Press Release: Commission urges acceding and member states to transpose without delay EU law enabling citizens to vote and stand as candidates in state of residence

With a further one million citizens of the European Union living outside their home country entitled to vote and stand as a candidate in their member state of residence in the 2004 elections to the European Parliament, the European Commission issued on 8 April 2003 a Communication recommending in particular that acceding states transpose the relevant Community law without delay, in order to establish a legal basis for the right of citizens of the Union to vote and to stand as a candidate in their state of residence in the 2004 elections