A few extracts may be interesting....
All European Economic Area (EEA) nationals enjoy free movement rights in the EEA.
This means that they are not subject to the immigration rules and may come to the
United Kingdom and reside here in accordance with the 2006 Regulations.
They do not require permission from the UK Border Agency to enter or remain, nor
do they require a document confirming their free movement status. An EEA family
permit is a form of entry clearance issued to the non-EEA national family members
of an EEA national who is in, or intends to come to, the United Kingdom in order to
exercise a Treaty right.
7.39 We were concerned this IT problem had not been addressed far sooner, as the impact it had on those
customers affected by it were significant. For example, one of the cases we examined related to an
application for an EEA family member permit for a parent and three children to join their husband.
Two applications had been granted (the parent and one child aged eight), but the remaining two,
both for children aged under five, had not.