MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Commission called on the European Union (EU) to tackle discrimination against Roma people on Tuesday, one day before International Roma Day.
The holiday, commemorated annually on April 8, is devoted to the celebration of Romani culture and raising awareness of the challenges that the minority faces.
“The marginalisation and exclusion of Europe's Roma needs to be addressed head-on,” the statement, published on the EU website, said.
“Change will not happen overnight, but the European institutions and Member States are committed to fighting discrimination and improving integration,” it added.
Yet, people of this ethnicity face discrimination and exclusion, such as access to education, jobs, healthcare and housing, the document says.
The statement said that the EU will work hard to contribute to the further integration of the Roma community into the union and ensure the fundamental rights of the ethnic group are respected.
Since 2011, integration of the minority into the EU was included in the list of the union’s political strategies. Other areas on the agenda included education, employment, health, housing and the fight against discrimination.
The financial framework 2014-2020, which was reached three years later, facilitated the use of EU funds for the purpose of the socio-economic integration of people of Roma ethnicity.
