Roma Week in the European Parliament

On 8 April 2016, the International Roma Day will be celebrated across Europe. With about 12 million people, the Roma are the largest minority in Europe, and also one of the minorities that suffers most from discrimination, hate crime and hate speech.

FUEN is committed to be in solidarity with the Roma. As the largest umbrella organisation of the minorities in Europe, it can use the expertise of its members to the benefit of the participation of the Roma in all areas of public and political life. Minorities have proven social and intercultural skills, which makes them suited to act as mediators and bridge-builders. Solidarity between the minorities is not just of relevance for the Roma population. It enhances the position of all minorities and the way they are perceived by the population as a whole. Minorities embody added value for the society at large. 

Last year the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging an end to Roma discrimination. In the resolution the Members of Parliament expressed their “deep concern at the rise of anti-Gypsyism, as manifested inter alia through anti-Roma rhetoric and violent attacks against Roma in Europe”. The Members called on EU countries to effectively implement EU anti-racism legislation in order to “prevent and eliminate discrimination against Roma, in particular in employment, education and housing.”

In cooperation with several Roma organisations and NGOs, including FUEN member organisation the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup is organising a Roma Week in the European Parliament from 5-7 April 2016. The main objective of the week is to show the commitment of the European Parliament to fight against anti-Gypsyism and to formulate this commitment into action.

The first step to create more efficient policies and programmes that will make a real change in the situation of the Roma in Europe is to recognise anti-Gypsyism as a specific form of racism and to fight it at all levels of our societies. In and around the European Parliament in Brussels there are events this week that deal with employment opportunities for young Roma and with practical responses to anti-Gypsyism.

Yesterday the leaders of the different political groups in the European Parliament held a debate focusing on the commitment of the parties against anti-Gypsyism and how they can join up to achieve an EU policy that makes a real change. The debate, attended by FUEN, was moderated by Ambassador Torbjørn Frøysnes, the representative of the Council of Europe at the European Union.

The panellists were united in their view that the situation is disastrous, and that the Roma Strategy of the European Union so far failed. What is produced in statements and strategies is not arriving at the grassroots level, and although almost everyone agrees that the situation of the Roma is very problematic and should be tackled, the issue is competing for attention with other urgent problems, such as the immigrant influx. The overall impression of the panel was one of helplessness: real solutions are required, but the European Parliament does not have the powers to deliver, even the EU itself has constrained itself to leave the main work to the Member States, who also are not able – and sometimes not willing – to make a real effort.

And so what the MEPs came up with was more of the same: EPP Vice Chair Gonzalez Pons stated that “we need a Europe where minorities are socially and economically included and we must be more united in our cultural diversity”. S&D Vice-Chair Tanja Fajon reiterated the call on behalf of her party for a Minority Commissioner, ECR Vice-Chair Helga Stevens wanted to learn from the successful Member States, Greens/EFA Chair Rebecca Harms called for consistent inclusion of Roma people themselves, rather than talking about the Roma, for example by creating a representation of Roma legislators from across Europe and a strong Roma lobby in Brussels and GUE/NGL Chair addressed the issue of the assessment of Roma from third states asking asylum in the EU and the need to better implement antiracism legislation in Member States.

The moderator, Ambassador Torbjørn of the Council of Europe, suggested that legislators in the EU and in the Member States should have a close look on the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, since many practices have been forbidden by this court; furthermore he called for more consistency and for cooperation with actors that monitor states in the field of discrimination and have a large knowledge about Roma (and other) minorities, such as ECRI and the Advisory Committee for the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities, and also with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, who work on grassroots level and also set up an Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, in which 130 cities and regions from 29 countries are participating.

The Roma Week will continue today with a breakfast event, debate, an exhibition, a movie screening and a panel discussion in the Parliament.

More information:
Programme Roma Week in the European Parliament
Poster Roma Week in the European Parliament
FUEN project: Solidarity with the Roma