Brussels, 14/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 July, the Italian government categorically denied accusations made by the European Parliament with regard to the finger printing of Rom people living in camps. In a resolution adopted on the same day, the European Parliament called on the Italian authorities to “refrain from finger printing the Rom people, including their children”, which it considers discriminatory (EUROPE 9701). On the eve of the vote, around 120 MEPs, including the leaders of the Socialist, Communist, Liberal and Green Groups, sent their finger prints to the president of the Italian Council, Silvio Berlusconi, to protest against the head of the Italian government's policy towards the Rom. This was enough to prompt a response from the Italians. Andrea Rochi, the Italian minister for European affairs, informed the foreign press in Rome that “the European Parliament's resolution today is one of the worst aspects of the EU institutions. It is with both firmness and indignation that we reject accusations of racism”. The Italian foreign affairs minister, Franco Frattini, also denounced the “political vote based on prejudice” and affirmed that it would be appropriate for the Italian government to express itself to the European Parliament before the latter spoke out on identification measures regarding the Rom. The Italian minister of the interior, Roberto Maroni, a member of the populist Northern League stressed that “we are shocked by the resolution voted on by the European Parliament”. He promised that “the Italian government will go right to the end”. He also affirmed that registering the Rom would help to protect their children against delinquency, such as begging, and assist their education: “We want this measure to give the 'children of the shadows' their dignity back. They suffer from the trafficking in organs and people”. At the end of May, the government appointed three commissioners in Rome, Milan and Naples, with identifying those living in the camps. This identification has begun in the three cities. The newspaper, Il Messaggero, reported that on Friday 11 July that the Italian defence minister, Ignazio La Russa had proposed to fingerprint all Italians, as a conciliatory gesture “to avoid accusations of racism”. (B.C./transl.rh)