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

Petition addressed to: Petitionsausschuss des Europäischen Parlaments

The petitioner denounces the delay of the Swedish migration authority (Migrationsverket) to issue residence cards to non-EU family members of EU citizens who are living in Sweden. According to the petitioner, this delay constitutes a breach of the Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.In fact, while the directive prescribes a time limit of six months to process residence applications, the petitioner alleges that the procedure in Sweden can sometimes take up to two years. This delay prevents the concerned family members to exercise their right to work and to move within the EU.Therefore, the petitioner calls on the European Parliament to take a strong stance on the issue; among other things, he invites the Committee of Petitions to issue an own-initiative report on the matter and to submit a short motion for a resolution by the European Parliament.