Serbia’s progress towards EU accessionThe highlights of the European Council of March 1-2, due to focus on economic policy, include the decision, awaiting finalization, to grant Serbia the status of EU candidate country. The request had been submitted by Belgrade at the end of 2009. At present, Serbia’s ties with the EU are marked by the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and a visa agreement, along with significant commercial, diplomatic and political relations. The relations between the EU and the Balkan country, considered strategic also in terms of regional political stabilization, witnessed ups and downs after the breaking up of ex Yugoslavia, followed by the tragic armed conflict that involved the entire Balkan region. The decision to grant EU candidate country status to Serbia is expected to strengthen its relations with the 27 member states while promoting the country’s pacification process and development, against the background of a set of problems such as the situation in Kosovo and Serbia’s relations with Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, it will still take time before adhesion negotiations begin (for which no deadlines have yet been set). In the meantime Belgrade, encouraged by the funds from Brussels, is required to undertake national reforms in order to meet the adhesion criteria (known as the "Copenhagen criteria") regarding the political realm (stable institutions that will ensure democracy, Rule of the Law and human rights); the economy (free market, addressing the pressure of competition); and the juridical sphere (adjusting to EU legislation and procedures). EU candidate countries are currently Turkey, Iceland, Montenegro and Macedonia. Croatia signed the adhesion treaty in July 2013. All other Balkan countries (except for Slovenia, that is already an EU Member State) are considered "potential candidate countries".European Parliament: Statement on Down childrenThe European Parliament calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to: "contribute to the social inclusion of Down’s syndrome children by means of awareness-raising campaigns at national and European level"; to "promote pan-European research into the treatment of this condition" and to "draw up a Europe-wide strategy for protecting the rights of Down’s syndrome children in the EU". In a declaration due to be submitted to the EP for ratification in the next few days, MEPs George Sabin Cutas, Vasilica Viorica Dancila, Norica Nicolai, Marc Tarabella and Thomas Ulmer, call upon the EP to address the situation of children affected by Down syndrome, their rights, and their full social inclusion. The declaration, signed by 200 MEPs to date, needs 369 signatures to be adopted by the European Parliament. According to the declaration "it is estimated that the chance of a child being born with Down’s syndrome is between 600 and 1000 to 1", that "congenital anomalies are one of the main causes of infant mortality and long-term disability, and that "Down’s syndrome children can suffer from numerous congenital disturbances, the most frequent being heart disease". The Statement is up for signatories’ endorsement until the next plenary of the EP in Strasbourg on March 15.Council of Europe: Roma discriminated and excluded"In many European countries Roma and Travellers are still denied basic human rights and suffer blatant racism". On February 27 Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, presented the report titled "Human rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe". The Report, the first on the situation of Roma people in CoE member countries, shows that "compared to other groups" Roma people "remain far behind others in education, employment, access to decent housing and health". The report is the first comprehensive overview of the human rights situation of Roma and Travellers in all 47 Council of Europe member countries. The Roma "constitute Europe’s largest and most vulnerable minority". Hammarberg said: "Anti-Gypsyism continues to be widespread throughout Europe" and highlighted "hate-speech" by politicians, media, and extremist groups on the internet. "This climate confines the Roma to a situation of inequality and exclusion, while "elected politicians should set the example respecting and defending the rights of each one". The Report addresses several issues like social and economic rights, freedom of movement and the problems related to statelessness, participation to public life and decision-making processes. The CoE document also presents a set of concrete measures to be taken by governments in the fields of education, security and human rights.
