With the Roma

Ensuring that all Roma children complete at least primary school, cutting the employment gap between Roma and other citizens; cutting child mortality, closing the gap in access to housing and public utilities: these are the four main targets of the European Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies of Roma populations launched by the Commission on April 5, on which Member States are now called to implement national strategies by 2011.Discrimination and delays. The Framework submitted by the Commission focuses on four “pillars”: access to education, employment, healthcare and housing. “Member States should set individual national Roma integration goals in proportion to the population on their territory”, explains the EU Executive. The issue – due to be discussed during the EP plenary the coming week -is an item on the agenda of the European Council (representing heads of government and State). “Roma people in Europe live in considerably worse socio-economic conditions than the population at large”, states the Commission. According to a survey conducted across six countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia -only 42% of Roma children completes primary education, compared to an EU average of 97.5%. Estimates for secondary education attendance are worse still (less than 10%).Putting an end to Roma exclusion. “In the job market, they face lower employment rates and higher rates of discrimination. In housing, they often lack access to essential services such as running water or electricity”. They also face a health gap: life expectancy for Roma is 10 years less than the EU average. “”Despite some good intentions from national politicians, too little has changed in the lives of most Roma over the last few years”, said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU’s Justice Commissioner. “Member States have a joint responsibility to put an end to the exclusion” of the largest minority group in the continent, reportedly ranging from 10 to 12 million people. It’s “a serious challenge. That is why we are setting goals for Roma integration and why we now need a clear commitment from all capitals, regions and cities in Europe to put them into practice. Now is the time to move beyond good intentions and to take concrete actions”.Integration with European funds. EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, added: “The persistent exclusion of Roma people is unacceptable in 21st century Europe built on principles of equality, democracy and the rule of law. The living conditions of the majority of Roma and their relations with mainstream society have just worsened in recent years”. Andor relates the Roma question to the Europe 2020 Strategy on social inclusion and combating poverty. He further underlined: “For some countries it will be simply impossible to achieve the Europe 2020 targets without a breakthrough in Roma integration” as “Roma integration could mean considerable economic benefits. Roma represent a growing share of the working age population, with an average age of 25 compared to the EU average of 40. In Bulgaria e Romania, they make up one in five new labour market entrants in Bulgaria and Romania”. The Commission equally underlines a previously underestimated aspect, namely that EU funds (Structural Funds and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) could be more effectively used to support Roma integration.Which countries to they live in? Along with its proposals the Commission presented a complex statistical overview on the presence of the Roma in EU and extra EU countries. The findings show that there are 11 300 000 Roma people (belonging to the various Roma “denominations”) living in the Old Continent, 6 million of whom in EU27. EU countries with a larger presence are Romania (1 million 850thousand according to estimates) Bulgaria (750,000), Hungary, and Spain (700 thousand each), Slovakia and France (400 thousand). These are followed by the United Kingdom, Greece, the Czech Republic. Outside the EU borders the largest presence is recorded in Turkey (over 2 million), Russia, Serbia and Macedonia.