On Thursday 9 July, MEPs held a plenary session on the integration of Roma into European society. Michael Roth, German Minister for European Affairs, pointed out that the debate concerned 10-12 million people living in Europe and around 6 million EU citizens.
In his introduction to the debate, Mr Roth, representing the German Presidency of the EU Council, stressed that the results of the framework for national Roma integration strategies, as presented by the European Commission in 2011, had so far proved “disappointing”.
A statement was shared by the MEPs. They called on the Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, to ensure that the new “strategic EU framework for equality, inclusion and participation of Roma up to 2030” brings about a tangible improvement in the living conditions of this ethnic minority.
This text – which the Commissioner undertook to present by the end of the year – “will need to include specific means to ensure that concrete results are achieved”, argued Peter Pollák (EPP, Slovakia), deploring also the “institutionalised racism” to which the Roma are subjected, particularly in schools or in dealings with the police.
Several voices have been raised calling for increased European monitoring of how the strategy is implemented in the Member States, as well as for binding targets.
This is notably what Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany) called for. He also considered it necessary “legislate at local, regional and national levels” and to ”allocate sufficient budgets for the implementation of new policy frameworks”.
The Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, acknowledged that strategy alone would not be sufficient. “Legislation is one thing. How effective this is on people's lives is another”, she admitted.
She did not, however, refer to binding instruments, but emphasised the importance of combating anti-Roma sentiment and discrimination in favour of economic and social inclusion, while promoting equality and inclusion of Roma in all general policies and a drive to improve data collection and monitoring of progress through given indicators.
Only the ID group took a different stance from the other political formations in this debate. Its coordinator, the Italian Annalisa Tardino, regretted that “inclusion has become synonymous with renunciation of our values and lifestyles”. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)