Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-20-Speech-2-333"
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"en.20080520.28.2-333"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission strongly condemns any form of violence against the Roma and asks the authorities of all the Member States to ensure the personal safety of all the people within their territory. The events last week in Ponticelli are not an isolated case. The racist violence that is fed by political populism, hate speech and media hype is a phenomenon that can be seen in many Member States.
In the field in which the European Union clearly has competence, the fight against discrimination, I am making a commitment to ensure the application of Community legislation. Directive 2000/43 is an important instrument with a broad scope for application. Its implementation at national level must nevertheless be complemented by initiatives to raise awareness focused around rights and obligations. Active monitoring of complaints by the bodies responsible for equality and full involvement of civil society in this supervision process are essential conditions for any improvement in the situation.
The events of the past week in Italy require joint efforts on our part. Our Roma fellow citizens need our solidarity in order to break the vicious circle of exclusion and violence fed by despair. I interpret this outbreak of violence as a cry for help. As political leaders it is our duty to offer every individual the hope of a sustainable solution to these problems. It is possible to combat social exclusion through targeted, made-to-measure programmes with funding from the European Structural Funds, in particular the European Social Fund. This programme could improve the living conditions of the whole population, and therefore of the minorities as well as the majority.
In response to the call from the European Council and the European Parliament, we are currently examining the Community instruments and policies that can be implemented in order to promote the inclusion of the Roma. I would like to invite the Italian Government and the governments of the other Member States to discuss the results of this exercise with us and to take notice of the lessons that can be drawn from it.
The Commission categorically rejects any stigmatisation of the Roma or likening them to criminals. The authorities of the Member States must not only refrain from such conduct, but also set an example in the fight against racism and xenophobia. They have the obligation to investigate racist attacks and to punish those who incite them or perpetrate them.
I would like to highlight something. The very point of the European Union is to overcome what has characterised the history of Europe over the centuries, racial hatred, pogroms and destruction by fire. Europe promotes the right of every man, woman and child to be protected from persecution and discrimination. It embodies social solidarity, democracy and the rule of law, along with respect for every person of a different origin, religion, skin colour or way of life.
We should not close our eyes to the real problems that the Roma are facing in Italy and in other countries. Everyone can see the extreme poverty, social exclusion, intermittent unemployment and low level of education that they are victims of. This situation leads to human suffering and social tensions. It pushes the Roma to the margins of society. This loss of talents and potential is cruel for the Roma and a loss for Europe.
Why does this situation exist? The Roma are not less intelligent than the majority, and neither are they beggars or born criminals. What can we do to change this situation? Let us be honest about what the Commission can do and what the governments of the Member States must do. As was rightly underlined in the conclusions of the European Council in December 2007, which your Parliament welcomed, the Member States and the Union must do everything in their power to improve the inclusion of the Roma.
With regard to free movement of citizens within the European Union, Directive 2004/38 is based on well-established principles of Union law. Many of its provisions have already been in force for decades. The Directive also incorporates the case law of the European Court of Justice on these issues. Following the accession of Romania to the European Union, the Romanians enjoy the same freedom of movement as the other citizens of the Union. The Romanians are no longer immigrants from third countries. Romanians are citizens of the Union. They cannot under any circumstances be treated less favourably than the other citizens of the Union, and the Commission will ensure that their rights are respected.
The Directive allows Member States to deny citizens of the Union who are inactive and do not have sufficient resources the right to live in their territory, so that these people do not become a burden on their social welfare system. The evaluation of these resources cannot be automatic, but must take into account the behaviour of the individual.
The rules on free movement are not made to benefit criminals. The Directive allows the exclusion of people whose behaviour represents a genuine, current and sufficiently serious threat to the fundamental interests of society. The fight against crime must be done with full respect for the rule of law. A decision to exclude can only be made on a case-by-case basis and the procedural guarantees and basic conditions must be respected. In the case of immediate exclusion, the urgency must be duly justified. The exclusion of citizens of the Union is an extreme measure. It is a limitation of a fundamental freedom of the Treaty.
Most of the essential aspects of the inclusion of the Roma in society, such as education, employment, social inclusion, public health, improving infrastructures and housing fall under the competence of the Member States. The European Union is nevertheless prepared to take on its role of coordinating, supporting and facilitating national policies. If we all learn to exercise peer pressure, we will be able to achieve results."@en1
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