Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU: denying Roma self-determination
In its plenary session on Thursday, the 30th of November 2006, the European Parliament (EP) adopted the final reports setting the seal on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union. The EP approved the two reports dealing with the situation of both accession countries with regard to political and economic criteria. Both reports praise the efforts undertaken by Bulgaria and Romania to fulfil the accession criteria, and draw attention to thematic areas where continued efforts are still required to improve standards.
The concern of the European Roma Information Office (ERIO) lies in the possibility that this accession is overshadowed by statements made against Roma communities. MEP Geoffrey Van Orden of the European People’s Party states in his “Report on the Accession of Bulgaria to the European Union”, in Paragraph 13, that the EP “...recognises the many steps that have been taken to integrate the Roma and calls for even greater concerted efforts to improve their linguistic skills, to give them better access to higher education, vocational training and employment and to provide them with better healthcare and family planning, whilst encouraging them to do all that they can to adapt to the wider society and to take advantage of opportunities made available to them”.
Stating that the European Parliament is “encouraging them (Roma) to do all that they can to adapt to the wider society and to take advantage of opportunities made available to them”, rapporteur Van Orden suggests that Roma are themselves responsible for the attitudes of discrimination and social exclusion they face. This statement intimates that Roma face discrimination because their culture does not belong to the “wider society” and thus that they are themselves guilty for facing discrimination and social exclusion. By emphasising the Roma’s need “to adapt” to the “wider society”, this statement suggests that the Roma culture is incompatible with and disparate from European democratic principles and values, and that Roma have to renounce their own culture in order to be “accepted” by the majority society. This statement thus also insinuates that the only way to avoid discrimination is to not resist assimilation into the majority society, but it is in this manner that the minority rights and democratic principles of a multicultural society are denied. This statement indicates that Roma face discrimination, social exclusion and poverty-stricken living conditions because they do not “take advantage of the opportunities made available for them”.
The statement denies the existence of multicultural values that rely on the conditions of mutual understanding and sound dialogue between equal partners. Thus, Roma are reduced to the level of second-class citizens who are not entitled to choose for themselves. Racism and segregation are the biggest obstacles to integration, and it is difficult to eradicate racist attitudes/approaches that are so deeply entrenched. Policy-makers must undertake a leading role in combating racism and discrimination against minorities; by emphasising the need for minorities to “adapt” to mainstream society, policy-makers who are not doing enough to improve the situation of Roma are implicitly excused and are not held accountable for neglecting an important segment of their society.
It is alarming that such offensive statements against Roma have lasted throughout the monitoring process of the accession countries. In December 2005, ERIO and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) expressed their concerns regarding the “Report on the state of preparedness for EU membership of Bulgaria” that was discussed during the EU-Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on 28 November 2005. In Paragraph 19 of this report, it is stated “that integration is a two-ways process, with the Roma themselves recognising the need to adapt”. ERIO and ERRC expressed criticism that such a declaration denies the reality of the situation – that the Roma’s will to participate in Europe’s majority society is obstructed by the pervasive and racist hostility of non-Roma towards Roma and by discriminatory practices that follow from such racist attitudes.
ERIO expresses deep concern at seeing that a report containing such a biased statement has been approved by a large majority of the European Parliament (505 in favour, 65 against, 36 abstentions). Voting for such a prejudiced report – and thus ignoring the importance of minority rights in Europe –call into question the genuineness of such MEPs’ declarations of minority-sensitivity and commitment to democratic values. ERIO supports the suggestions of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament that the governments of Bulgaria and Romania should increase their efforts to ensure that Roma have the same opportunities and access to employment, education, health and housing as the citizens of the majority society. Therefore, we strongly encourage the MEPs to take into account more seriously the rights of Roma in upcoming resolutions and to push Member States and Acceding Countries to thoroughly reconsider their own responsibilities in the integration of minorities – especially the integration of Roma.
Ivan Ivanov, Executive Director, ERIO.
Ivan.Ivanov@erionet.org
The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) is an international advocacy organization, which promotes political and public discussion on Roma issues by providing factual and in-dept information on a range of policy issues to the European Union institutions, Roma civil organizations, governmental authorities and intergovernmental bodies.
The ERIO cooperates with a network of a large number of organizations and acts to combat racial discrimination and social exclusion through awareness raising, lobbying and policy development.
ERIO
Ave. Edouard Lacomble 17
Brussels 1040
Belgium
Tel: 0032(0)27333462
Fax: 0032(0)27333875
The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) http://www.erionet.org
In its plenary session on Thursday, the 30th of November 2006, the European Parliament (EP) adopted the final reports setting the seal on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union. The EP approved the two reports dealing with the situation of both accession countries with regard to political and economic criteria. Both reports praise the efforts undertaken by Bulgaria and Romania to fulfil the accession criteria, and draw attention to thematic areas where continued efforts are still required to improve standards.
The concern of the European Roma Information Office (ERIO) lies in the possibility that this accession is overshadowed by statements made against Roma communities. MEP Geoffrey Van Orden of the European People’s Party states in his “Report on the Accession of Bulgaria to the European Union”, in Paragraph 13, that the EP “...recognises the many steps that have been taken to integrate the Roma and calls for even greater concerted efforts to improve their linguistic skills, to give them better access to higher education, vocational training and employment and to provide them with better healthcare and family planning, whilst encouraging them to do all that they can to adapt to the wider society and to take advantage of opportunities made available to them”.
Stating that the European Parliament is “encouraging them (Roma) to do all that they can to adapt to the wider society and to take advantage of opportunities made available to them”, rapporteur Van Orden suggests that Roma are themselves responsible for the attitudes of discrimination and social exclusion they face. This statement intimates that Roma face discrimination because their culture does not belong to the “wider society” and thus that they are themselves guilty for facing discrimination and social exclusion. By emphasising the Roma’s need “to adapt” to the “wider society”, this statement suggests that the Roma culture is incompatible with and disparate from European democratic principles and values, and that Roma have to renounce their own culture in order to be “accepted” by the majority society. This statement thus also insinuates that the only way to avoid discrimination is to not resist assimilation into the majority society, but it is in this manner that the minority rights and democratic principles of a multicultural society are denied. This statement indicates that Roma face discrimination, social exclusion and poverty-stricken living conditions because they do not “take advantage of the opportunities made available for them”.
The statement denies the existence of multicultural values that rely on the conditions of mutual understanding and sound dialogue between equal partners. Thus, Roma are reduced to the level of second-class citizens who are not entitled to choose for themselves. Racism and segregation are the biggest obstacles to integration, and it is difficult to eradicate racist attitudes/approaches that are so deeply entrenched. Policy-makers must undertake a leading role in combating racism and discrimination against minorities; by emphasising the need for minorities to “adapt” to mainstream society, policy-makers who are not doing enough to improve the situation of Roma are implicitly excused and are not held accountable for neglecting an important segment of their society.
It is alarming that such offensive statements against Roma have lasted throughout the monitoring process of the accession countries. In December 2005, ERIO and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) expressed their concerns regarding the “Report on the state of preparedness for EU membership of Bulgaria” that was discussed during the EU-Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on 28 November 2005. In Paragraph 19 of this report, it is stated “that integration is a two-ways process, with the Roma themselves recognising the need to adapt”. ERIO and ERRC expressed criticism that such a declaration denies the reality of the situation – that the Roma’s will to participate in Europe’s majority society is obstructed by the pervasive and racist hostility of non-Roma towards Roma and by discriminatory practices that follow from such racist attitudes.
ERIO expresses deep concern at seeing that a report containing such a biased statement has been approved by a large majority of the European Parliament (505 in favour, 65 against, 36 abstentions). Voting for such a prejudiced report – and thus ignoring the importance of minority rights in Europe –call into question the genuineness of such MEPs’ declarations of minority-sensitivity and commitment to democratic values. ERIO supports the suggestions of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament that the governments of Bulgaria and Romania should increase their efforts to ensure that Roma have the same opportunities and access to employment, education, health and housing as the citizens of the majority society. Therefore, we strongly encourage the MEPs to take into account more seriously the rights of Roma in upcoming resolutions and to push Member States and Acceding Countries to thoroughly reconsider their own responsibilities in the integration of minorities – especially the integration of Roma.
Ivan Ivanov, Executive Director, ERIO.
Ivan.Ivanov@erionet.org
The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) is an international advocacy organization, which promotes political and public discussion on Roma issues by providing factual and in-dept information on a range of policy issues to the European Union institutions, Roma civil organizations, governmental authorities and intergovernmental bodies.
The ERIO cooperates with a network of a large number of organizations and acts to combat racial discrimination and social exclusion through awareness raising, lobbying and policy development.
ERIO
Ave. Edouard Lacomble 17
Brussels 1040
Belgium
Tel: 0032(0)27333462
Fax: 0032(0)27333875
The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) http://www.erionet.org