Statement by First Vice-President Timmermans, Commissioner Thyssen, Commissioner Jourová and Commissioner Creţu:
“Equal treatment and fundamental rights are the corner stones of the European Union. Roma have faced a long history of social exclusion and prejudice. Europe’s largest minority – with 6 million Roma living in the EU – continues to be discriminated against and marginalised. We are determined to continue the fight anti-gypsyism and to push for the full integration of Roma in all EU societies and countries. (…) As decided by Social Affairs Ministers in December 2016, the Commission will launch an evaluation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. This evaluation will assess the impact of the European and national instruments put in place so far and provide ideas on how to improve the strategy and make it more effective in promoting Roma inclusion. Integration and acceptance starts on an individual level, and we call on all EU citizens to acknowledge and embrace the equality of Roma and to recognise that Roma history and culture play a unique role.”
The full statement is available online.
