Politicians from EU Member States will be meeting with representatives of civil society on 4 April in Brussels. The topic of their discussion will be developments in the area of Romani integration throughout Europe. This will be be first EU summit on the topic of Romani people following the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies of 2011. The aim of the meeting is to acquire an overview of how domestic strategies intended for Romani people are being implemented, strategies the Member States annually submit with the EU Framework. The main speakers at the summit will include European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Romanian President Traian Băsescu, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Mininster Zinaida Zlatanova and ministers and state secretaries from nine other EU Member States. Other speakers will include George Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations organization, and Zoni Weisz, a Romani survivor of the Holocaust. Since 2010 the European Commission has promoted Romani integration as an important political topic. When I recall the Córdoba summit on the Romani question that took place a mere four years ago, the question of Romani integration was not on the agenda in the majority of Member States. With the upcoming Brussels summit on Roma, which will be attended by politicians from many Member States, I see that this trend is changing. That is encouraging, said EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding. The EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies represented an important milestone thanks to which the governments of the Member States began, at the highest level, to consider efforts to improve Romani integration. I am looking forward to a fruitful debate about how to most effectively conduct Romani inclusion at local level and how to improve their situations in a tangible way. I believe that with joint effort it is possible to start changes for the largest ethnic minority in Europe, Reding said. The Member States must undertake steps to improve the daily lives of Romani communities in Europe in the area of education, employment, health care and housing, said EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Social Inclusion László Andor. The Commission will continue to carefully follow the specific measures undertaken by the Member States and to collaborate with them to ensure that money from the EU available for this aim during the next seven years will be earmarked and used in the best possible way. This summit represents a brilliant opportunity to discuss this with many people who are immediately involved in striving for real change in Romani communities - primarily about how to ensure the necessary money gets to actors at local level. This third-ever EU summit on the Roma issue is happening concurrent with the European Commissions assessment of the progress achieved in implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategies in 2014. The review will be the most important such report to date since the introduction of the EU Framework, as it will provide an overview of Member State progress since 2011. The report will evaluate the situation in 28 Member States in the key areas of education, employment, health care and housing, as well as in the area of the fight against discrimination and the use of funds, and will simultaneously propose recommendations. Conclusions of the report will also be taken into account during the European Semester process, which serves to coordinate economic policy and could lead to the publishing of specific recommendations concerning the Roma for individual countries. The EU Roma Summit will take place on 4 April 2014 in Brussels. Approximately 500 representatives of civil society incuding Romani organizations, EU institutions, international organizations, local and regional authorities, and national governments and parliaments, will share their opinions on what has been achieved to date and how to improve Romani integration in future. Many mayors from several candidate countries and Member States will also attend the summit. This year it will concentrate on three troubled areas related to improving Romani integration at local level: Ensuring that politicians at local level include all Roma; ensuring that EU funds supporting Romani integration reach local and regional authorities; and ensuring that Romani integration truly takes place at local level in the accession countries. The summit is open to journalists, who can register for it by e-mail at: [email protected]. It will also be possible to follow the summit live online. Romani integration goes beyond mere inclusion into society. It also has a positive economic impact, particularly in Member States with large Romani minorities. In many countries, Romani people comprise an important, continually growing part of the school-age population and the future labor force. In order for Romani people fulfill their potential and participate actively and equally in the economy and in the life of society, it is essential that there be an effective policy to support activating this labor force, including accessible, individualized services supporting Romani job-seekers. The social inclusion and integration of Romani people is a shared obligation of the European Union and the Member States. The Commission is following the progress achieved by the Member States through the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. The Commission will continue to evaluate the progress of the Member States in the area of Romani integration during the 2014 European Semester, particularly in countries with large Romani populations. In 2013, five Member States (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia) received specific recommendations from the Commission concerning the implementation of their National Roma Integration Strategies and of a broader inclusion measures that also concerned Roma. The Member States are able to finance their social integration projects from EU funds, including projects for better inclusion of Roma in the areas of education, employment, health care and housing. During 2007-2013 a total of EUR 26.5 billion was provided for social inclusion. During 2014-2020 the Member States must allocate at least 20 % of the monies drawn from the European Social Fund to social inclusion. The aim of that requirement is to ensure proportionate financing for Roma integration. The Member States are responsible for the administration of those finances and for choosing the specific projects to fund. The 2014 Roma Summit will be an opportunity to confirm the political obligation of all Member States and of civil society in this regard and to continue on the path begun by the creation of the EU Framework. Jitka Votavová, European Commission, translated by Gwendolyn Albert
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 08:11:17 +0000
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