Three point plan for implementing national Roma strategies

 

Viviane Reding Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship visited the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the European Parliament to exchange views on the priorities in the field of justice affairs. MEP Lívia Járóka, Rapporteur of the EU strategy on Roma inclusion asked the Commissioner how the European Commission would respond to the recent evictions of Roma from France and if the Roma Task Force and the Fundamental Rights Agency were able to properly monitor the implementation of the twenty seven national integration strategies.

In her reply Reding recounted her detailed negotiation with French interior minister Manuel Valls, partly as a result of which the French National Assembly passed a new law on the free movement of persons. However, the Commissioner reminded that the underlying problem of inclusion could only be addressed by a long-term commitment, to which end she presented a plan of three steps. First, the National Contact Points for the implementation of National Roma Strategies will meet for the first time this October, to discuss their experience regarding the national programmes and the use of EU funds. Secondly she announced the launch of a 'pioneer group' consisting of those Member States with a significant Roma population, those with a unique practice of integration – such as Finland – and those where there are serious problems regarding social inclusion. Third, Commissioner Reding confirmed that she would present specific recommendations for each Member States, since – as she said – the implementation of national strategies is far from satisfactory.