Brussels, 29/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said on Friday that she would not apologise after she criticised France over the expulsion of Roma. “I acted as always do: clearly, precisely and unequivocally. I have no regrets, and certainly no reason to apologise,” she said in an interview which appeared in Friday's edition of the daily Le Monde.
When asked if living in an illegal camp or begging in the street, as the thousands of Roma expelled from France did, constitute a threat to public order, the commissioner replied: “No, not in my opinion”. She hoped that the controversy would serve a double purpose: “Firstly, that French law will now contain procedural guarantees … on the free movement of European nationals, which had not been transposed” into national legislation and “secondly, we have to face up to reality: the Roma form a minority of between 10 and 12 million people, European citizens living in extreme poverty and facing a life of discrimination”.
Since the start of the year, France has dismantled hundreds of illegal Roma camps. In all, between 1 January and 17 October, 8,601 Romanian nationals living illegally in France were returned to their native country. Of these 1,154 were forced and 7,447, almost 87%, returned voluntarily. In mid-October, the Commission suspended an infringement procedure against France for incorrectly applying the 2004 European directive on the free movement of EU citizens. Potential cases of discrimination are still being investigated by Commission experts, however, and conclusions are expected by the end of November (see EUROPE 10240). “France is still being watched carefully. We are continuing to investigate the cases sent to us by the French authorities,” Reding stated. “When we refer matters to the European Court of Justice, we need the proof so that we can win the case. But national judicial authorities must also be able to come to decision, and this has started to happen in France,” she observed. A complaint against person or persons unknown was lodged by the four main French associations of Roma and travellers on 7 October with the Paris Civil Court over the alleged existence of an “illegal and undeclared ethnic file”. On 22 October, eight French associations also lodged a complaint against France with Reding for infringement of Community law on the free movement of people.
French Immigration Minister Eric Besson announced on 25 October that a new €1 million programme would be set up in 2011 to help the Roma expelled from France re-settle in their counties of origin, mainly Romania. France is to launch this programme “without awaiting” a European plan “to increase use member states make of structural funds for Roma integration”, a press release from the minister says. (B.C./transl.rt)