The Transformative Value of EU Citizenship after Brexit

The book examines the consequences of Brexit on EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU27 as well as on the EU citizenship concept as such. Whereas previous scholarship has focused on what individuals gain from EU citizenship, the authors examine which rights UK nationals (in the EU27 and at home) and EU citizens in the UK have lost as a result of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, taking into account the Withdrawal Agreement and the counterfactual scenario (i.e. without the Withdrawal Agreement). This book argues that Brexit shows that the concept of EU citizenship is more than just a status and a bundle of rights. Rather, it has a transformative value, which can be understood as the process whereby EU citizens can genuinely and fully enjoy the rights granted under their fundamental status as EU citizens and make them perceive themselves as EU citizens rather than just nationals of Member States with additional rights granted under EU Law. Despite claims that EU citizenship is an abstract concept devoid of much practical value, the book reveals that the Withdrawal Agreement and the actions taken by both the United Kingdom and the European Union demonstrate that the transformative value of EU citizenship has not only been understood but overall maintained, at least for EU citizens with permanent residency. Moreover, owing to the disruption of Brexit and especially the uncertain time between the referendum and the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU27 have taken actions to safeguard their rights, thereby further reaffirming the transformative value of EU citizenship.