Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-625-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110308.28.2-625-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, Commissioners, truly, the timing of today’s debate could not have been better. This is the best possible timing, because in April, the Commission will publish its communication and we then wish to incorporate that communication into the work of the Council. This means that after the debates conducted in the competent Council formations, we will also ask for the support of the European Council in the adoption of the conclusions. That is to say, there must be commitment to the Roma issue at the highest level – at the level of Heads of State or Government, on the part of the European Union.
I would like to add a few thoughts to the debate about the question whether we are dealing with an ethnic issue or rather with some sort of social or economic challenge. I would not, and cannot, resolve this debate. I believe that we are dealing with both and that it is important that we maintain both approaches. As Commissioner Andor has said, it is a social and economic issue in that extreme poverty still represents a general problem in many places in the EU Member States. At the same time, there is an ethnic discrimination of sorts within extreme poverty, and we must therefore pay special attention to the Roma when providing opportunities. However, if we do not provide any, there is no point in us demanding access, on a human rights basis, to the little to no opportunities, because then there is nothing to access. However, if we do provide opportunities, then in the process of creating them, we must pay attention that the Roma, too, have access to them and are not elbowed out.
I believe that we all need to take a new approach. It would be good if we could identify the opportunities inherent in this problem; if we could shift our perception of the Roma issue from problem to opportunity. Just imagine what a tremendous workforce base, what a workforce asset and potential this group of people, this crowd, has in terms of internal labour supply.
As has been said on several occasions, improvements in education are the best investment. Indeed, education is investment in the future, and this is a key point when we are talking about people who are inactive, not just because they have no jobs and no opportunity to study, but who are inactive in a deeper sense of the word, because they have given up hope. They believe that they would not stand a chance anyway, and therefore no longer expect anything from life. Maybe they have reached a point where all they expect from the state is to provide them with aid. It is very important to enable these people to change from objects of these measures into subjects, and to participate in this themselves, as partners.
Little has been said today about good practices. I consider it important that we keep a record of good practices, and I believe it is just as important that we do the same with bad practices, because we can often learn more from the faults of bad practices than from good practices. I also believe that the examination of funds, the examination of the use of funds, and here I am referring to European Union funds, indicates the presence of both good and bad practices.
And finally, it is indeed perhaps the most important task for us to convince the majority; to convince the non-Roma majority in Europe, that integration does not exclusively represent some sort of humanitarian dictate, but it is also in their fundamental interest. After all, Europe belongs to all of us, and the majority can only feel well if the minority feels well, too. Thank you very much for this debate and I trust that we can continue to count on your support."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples