Welcome to e-include, the e-journal of Inclusion Europe.

The European Commission wants to ask people about their rights. They want to know if people can travel in the European Union to do things like study, work or shop. They also want to know how to make travelling easier.

On May 9, 2012, the European Commission launched a public consultation on citizens' rights as part of the celebration of Europe’s day. The consultation will be opened until September 9, 2012. It's aim is to gather feedback directly from EU citizens in preparation of the 2013 EU Citizenship Report.

This initiative was presented by Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's first Commissioner for Citizenship. She said “Citizens' direct input will help us to continue doing our job – and to do it even better in the future. I call on everyone to take a few minutes and share your view with us: this is about your rights and your future."

This public consultation by the European Commission is aimed at all EU citizens and organisations. They are asking about obstacles Europeans might be facing in their daily lives as European citizens. The Commission inquires about the difficulties related to living, studying, working, shopping or simply travelling within the EU, and ideas on how to eradicate these obstacles.

As specified in the consultation, the European Commission is interested in feedback regarding the following rights:

• to travel and live anywhere in the EU
• not to be discriminated against on the basis of your nationality
• to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal and European Parliament elections wherever you live in the EU
• if your own country is not represented, to be assisted by another EU country's embassy or consulate outside the EU, under the same conditions as a citizen of that country
• to petition the European Parliament and to bring a case to the European Ombudsman
• to initiate, together with other EU citizens, a citizens' initiative to call for new EU legislation.

Many people with intellectual disabilities have trouble traveling, working, studying, voting and getting the necessary information to fully enjoy these rights. The consultation is a good occasion for self-advocates and associations to advocate for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities and let the European Commission know what rights they enjoy and which ones are out of their reach.