07/03/2011

Challenge and opportunity for Europe
A strategy for the inclusion of Roma

By Petra Таvasz, Hungarian Press


The 'Járóka Report' on the EU Strategy on Roma Inclusion is on the agenda in the Strasbourg plenary this week. The report was already adopted with an overwhelming majority in the Civil Liberties Committee the previous plenary session. The adoption of a European Roma Strategy is one of the most important priorities of the Hungarian Presidency, which aims to launch the new strategy during its 6-month term.



The story

The question of Roma came under intense focus last year, when France dismantled illegal camps and sent home thousands of European citizens of Roma origin, triggering disputes between EU Member States and drawing attention to the question of European Roma minorities. Those expelled from France were mainly from Bulgaria and Romania, where many of them were living in extreme poverty.

This case has highlighted several aspects of the problems Roma people are facing - and also that the integration of these groups is of the utmost importance. But while these 10-12 million Roma - the biggest minority group in Europe - suffer from social exclusion, discrimination and even human rights violations in certain countries, they have little chance for inclusion. They are also in a difficult economic situation, suffering from structural unemployment, low qualifications and barriers to self-employment. It is obvious that Roma inclusion is not merely a human rights obligation but it would be greatly beneficial in economic terms for the whole EU as well.

Lívia Járóka's report

MEP Lívia Járóka - the only Roma MEP in Parliament - has been stressing the importance of a European level strategy for the social inclusion of Roma for years now. Her report is committed to the protection of human rights and fighting against discrimination and sets out in detail the priorities of the strategy.

To ensure its success, the Commission will present minimum standards for implementing it, so that it will be possible to penalise Member States for non-compliance. The report calls for a strategy to address all forms of violation of the fundamental rights of Roma, including discrimination, segregation, speech inciting hatred, ethnic profiling etc.

The document also highlights that various further measures are necessary to improve the economic situation of Roma. Effective access to the labour market needs to be ensured by making micro-credit available for entrepreneurship and self-employment. Likewise affordable and healthy housing is warranted as a minimum prerequisite for a basic level of schooling. School and classroom segregation must also be abolished, and the number of Roma teachers should be increased in the long term.

The role of Roma women needs to be redefined with regard to their specific needs. Making it easier for them to get an education and have a career, for example, would help to reduce the number of child marriages. Also, specific EU funds need to be allocated to Roma people, which they can easily access and controllably make use of.

Lívia Járóka believes that the inclusion of the millions of Roma is not only one of the greatest challenges, but the biggest opportunities for Europe. She hopes that through the implementation of this strategy, the hopeless masses living in poverty can become equal citizens of tomorrow.

About Lívia

Rapporteur of the report on the Roma strategy, Lívia Járóka is the only MEP of Roma origin in the European Parliament. She is Vice-Chair of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee and member of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee. She is also the chairwoman of the Working Group on Roma integration, founded by the EPP Group last year.