claimant, and not as a matter of course. Therefore, the petitioner asks the Committee on Petitions to take action to ensure that Belgian authorities address and resolve the problem outlined in the petition. The petitioner also invites the European Parliament to hold a hearing on the matter, to issue an own-initiative report on Belgium’s alleged misapplication of EU law and to submit a motion for a resolution by the European Parliament calling on the Belgian authorities to rectify the problem.