Brussels, 06/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - French Socialist MEPs Sylvie Guillaume and Catherine Trautmann questioned Justice and Fundamental Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding on Monday 5 September about the removal by RATP, the Parisian transport authority, of some 150 Romanian and Bulgarian Roma on 31 August. On that date, the CRS, the French riot police, requisitioned an RATP tram to forcibly remove Roma families who had settled in the Paris region, the MEPs say in a press release, describing the requisition as “shocking” and “reminiscent of dark memories”. They argue that “public transport should not be used under any circumstances to remove families against their will”. Guillaume and Trautmann have put a written question to Commissioner Reding. “What we want to show is that purely repressive action settles nothing and only serves to push vulnerable people suffering discrimination elsewhere. Yet again we are calling on the European Commission to assume its responsibility after Viviane Reding demonstrated firmness last year and brought forward an action plan in April”, said Guillaume. Trautmann stated that “Roma integration is an eminently European issue and solutions exist. Instead of being stigmatised in this way, what the Roma need is access to employment, housing and schools”. (S.P./transl.rt)