ElectronicjournalofcomparatiVeLaw,vol.8.3(october2004),<http://www.ejclor satisfy the definition of a nationalof the United Kingdom of rights to which that person might be or Furthermore, adoption of that declaration did not have the effect of depriv ing any person who did entitled under Community law. The consequence was rather that such rights never arose in the first place for such a person Furthermore the Court stressed that the british declaration was in conformity with the special Declaration(No 2)on national ity of a Member State, which is attached to the Maastricht Treaty. The Declaration reads as follows The Conference declares that, wherever in the Treaty esta blishing the European Community reference is made to nationals of the Member States, the question whether an indiv idual possesses the nationa lity of a Mem ber State shall be settled solely by reference to the national law of the Mem ber State concerned Member States may declare, for information, who are to be considered their nationals for ommunity purposes by way of a declaration lodged with the Presidency and may amend any such declaration when necessary Apart from the United Kingdom, only one other Member State issued a declaration on the definition of nationals for Community purposes. As far back as 1957, Germany declared that not only Germans within the meaning of the German Nationality Act (Reichs- und Staatsangehorigkeitsgeset: 1913, with amendments)-which already included all nationals of the Democratic Republic of Germany -are to be regarded as Germans for European Community purposes, but also Germans within the meaning of Article 116 German Constitution(Grundgeset), including ethnic Germans in Eastern Europe for instance the "Volga Germans, if they had entered Germany as refugees( vertriebene ).33 However, since 1 January 2000, this German declaration is no longer of practical relevance, because from this date onwards anyone recognised as a german within the meaning of Article 116 German Constitution simultaneously acquires German nationality ex lege on the basis of the revised German Nationality Act Nevertheless, there are several other categories of nationals of Member States with regard to whom it is doubtful whether they possess European citizenship. I do not intend to elaborate on these in this lecture but only wish to highlight some of the interesting borderline categories of European citizenship. 35 In spite of their Danish nationality, the Danish inhabitants of the Faroe Islands 6 are not European citizens. However, with regard to the Danish Greenlanders. 37 the Netherlands Antilleans the Arubans38 and the French inhabitants See Treaties establishing the European Communities, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 1978, 573. Compare Bleckmann(1978; 1980). Furthermore: De Groot(1990); Jessurun d Oliveira (1999),p.400 34 Article 7 of the German Nationality Act, as amended by Act of 15 July 1999, Bundesgesetzblatt 1999I 1618. See also the transitional provision of Article 40(a) 35 For details, see De groot(1993b; 1998d; 2000b; 2002c) 36 De Groot(2002c), pp 74-76; Juarez Perez(1998), pp 169, 170 De groot(2002c), p. 73 De groot(1993a; 2000c). Compare also Burgers-Vos(1992)and Martha(1992)Electronic Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 8.3 (October 2004), <http://www.ejcl.org/> 8 Furthermore, adoption of that declaration did not have the effect of depriving any person who did not satisfy the definition of a national of the United Kingdom of rights to which that person might be entitled under Community law. The consequence was rather that such rights never arose in the first place for such a person. Furthermore, the Court stressed that the British declaration was in conformity with the special ‘Declaration (No 2) on nationality of a Member State’, which is attached to the Maastricht Treaty. The Declaration reads as follows: The Conference declares that, wherever in the Treaty establishing the European Community reference is made to nationals of the Member States, the question whether an individual possesses the nationality of a Member State shall be settled solely by reference to the national law of the Member State concerned. Member States may declare, for information, who are to be considered their nationals for Community purposes by way of a declaration lodged with the Presidency and may amend any such declaration when necessary. Apart from the United Kingdom, only one other Member State issued a declaration on the definition of nationals for Community purposes. As far back as 1957, Germany declared that not only Germans within the meaning of the German Nationality Act (Reichs- und Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz 1913, with amendments) - which already included all nationals of the Democratic Republic of Germany - are to be regarded as Germans for European Community purposes, but also Germans within the meaning of Article 116 German Constitution (Grundgesetz), including ethnic Germans in Eastern Europe, for instance the ‘Volga Germans’, if they had entered Germany as refugees (Vertriebene).33 However, since 1 January 2000, this German declaration is no longer of practical relevance, because from this date onwards anyone recognised as a German within the meaning of Article 116 German Constitution simultaneously acquires German nationality ex lege on the basis of the revised German Nationality Act.34 Nevertheless, there are several other categories of nationals of Member States with regard to whom it is doubtful whether they possess European citizenship. I do not intend to elaborate on these in this lecture, but only wish to highlight some of the interesting borderline categories of European citizenship.35 In spite of their Danish nationality, the Danish inhabitants of the Faroe Islands36 are not European citizens. However, with regard to the Danish Greenlanders,37 the Netherlands Antilleans, the Arubans38 and the French inhabitants 33 See Treaties establishing the European Communities, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 1978, 573. Compare Bleckmann (1978; 1980). Furthermore: De Groot (1990); Jessurun d’Oliveira (1999), p. 400. 34 Article 7 of the German Nationality Act, as amended by Act of 15 July 1999, Bundesgesetzblatt 1999 I, 1618. See also the transitional provision of Article 40 (a). 35 For details, see De Groot (1993b; 1998d; 2000b; 2002c). 36 De Groot (2002c), pp. 74-76; Juárez Peréz (1998), pp. 169, 170. 37 De Groot (2002c), p. 73. 38 De Groot (1993a; 2000c). Compare also Burgers-Vos (1992) and Martha (1992)