Brussels, 26/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission took the view on Thursday 26 May that both legislation and administrative practices in Hungary lead to Roma children being “disproportionately over-represented” in special schools for mentally handicapped children, arguing discrimination in breach of EU law.
In a letter of formal notice, the Commission calls on Hungarian authorities to bring the country's legislation on equal treatment and education, and the practical implementation of its educational policies into line with the racial equality directive (2000/43/EC). This directive prohibits discrimination on grounds of racial or ethnic origin in education.
The Commission has noted that Roma children are over-represented in special schools for mentally handicapped children. It has also flagged up that Roma children face “a considerable degree of segregated education in mainstream schools”. A policy of this sort runs counter to EU objectives to “ensure for Roma children an equal access to education”, the Commission says.
Hungary will now have two months to provide a satisfactory response, failing which the Commission may send a reasoned opinion. The Commission pointed out that it had recently opened two other infringement procedures, against the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in relation to similar cases of discrimination against Roma children.
Amnesty International (AI), which was instrumental in drawing attention to these practices in Hungary, welcomed the Commission's decision. It said that around 45% of Roma children were subject to discrimination in that country which, according to AI, has long applied a policy of “racial segregation”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic and Jan Kordys)