EU citizenship must not be for sale

EU citizenship is not a commodity to be bought. On Wednesday afternoon, Members of the European Parliament will debate Malta's controversial "golden passport" scheme. Last week, the EU’s highest court ruled that granting citizenship in exchange for investment violates EU law. The EPP Group has consistently opposed this scheme since the Maltese Social Democrats introduced it in 2013.  

"The Court has confirmed what we have been saying for years. Selling citizenship to anyone solely based on investment in the country poses a significant threat to the security of the entire EU. At the same time, it creates channels through which money laundering and corruption can occur," says Lena Düpont MEP, EPP Group Spokeswoman on Home Affairs. 

The EU Court stated that although Member States are free to determine how they grant or withdraw nationality, the Maltese system undermines the principle of mutual trust between countries.

"The Maltese Government is now required to comply with the ruling. Predictably and pathetically, the former Maltese Prime Minister, who initiated the programme and is facing prosecution for corruption, dismissed the ruling as politically motivated. The reality is that the golden passport scheme is just one of many examples of the Maltese Government’s disdain for EU values. The Court’s decision is nothing short of a victory for Maltese citizens who have had enough of the country’s reputation being dragged through the mud to satisfy the insatiable greed of the few. It is now time for the Commission to ramp up efforts to address the systemic rule of law deficiencies designed to allow the greedy to profit without consequence,” stated David Casa MEP, head of the Maltese delegation in the EPP Group.