Brussels, 18/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Employment and Social Policy Council (EPSCO) of Thursday 19 May will be devoted entirely to the socio-economic integration of the Roma. The Council, which will meet in the morning, is expected to adopt conclusions and to endorse an opinion of the Social Protection Committee. Ministers will exchange views on an EU framework for national Roma integration strategies up to 2020. The Commission will present its communication which was adopted on 5 April. The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council will discuss the communication on Friday 20 May.
Ahead of the European Council on 24 June, the General Affairs Council on 23 May will hold a policy debate on the Roma. A report drafted by the Presidency will form the basis of the discussion. This report will provide a summary of current discussions in other relevant Council configurations, namely Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) on 12 April, EPSCO on 19 May and Education, Youth Culture and Sport (EDUC) on 20 May.
In its communication of 5 April, the Commission invites member states to put in place, by the end of the year, national Roma integration strategies designed to meet EU goals covering key fields such as education, employment, healthcare and housing. The communication advocates a territorial approach which would involve identifying disadvantaged micro-regions or segregated neighbourhoods. It calls also for sufficient funding from national budgets and underlines the importance of robust monitoring. For details, see EUROPE 10352.
In its opinion, the Social Protection Committee (SPC): (1) highlights the need for renewed commitment to tackle the socio-economic exclusion of the Roma a significant proportion of whom experience situations of extreme poverty, discrimination and exclusion; (2) notes that cooperation at EU level not only brings significant added value to national, regional and local strategies but it provides an appropriate framework to tackle issues with European dimension; (3) calls for the mobilisation of EU policies: the SPC underlines the need for access to future Structural Funds for projects aiming to improve the living conditions of Roma and their socio-economic status and invites member states to implement transnational projects; (4) underlines that it is ready to address the situation of Roma and of other vulnerable groups in its ongoing work within the social OMC (open method of coordination). (G.B./transl.rt)