Four Spanish MEPs from the European People's Party have asked the European Commission whether Spain's mass granting of citizenship by descent undermines mutual trust among Schengen states and violates the principle of sincere cooperation, raising concerns about document verification and the integrity of EU citizenship.
The written question, submitted on 9 July 2026, targets the extraordinary procedure created by the eighth additional provision of Spanish Law 20/2022, which has already approved 545,000 applications out of 2.45 million filed as of March 2026. The MEPs – Alma Ezcurra Almansa, Dolors Montserrat, Javier Zarzalejos, and Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez – note that granting Spanish nationality automatically confers EU citizenship, free movement within Schengen, and electoral rights, making the procedure a matter of EU-wide concern.
The question contains three concrete asks. First, it demands to know whether Spain has informed the Commission of the scope, effects, and estimated number of beneficiaries. Second, it asks whether the Commission agrees that insufficient document verification may erode mutual trust between member states and breach Article 4(3) TEU on sincere cooperation. Third, it presses the Commission to state whether enhanced verification assurances and common standards should be promoted, given the impact on EU citizenship and the Schengen area.
they advocate for stricter oversight and common EU standards on nationality-granting procedures that have cross-border implications, pushing back against what they see as Spain's unilateral and potentially lax approach. The question implies that mass naturalisation without robust authentication could facilitate fraud or irregular migration within the Schengen zone.
Under European Parliament rules, the Commission typically must reply within six weeks. Its answer will signal whether Brussels views Spain's scheme as a domestic matter or a trigger for EU-level safeguards on citizenship and border security.
Spanish applicants for citizenship by descent could face delays or additional scrutiny if common standards are introduced. EU member states, especially those in Schengen, may gain reassurance from enhanced verification but could also see reduced flexibility in nationality policy. The Spanish government would face constraints on its sovereign competence over nationality if the Commission backs common rules. EU citizens generally would see strengthened document security but potentially longer processing times for cross-border recognition of citizenship.