Brussels, 30/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - Faced with the growing row over the dismantling of Roma camps in France and repeated expulsions of Roma to Romania and Bulgaria, the European Parliament is set to tackle the issue at its opening session, to be held in Strasbourg next week. The leaders of the political groups of the Parliament will take a decision next Thursday on whether or not to hold this debate. The request was made by the ALDE Group and has the support of the PES and Greens/EFA groups. The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers and the Commission will be called upon to make a statement before the European Parliament, which will give rise to a debate on the issue, which may be followed by a vote on a resolution. By way of the early stages of a possible debate in Strasbourg, the committee on civil liberties (LIBE) of the Parliament will hear the European Commission in Brussels on 2 September. The most recent resolution on the Roma was adopted by the MEPs on 25 March 2010 (EUROPE 10108). In this text, the European Parliament condemned the recent rise in racism towards the Roma in a number of member states and expressed its concern regarding the discrimination this minority has faced.
The Socialist MEP Sylvie Guillaume (France) recommends that the “policy towards the Roma be European-ised as a matter of urgency” by means of a voluntary plan based on three axes: - the integration of the Roma into all of the public policies of the EU and its member states; - devising a programme for the coordination and intensification of the efforts of all stakeholders (EU, member states, NGOs, Roma community) to ensure that responsibilities are shared, with clear mutual objectives, mechanisms and commitments; - better monitoring of actions carried out and funds used, for a better understanding of the effects on the process of inclusion of the Roma, particularly by appointing somebody to be in charge of the coordination of policies towards this community. Guillaume had a passing dig at the Commission, which she accused of being “too frosty and defensive” by basing its discourse solely on the fight against discrimination and the best use of available funds. These recommendations are not enough, because they place the management and general responsibility for the situation on the shoulders of the member states alone, the MEP argued. “The European Commission has opted out of setting clear objectives, coordinating everybody's efforts and adopting binding measures”, she concluded. For his part, Jean-Pierre Audy (EPP, France) said that the French EPP delegation would not duck out of any debate before the European Parliament on the subject of the Roma in particular and the issue of illegal immigration within the Union in general. But, regarding the European Commission, he said: “It would be unheard of for the EU to try to interfere in the member states' conduct as long as the rules, in particular the European ones, are being respected, and I need not say how committed France is to the respect of human rights, the most important of which is liberty. But without order, liberty cannot be”. He concluded by stating that: “there is something that we will never accept and that is France being stigmatised, because it is not only in France that there is an issue over illegal immigration and the Roma”. (B.C./transl.fl)