歐洲聯盟（European Union, EU，下文稱歐盟）的政治疆界在外部地緣與權力範圍不斷向外伸展的同時，卻在內化價值上逐漸裂解為「菁英的歐洲」與「人民的歐洲」兩大板塊，本文認為問題本質即為對歐盟的「認同」問題上，因為歐盟不僅是為各國「政府」設立的，更重要的是為歐洲「人民」而存在的。所以歐盟除了試圖用由上而下（ top-bottom）的方式，大規模「製造」「被發明的傳統」與「人為的遺產」，來形塑「文化取向」的歐洲認同之外，更要從「社會取向」建構以「公民」為主的歐盟，歐盟必須與歐盟公民產生「直接」的關係。本文認為透過歐洲公民身分讓歐洲人民認同自己的身份是隸屬於歐洲政治體系的公民，並願意接受歐盟賦予其公民身份下所有附屬的權利、義務與法律規範。對公民而言，缺乏了歐洲意識，公民身份只是歐盟自上而下的身份賦予，是一種被動接受；沒有公民權，公民身份就缺少法律保障下的權利和義務等實質內容，空泛的公民身份無法維繫公民之間以及公民與歐盟之間的的聯繫。本文藉由從社會取向檢視歐洲公民身分的概念與發展，實際檢視歐洲人民身為歐盟會員國所能獲得的實質利益或政治社會保障，作為檢視形塑歐洲認同的發展趨勢。

As the political territory of EU expands in terns of geography and power, its value is increasingly torn between“Europe des élites”and“Europe des citoyens”, with the upper class and lower class wanting different kinds of Europe, This paper argues that the problem is essentially the issue“European identity”. The institutions and functions of the EU are not only for“national government”, but for the“European people”. The EU try to use a top-down approach to“make”the“invention of tradition”and “human heritage”to shaping the European identity through the“cultural approach”, and more through the“social approach”to construct the“European citizenship”of the EU to build the“direct”relationship between EU and it's citizen. This paper argues that through the social approach the concept and development of the European citizenship to view that the people of Europe, as the parts of the EU Member States can obtain the substantial benefits or political security and social welfare, and to view the trends shaping European identity.