Brussels, 28/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 4 April, local, national and EU politicians will gather with representatives of civil society in Brussels to discuss progress on Roma integration across Europe, the European Commission stated on Friday 28 March.
This “EU Roma Summit” will be the first since the Commission put in place an EU framework for national Roma integration strategies in 2011. The aim is to take stock of how the national Roma strategies submitted by member states on an annual basis within the framework of the EU are being implemented, and whether they are making life better for Roma communities on the ground. Speakers will include European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, President of Romania, Traian Basescu (to be confirmed), Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Zinaida Zlatanova, and ministers and state secretaries from nine other member states of the EU. Participants may also hear from George Soros, Chairman of the Open Society Foundations, and Zoni Weisz, a survivor of the Roma Holocaust. (SP)