Brussels, 09/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Commission is delighted that the Council recommendation on inclusion of the Roma in member states (proposed six months ago) was unanimously adopted on Monday 9 December by the Council. This is the first EU legal instrument on Roma inclusion. The recommendation is not legally binding but does call on member states to work towards reducing the disparity between the Roma and the rest of the population.
The recommendation focuses on four areas: access to education, employment, health care and housing. It calls on member states to allocate both European and national resources, in addition to funding from private concerns and charities to promote Roma inclusion. The recommendation provides other guidelines: ensuring a local perspective for strategies; ensuring rules are respected on fighting discrimination; following a social investment approach; protecting Roma women and children and tackling poverty. In spring 2014, the Commission will again examine progress made by member states in this area. The European Parliament's civil liberties committee also gave its support to this recommendation in a vote on 5 December.
The commissioner for fundamental rights, Viviane Reding, said that the agreement reached on Monday at the Council of Ministers, sent out a strong message that member states were serious about tackling the problem of integration of the Roma. Ministers also made a unanimous commitment to improving the situation of the Roma on the ground.
EU Social Affairs and Inclusion Commissioner László Andor commented that adoption of the recommendation was an important demonstration of the common commitment of the member states. He said the time had come for the member states to allocate a large amount of EU aid for the period 2014-2020, along with national aid, to help the Roma communities to achieve their full potential, while demonstrating that they have the political will at all levels to ensure that the money is well-spent.
Some €26.5 million has been released from the structural funds for general social integration in 2007-2013, but not all of it is destined for the Roma. In 2011, the Commission asked the member states to set up national contact points to help planning of allocation of funding for the Roma. (SP/transl.fl)