EU member states have adopted new rules to make it easier for the bloc's citizens living in another member state to participate in local elections.
The new regulations are designed to improve access to information about voting rights and registration procedures, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
Under the new rules, citizens are to be actively informed about their voting rights and registration requirements in future, including in various languages spoken across the bloc.
Furthermore, those who register as voters in another EU country will no longer be automatically removed from the electoral register in their country of origin, the statement said.
According to EU governments, citing the statistical office Eurostat, the number of mobile citizens within the bloc reached 14 million at the start of 2024.
EU citizens are entitled to participate in local elections in the member state where they reside under the same conditions as nationals of that country, both in terms of voting and running for office.
The new rules will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
EU capitals will then have two years to transpose the requirements into national law. Last year, the bloc adopted rules to make voting in European Parliament elections easier.
"Freedom of movement must go hand in hand with the full and equal ability to participate in democratic life," said Marilena Raouna, deputy minister for European affairs.
