Brussels, 13/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 12 April, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg called on the European Commission to do more for the Roma in Europe and in the Balkans. “We've had lots of conferences, but very little progress on the Roma issue,” he said prior to meeting European Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle and Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Commissioner Viviane Reding. The second European summit on initiatives and policies for the gypsy population took place in Cordoba on 8 April (see EUROPE 10113). In Hammarberg's view, the conclusions of the summit were, yet again, not sufficiently convincing. “The gap between reality and rhetoric is too great. We cannot have abstract discussions while the Roma live in conditions of severe poverty. It is time now to take things seriously. Definite action has to be taken,” said Hammarberg, who has just returned from an official four-day visit to Croatia where he was able to see for himself the poor conditions in which the Roma have to live. “The European Union can do more, in that many of these people are currently EU citizens” and citizens of applicant countries, he said. In the first instance, the EU could bring greater “political pressure” to bear on a number of countries so that they issue identity papers to these people who currently have no nationality. The EU could also give financial aid to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in the Balkans, Hammarberg said. The UNHCR has also to be supported politically, since many of the problems are caused by a lack of cooperation between national and local authorities. Around 9 million Roma live in the European Union and 2-3 million in other countries, including those of the Balkans. (B.C./transl.rt)