Commissie wil rol zigeuneurs in Oost-Europese democratieën vergroten (en)
In an effort to further develop relations between Romani communities, their governments, and the European Union, the European Commission and the NGO 'Project on Ethnic Relations' (PER), organised a 2-day program on the role of Romani leaders in acceding and candidate countries. The roundtable discussion brought together Romani elected and appointed representatives from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia as well as officials of the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament. The roundtable was followed by a session in the European Parliament and by one-on-one consultations between Romani leaders and officials from the European Commission.
The event provided a forum for Romani MPs and public officers directly engaged in the policy formation and implementation process to give their assessment of the current situation of Roma in their respective countries. Participants presented their views on the most serious problems faced by the Roma communities and on how they could be tackled. They also had the opportunity to discuss the EU's approach with regard to Roma issues, including what kind of activities could be expected at EU level and which responsibilities remained within the national, regional and local governments. Some of the main points addressed at the meeting included the role of elected and appointed Romani representatives in national decision-making, and whether training programs should be designed exclusively for the Roma or together with other vulnerable groups.
It was also made clear that the EU would continue to support the Roma through specific policies, support programs and framework programs. Appreciation was expressed with regard to the opportunity of having a direct dialogue between the elected and appointed Romani representatives and officials from the Commission as well as members of the European Parliament.
Opening remarks were delivered by Matthias Ruete, European Commission, and Livia Plaks, Executive Director, PER. The session at the European Parliament was chaired by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the European Parliament's Conference of Delegation Chairmen. Among the Roma representatives were a number of Members of national Parliaments (Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary) as well as Roma representatives in various functions, appointed by their national or regional governments.
The Brussels meeting is the second of its kind organised by the European Commission and PER. The first, held in July 1999, focused on state policies toward the Roma in candidate countries to the EU and Roma participation in the policymaking process
for further information please consult the PER website at:
information regarding EU support for Roma can be found at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/docs/pdf/brochure_roma_may2002.pdf