Brussels, 13/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - A coordinated approach to improve the working and living conditions is needed to achieve the objectives of increasing economic opportunities for the Roma, building human capital, and strengthening social capital and community development. To combat poverty and social exclusion, educating young people must be a priority, and a comprehensive strategy has to be put in place to integrate the Roma community into the European Union. This is what comes out of the report by Magda Kósáne Kovács (PES, Hungary) on “The social situation of the Roma and their improved access to the labour market in the EU”, which was adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday 11 March.
An alternative motion, brought by the PES Group, was adopted in the debate. This means that most MEPs “note the proposal for a comprehensive new directive to combat discrimination outside employment on the grounds of age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and calls for the effective implementation of Directive 2000/43/EC”. Parliament “considers that, in the spirit of the Social Agenda, the Commission should identify specific objectives and draw up well-balanced programmes with the aim of eliminating discrimination against and stigmatisation of the Roma, and criminalisation of Roma communities”. MEPs criticise “the Member States that have not yet ratified the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; calls on those Member States to ratify the Convention urgently; calls on the Member States that have issued restrictive declarations under the Framework Convention affecting the recognition of the Roma as a national minority to withdraw those declarations”.
The Parliament (1) calls on the Commission to assess specifically the impact of the objectives and instruments of each of its sectoral policies on the Roma, along with developing a coherent political strategy and achieving a high level of coordination; (2) recommends that member states create an EU-level expert group including representatives of the Roma to coordinate member states' Roma strategy and the use of EU funds for its promotion.
MEPs also note that unequal access to services and the socioeconomic disadvantages facing Roma children put early development and high-quality education out of their reach in practice and thus affect their subsequent chances on the labour market and their integration into mainstream society.
Ivan Ivanov (ERIO) says education is not the panacea for accessing decent jobs
While welcoming Parliament's adoption of the report, Ivan Ivanov, Executive Director of the European Roma information Office (ERIO), pointed out that access to the labour market was the key to tackling the poverty and segregation suffered by the Roma minority throughout Europe. He said, despite the strong message from the EP report, education alone was not the panacea for accessing decent jobs. “We realise education is essential and may be the most important field for programs and policies to focus on, but these policies should ensure effective continuation into the labour market with eliminating barriers based on prejudices and racist attitudes,” he stated, going on, “That is the reason why we think education alone will not solve the problem of Roma extremely high unemployment if there is not a change in the racist attitude toward the Roma minority”. ERIO, thus, calls on European, national and local policy-makers to build a strong link between the education of Roma and their effective access to the labour market. (G.B./transl.rt)