RESOLUTION ON
PROMOTING POLICIES IN FAVOUR OF THE ROMA POPULATION
1. Having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and in particular its Articles 1, 8, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 35 and 45,
2. Having regard to the international legislation on human rights covering all forms of racial discrimination and the 1992 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities,
3. Having regard to Article 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which empowers the Council to adopt adequate measures to counter discrimination on racial or ethnic grounds,
4. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 31 January 2008 on a European strategy on the Roma,
5. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 10 July 2008 on the census of the Roma,
6. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 11 March 2009 on the social situation of the Roma,
7. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 9 September 2010 on the situation of Roma and on freedom of movement in the European Union,
8. Having regard to the conclusions of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on the inclusion of the Roma, adopted in Luxembourg on 8 June 2009,
9. Having regard to the Commission Working Document on inclusion of the Roma: ―Roma in Europe: The Implementation of European Union Instruments and Policies for Roma Inclusion (Progress Report 2008-2010)‖,
10. Having regard to the reports on the Roma, racism and xenophobia in the European Union Member States in 2009, published by the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union, and the reports of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg,
11. Having regard to the recommendations, opinions and declarations of the Council of Europe on the Roma population (Strasbourg, 20 October 2010),
12. Having regard to the OSCE Action Plan for the Development of the Roma Population (December 2003),
52 13. Having regard to the first European Roma Summit, held in Brussels on 16 September 2008, and to the second Summit, held in Córdoba on 8 April 2010,
14. Having regard to the joint statement of the Trio (Spain, Belgium, Hungary) at the Summit held in Córdoba in April 2010, pledging a firm stance against stigmatization and a quest for improved co-ordination and collaboration with the Commission and the Parliament, together with participation in other political processes, such as the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 and the OSCE Action Plan, in the framework of the recommendations of the Council of Europe and the United Nations,
(a) Considering that a high proportion of the 10 to 12 million Roma living in Europe have suffered systematic discrimination and face an intolerable degree of social, cultural and economic exclusion, besides experiencing violations of their human rights and suffering serious stigmatization and discrimination in public and private life,
(b) Considering that since the first Summit (Brussels, September 2008) there have been substantial changes:
i. An integration platform has been established for Roma inclusion for the purpose of exchanging good practices, promoting analytical support and stimulating cooperation: ―Integrated Platform on Roma Inclusion‖, established in 2009 by decision of the European Council,
ii. Within its framework 10 common basic principles were defined and emphasis was laid on the non-exclusive approach and on the mainstreaming approach,
iii. Article 7 of the Structural Funds Regulation has been modified to foster integral action for improved housing conditions and for the elimination of segregation, in both rural and urban areas,
iv. There is more familiarity with the Roma issue,
(c) Considering, however, that the living conditions of the Roma are not improving but in many cases deteriorating:
i. Not only have the Roma not progressed on a par with the economic development of countries but in many cases their circumstances are worse and the effects of the economic crisis may exacerbate the situation even further,
ii. The Roma population continues to be the most rejected in the majority of European countries and the prejudices and stereotypes regarding it are on the increase,
53 iii. In some cases attacks on the physical integrity of individuals and violations of their fundamental rights are continuing,
iv. There is insufficient cooperation between the various institutions and international processes (European Union, Decade, OSCE, Council of Europe, etc.),
v. Horizontal cooperation between countries, except in specific cases and such initiatives as EU-Roma, has not progressed,
vi. The Roma are beginning to benefit under the Structural Funds but there is no evidence of any significant impact,
vii. Spaces for Roma participation at European level have not been developed,
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
15. Takes into account that the Roma should be an essential part of the participating States’ key policies:
(a) The 2020 Strategy and its key measures; (b) The Roma perspective must be central to key policies (mainstreaming); (c) The need for a strategy and a specific policy;
16. Requests the Commission and the EU Member States to use all instruments to guarantee all the rights of the Roma population;
17. Emphasizes the need to make full use of the potential of financial instruments and in particular the Structural Funds:
(a) Empowerment of entities to access and manage the funds; (b) More transparency, information and data (broken down by ethnic group and gender); (c) More integrated measures; (d) Long-term measures; (e) Making access to the funds conditional on desegregating policies; (f) Future Structural Funds regulations should reflect the needs of the Roma;
18. Requires the introduction of new approaches and working methods, bearing in mind that:
(a) More data and greater transparency are required; (b) Results and impacts must be quantified; (c) Desegregation is a key issue;
54 (d) Three working perspectives are needed: that of guaranteed human rights and equal treatment; that of social and economic promotion and integration; and that of full citizenship; (e) The perspective of the costs of exclusion should be taken into account;
19. Requires that the existing instruments be more effective, and participating States be asked for co-ordination, promotion and co-operation;
20. Urges that policies be more specific:
(a) The Commission must play an active promotion, support and co-ordination role; (b) Local involvement is essential;
21. Requires that education be given priority in breaking the inter-generational exclusion gap:
(a) Desegregation at school is essential; (b) Special attention must go to the transition between primary and secondary education;
22. Asks that the Roma have more prominence:
(a) More spaces for participation are needed; (b) More public and political presence is required of the Roma; (c) Better self-organization; (d) Priority should be given to women, children and young people;
23. Calls for this resolution to be conveyed to the OSCE participating States.
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