By Constant Brand
21.10.2010 / 10:44 CET
EU and Council of Europe to train mediators and legal experts.
The European Union and the Council of Europe have announced plans to train mediators and legal experts to help Roma better integrate into society.
Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, said in Strasbourg yesterday (20 October) that she would ask EU member states to help pay for the training of lawyers and mediators to ensure Europe's 10-12 million Roma can take advantage of better housing, education and employment opportunities.
“All our member states will take this up, help to train and utilise...these capacities to make progress,” Reding said.
Thorbjørn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said he had the approval of his institution's 47 member states to go ahead with training up to 1,400 mediators and 100 lawyers over the next few years. They will help Roma populations take advantage of their rights, said Jagland.
He said the EU and the Council of Europe would also work “to create a network of local and regional authorities” to spread good practices on integration of Roma.
The initiative was announced during a conference on Roma hosted by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Reding said the measures will be part of a so-called European framework that the EU will put together over the coming months in which member states will have to draft national strategies to address integration problems faced by Roma.
She reiterated that EU member states will also be able to tap into billions of euros of EU regional and social aid money to fund specific projects for Roma.
Pierre Lellouche, France's European affairs minister, who also attended Wednesday's talks, said the EU had to ensure all member states did more on integration.
Lellouche, whose country has come under heavy criticism over its expulsions of thousands of Roma this summer, said countries such as Romania and Bulgaria had to do more to use EU funds to help integrate Roma. “In the EU there are rules and everyone has to assume their responsibilities,” he said.
France this week escaped legal action over its expulsions of Roma after it agreed to implement changes to its immigration laws to ensure they fell in line with EU free movement rules.
Reding had criticised France for violating the rules during the expulsions, saying Roma were not afforded their full rights under the EU rules to appeal the expulsions.
The European Union and the Council of Europe have announced plans to train mediators and legal experts to help Roma better integrate into society.
Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, said in Strasbourg yesterday (20 October) that she would ask EU member states to help pay for the training of lawyers and mediators to ensure Europe's 10-12 million Roma can take advantage of better housing, education and employment opportunities.
“All our member states will take this up, help to train and utilise...these capacities to make progress,” Reding said.
Thorbjørn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said he had the approval of his institution's 47 member states to go ahead with training up to 1,400 mediators and 100 lawyers over the next few years. They will help Roma populations take advantage of their rights, said Jagland.
He said the EU and the Council of Europe would also work “to create a network of local and regional authorities” to spread good practices on integration of Roma.
The initiative was announced during a conference on Roma hosted by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Reding said the measures will be part of a so-called European framework that the EU will put together over the coming months in which member states will have to draft national strategies to address integration problems faced by Roma.
She reiterated that EU member states will also be able to tap into billions of euros of EU regional and social aid money to fund specific projects for Roma.
Pierre Lellouche, France's European affairs minister, who also attended Wednesday's talks, said the EU had to ensure all member states did more on integration.
Lellouche, whose country has come under heavy criticism over its expulsions of thousands of Roma this summer, said countries such as Romania and Bulgaria had to do more to use EU funds to help integrate Roma. “In the EU there are rules and everyone has to assume their responsibilities,” he said.
France this week escaped legal action over its expulsions of Roma after it agreed to implement changes to its immigration laws to ensure they fell in line with EU free movement rules.
Reding had criticised France for violating the rules during the expulsions, saying Roma were not afforded their full rights under the EU rules to appeal the expulsions.
european voice
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου