08/05/2019
FSG International
Today, on Europe Day and ahead of the European elections, we recall the opportunity we all have to build on our common values and advance in social rights, in equality for all, including those of the EU Roma citizens.
We are concerned about the current political context of growing excluding public discourses (racist, xenophobic, antigypsy, homophobic…) and the rise of far-right parties, since they may threaten the progress achieved so far in terms of social, equality, gender and cohesion policies in the EU. All of it against the EU-founded values.
We urge EU political parties, institutions and Member States to acknowledge the situation of extreme poverty, exclusion and discrimination that Roma people suffer across the EU and guarantee Roma´s equal rights as full-fledged EU citizens. In this sense, it is of utmost importance to support the renewal of the existing EU Framework for National Roma Integration after 2020 in order to improve the limited impact achieved so far at national level in the education, employment, housing, health situation; to acquire a solid compromise to fight against discrimination, hate speech and crimes in the EU; and to be determined to reduce the inequality gap and the fight against poverty and social exclusion, particularly of the most vulnerable social groups (disabled, Roma, migrants…) in the new framework of the European Pillar of Social Right to guarantee equal opportunities, taking into consideration the different starting points of specific groups, such as Roma.
In the current political context important decisions are to be taken in relation to Roma equality: the future Cohesion Policy (financial instruments) and the EU policy framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (policy instrument). Let´s take this opportunity to assure a better coherence between EU policy priorities and the ESI Funds as a way to guarantee social, economic and territorial cohesion and to compensate inequalities among Roma and non-Roma EU citizens. We all have the chance to take a step forward and promote a human rights-based approach in all EU policies and instruments. Let´s do it!
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