On the occassion of EU Roma Week 2018 hosted by the European Parliament and the European Commission in Brussels, the S&D Group in the European Parliament released a new publication to highlight the milestones, achievements and future challenges in the fight against anti-Gypsyism.
The foreword states the following:
In 2014, we chose our member, Soraya Post MEP, to be our Roma spokesperson and following her initiative, we launched our fight against anti-Gypsyism, the root cause of the discrimination and marginalisation that Roma people have suffered in Europe for centuries. We, as a Group, stood behind Soraya Post to achieve two historic resolutions on anti-Gypsyism, adopted in 2015 and 2017, that have paved the way towards a Europe where there is full emancipation of the Roma, where
they can be equal citizens with equal rights, allowing them to fulfil their true potential.In this booklet, we highlight the milestones in our fight against anti-Gypsyism presenting our two resolutions, our work within the European Parliament to reform its Rules of Procedure, our cooperation with the European Council in this area, and our collaboration with the European Commission for an enhanced continuation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies after 2020. We have been able to achieve this progress thanks to the support of civil
society.We also provide an overview of our non-legislative efforts, such as the commemoration of the Roma Holocaust, the annual Roma Week initiated by Soraya Post, our major events and our Roma traineeship programme.
Finally, we present expert opinions on the importance of fighting anti-Gypsyism, introducing a small number of committed individuals who champion for an equal Europe on a daily basis.
We would like to express our gratitude towards the politicians who are taking their human rights responsibilities seriously. To the NGOs that raise their voices against injustice and are key for a secure democracy, and to all citizens
working towards a more sustainable Europe.It is only with our joint commitment that we can create a Europe that we are proud of. In the words of Simone Veil, the first female president of the European Parliament:
“Europe had a duty to be an example of democracy and respect for human rights.”
Download the Publication from the Website of the S&D Group (PDF)
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