The acquis communautaire in the field of free movement of persons and the obligations of Macedonia

Abstract

The free movement of persons is at the heart of the European
Union (EU) common market. It has been established as a
fundamental right guaranteed to EU citizens by the Treaties. The
principle of non-discrimination of citizens from other Member
States is the main tool for implementing all Treaty provisions on
free movement of persons, while Article 4(3) of the Treaty on
European Union (TEU) establishes the basis for all compliance
procedures.
The free movement of persons is also attractive for candidate
countries given that the prospective EU membership is their
strategic goal. Moreover, the progress of candidate countries
towards EU is conditional (inter alia) upon their successfulness
in implementing the acquis communautaire or being able to take
on the obligations of the membership. This paper discusses the
meaning and regulation of free movement of persons in EU
context and obligations of Macedonia, which derive from its
candidate status in this respect.