The European Commission (EC) has opened a campaign to inform citizens of all 27 member states that they are entitled to help from embassies of fellow member states when outside the union.
According to the commission, EU citizens travelling or living outside the union are entitled to avail of consular protection of fellow EU members under Article 20 of the EU Treaty.
Just 23 per cent of European citizen are aware that they can turn to another member state for help if their state does not have an embassy or a consulate in that country, according to a Eurobarometer survey.
The Commission Action Plan for 2007-2009 aims to ensure that all EU citizens are informed of their rights.
As a first measure, the commission said it is recommending that the member states reproduce the wording of Article 20 in passports so that citizens are informed of this right. The EC added it would create a website on consular protection to publish practical information.
All 27 member states are represented in only three countries outside the EU - China, the Russian Federation and the United States.
The commission said crises such as the southeast Asian tsunami in 2004 and the Lebanese conflict of 2006 have shown the need to extend consular protection to citizens.