Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-04-05-Speech-2-366-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110405.18.2-366-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, Commissioner Reding, Commissioner Andor, I would like to begin by congratulating you on the presentation. I am pleased that, after many repeated calls by Parliament, the Commission is today finally presenting this European framework strategy. In my opinion, it is also high time this happened, as the situation is starting to grow more serious. Many Roma in the Union are faced not only with undignified living conditions, but also increasing terror. Saturday's torch march against the Roma in Hungary is the latest evidence of this, and I would hereby like to call on the Hungarian Government to draw the conclusions from this.
I would like to make some criticisms of the presented framework. The situation is urgent, but even so we cannot accept the Commission’s decision to draft the framework without public consultations with the parties involved. It is strange that, on the one hand, you emphasise in the framework itself the importance of cooperating with civil society, but in the actual drafting of this key document you have ignored both the Roma as well as voluntary organisations, international organisations and the like. Such a closed approach to the framework does not add to its legitimacy; rather the opposite.
However, I consider the actual content of the presented framework to be successful on the whole. The Commission has correctly defined the competences for solving this Europe-wide problem. However, the key competences continue to be at the Member State level. I consider it extremely important, however, for the EU to take on the task of coordinating national strategies and supervising them, with the aim of ensuring the quickest possible genuine integration of the Roma.
In this context, it is also vital to mention the importance of monitoring the compliance of national strategies with the submitted framework, and monitoring the effectiveness of their implementation. However, the Commission’s position seems to me rather unambitious in this direction. The Commission should get tough, especially concerning its expectations of the Member States. The framework correctly defines four key areas for Roma integration: access to education, availability of employment, access to health care and the availability of decent housing and basic services. Together with members of our group, I have had the opportunity, during numerous visits to Roma communities all over Europe, to confirm that these really are the key areas where the Roma often face poor conditions. It should be emphasised, however, that similarly formulated objectives also appeared in the
programme. It is now essential to ensure that they are fulfilled.
In addition to these four areas, I would like to add one more which is missing from the framework, and this is specifically the fight not only against discrimination, but also against verbal or physical expressions of racism.
Last but not least, I would like to draw attention to the question of financing the inclusion measures. The Commission working group revealed at the end of last year that Member States have significant gaps in their use of EU funds. The Commission should therefore focus on three things: that the drawdown of funds is not excessively demanding administratively, that the Commission takes effective measures to ensure that the funds released really do fulfil their purpose, and that the use of funds for practices involving segregation is restricted.
I would like to end by thanking and congratulating you, Commissioner Reding and Commissioner Andor, once again, and now it is up to the Member States to proceed effectively with Roma inclusion on the basis of this at the national level."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
"(The speaker agreed to answer a question indicated through the raising of a Blue Card (Rule 149 paragraph 8 of the Rules of Procedure)."1
"Decade of Roma Inclusion"1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples