Press Release: European Commission urges Roma social inclusion

Roma communities, the European Union’s largest ethnic minority, continue to face persistent discrimination and segregation. The European Commission urged Member States in a report published on 7 April 2010 to use EU funds for the social and economic integration of Roma. Ensuring these communities’ access to jobs and non-segregated education, housing and health services is vital to their social inclusion, the report said. The integration of the estimated 10 to 12 million Roma – a population as large as Belgium’s or Greece’s – is a joint responsibility of Member States and EU institutions. A separate report evaluated the progress achieved in integration over the past two years. Participants at the second Europe-wide Roma Summit, to be held in Córdoba, Spain on 8-9 April 2010, will review these reports.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/10/121: Communication on Roma in Europe and Progress Report on Roma inclusion 2008-2010 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/121&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Council of Europe: Press Release, No.288, 2010: The Council of Europe supports the Roma community https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=PR288(2010)&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&Site=COE&BackColorInternet=F5CA75&BackColorIntranet=F5CA75&BackColorLogged=A9BACE

Council of Europe: Factsheet: 60 years of European Convention on Human Rights: Roma Rights, April 2010 https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=1536304&SecMode=1&DocId=1563952&Usage=2

EurActiv, 9.4.10: Roma groups cautiously welcome new EU social plan http://www.euractiv.com/socialeurope/roma-groups-cautiously-welcome-n-news-426241

Deutsche Welle, 8.4.10: Europe must do more to improve lives of Roma, EU warns http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5444206,00.html

PressEurop, 9.4.10: Pariah nation http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/editorial/227961-pariah-nation

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