Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-05-14-Speech-2-293"
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"en.20020514.12.2-293"2
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"Mr President, Mr Papayannakis, there is no doubt that discrimination against Roma is still prevalent in many candidate countries and that living conditions for Roma are still very difficult. The Commission has repeatedly mentioned this and other deficiencies in its regular reports. Further efforts are needed, combined with appropriate financial support, to ensure that the various programmes are implemented in the candidate countries in a lasting way. I do not therefore share Mr Papayannakis's opinion that the Commission's conclusions in this area are too optimistic. I would be very happy to make the relevant extracts from the Commission's statements and reports available to you again.
The Commission has constantly touched on this subject in the pre-accession strategy, and also regularly monitors developments. However, the issue of discrimination against Roma is a long-standing one of a very complex nature and we have to accept that extensive improvements will only be possible in the medium and long term.
The Commission has demanded that all candidate countries with a significant Roma population should implement national action plans to combat discrimination, and that has indeed taken place. Various EU programmes have made an important contribution towards this. However, I also have to make it very clear that our political message to the candidate countries is that they are responsible for improving the position of Roma. We should not let these countries wriggle out of their responsibility for this problem.
In July 2000, the European Union adopted binding legislation banning racial and ethnic discrimination at the workplace, in education, in the social field, etc. A second directive bans discrimination at the workplace on grounds of religion and faith, disability, age and sexual orientation. The Member States have to transpose these directives into national law by 2003, that is to say that the future new Member States must implement these directives before they join the European Union.
The legal framework goes hand in hand with an action programme with a budget of EUR 100 million which should increase our ability to combat racism and all other forms of discrimination. Furthermore, in November 2001 the Commission presented a proposal for a Council framework decision with a view to creating a legal instrument in the field of criminal law. The aim of this legal instrument is to ensure that racist and xenophobic behaviour in all Member States attracts the same sentences for the same offences. The second objective is to ensure that judicial cooperation in this area is enhanced and promoted."@en1
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