Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-09-27-Speech-4-018"
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"en.20070927.3.4-018"2
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"Thank you, Mr President. If 60% of people surveyed feel that they are subject to some sort of unfair discrimination, then this is a warning to the Member States and a warning to Europe.
Discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or racial origin is still alive, and it is to be feared that this will continue to be the case for a long time, since Europe is becoming increasingly diverse and ethnic differences are becoming more visible, and even countries that consider themselves mono-ethnic are becoming home to increasingly diverse cultures.
Mrs Buitenweg’s excellent report provides an opportunity for assessment and reflection. Today, meanwhile, the Commission has brought us a promise of progress in this regard since if several countries have failed to implement the Directive appropriately, then the warning is justified and help is vitally needed. Almost every one of my fellow Members has said that if citizens are unaware of their right to protection from discrimination, they will be unable to exercise this right.
Discrimination on racial or ethnic grounds raises problems in a broader context too, since belonging to an ethnic minority is primarily a question of identity. We in Eastern/Central Europe have not had a very positive experience as regards willingness to supply data, to the point where a person is a ‘Gypsy’ if his milieu considers him to be one, and this tends to be a matter of lifestyle rather than one of genuine racial identity. The Agency for Fundamental Rights will be able to do a great deal to improve this situation.
I have two other comments. First, implementation of the Directive can go a long way towards ensuring that the Roma community does not drift outside Europe. Second: with the new Member States, new ethnic blocks have emerged on the map of European history. It is a sad legacy of the 20th century and the two world wars that contradictions continue to live on, and wounds have not yet healed. We are all responsible. Thank you, Mr President."@en1
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