OSCE, Alm.del - 2010-11 (1. samling) - Bilag 47: OSCE PA - Supplementary Item 1-25

1. Having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and inparticular its Articles 1, 8, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 35 and 45,2. Having regard to the international legislation on human rights covering all forms ofracial discrimination and the 1992 United Nations Declaration on the Rights ofPersons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities,3. Having regard to Article 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,which empowers the Council to adopt adequate measures to counter discriminationon racial or ethnic grounds,4. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 31 January 2008 on aEuropean strategy on the Roma,5. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 10 July 2008 on the censusof the Roma,6. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 11 March 2009 on the socialsituation of the Roma,7. Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 9 September 2010 on thesituation of Roma and on freedom of movement in the European Union,8. Having regard to the conclusions of the Employment, Social Policy, Health andConsumer Affairs Council on the inclusion of the Roma, adopted in Luxembourg on8 June 2009,9. Having regard to the Commission Working Document on inclusion of the Roma:“Roma in Europe: The Implementation of European Union Instruments and Policiesfor Roma Inclusion (Progress Report 2008-2010)”,10. Having regard to the reports on the Roma, racism and xenophobia in the EuropeanUnion Member States in 2009, published by the Fundamental Rights Agency of theEuropean Union, and the reports of the Commissioner for Human Rights of theCouncil of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg,11. Having regard to the recommendations, opinions and declarations of the Council ofEurope on the Roma population (Strasbourg, 20 October 2010),12. Having regard to the OSCE Action Plan for the Development of the RomaPopulation (December 2003),

13. Having regard to the first European Roma Summit, held in Brussels on16 September 2008, and to the second Summit, held in Córdoba on 8 April 2010,14. Having regard to the joint statement of the Trio (Spain, Belgium, Hungary) at theSummit held in Córdoba in April 2010, pledging a firm stance against stigmatizationand a quest for improved coordination and collaboration with the Commission andthe Parliament, together with participation in other political processes, such as theDecade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 and the OSCE Action Plan, in the frameworkof the recommendations of the Council of Europe and the United Nations,a. Considering that a high proportion of the 10 to 12 million Roma living inEurope have suffered systematic discrimination and face an intolerable degreeof social, cultural and economic exclusion, besides experiencing violations oftheir human rights and suffering serious stigmatization and discrimination inpublic and private life,b. Considering that since the first Summit (Brussels, September 2008) therehave been substantial changes:i. An integration platform has been established for Roma inclusion for thepurpose of exchanging good practices, promoting analytical support andstimulating cooperation: “Integrated Platform on Roma Inclusion”,established in 2009 by decision of the European Council,ii. Within its framework 10 common basic principles were defined andemphasis was laid on the non-exclusive approach and on themainstreaming approach,iii. Article 7 of the Structural Funds Regulation has been modified to fosterintegral action for improved housing conditions and for the eliminationof segregation, in both rural and urban areas,iv. There is more familiarity with the Roma issue,c. However, the living conditions of the Roma are not improving but in manycases deteriorating:i.Not only have the Roma not progressed on a par with the economicdevelopment of countries but in many cases their circumstances areworse and the effects of the economic crisis may exacerbate thesituation even further,The Roma population continues to be the most rejected in the majorityof European countries and the prejudices and stereotypes regarding itare on the increase,

vi. The Roma are beginning to benefit under the Structural Funds but thereis no evidence of any significant impact,vii. Spaces for Roma participation at European level have not beendeveloped,The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:15. Takes into account that the Roma should be an essential part of the participatingStates’ key policies:a. The 2020 Strategy and its key measures;b. The Roma perspective must be central to key policies (mainstreaming);c. Need for a strategy and a specific policy;16. Requests the Commission and the EU Member States to use all instruments toguarantee all the rights of the Roma population;17. Emphasizes the need to make full use of the potential of the financial instrumentsand in particular the Structural Funds:a. Empowerment of entities to access and manage the funds;b. More transparency, information and data (broken down by ethnic group andgender);c. More integrated measures;d. Long-term measures;e. Making access to the funds conditional on desegregating policies;f. Future Structural Funds regulations should reflect the needs of the Roma;18. Requires the introduction of new approaches and working methods, bearing in mindthat:a.b.c.d.More data and greater transparency are required;Results and impacts must be quantified;Desegregation is a key issue;Three working perspectives are needed: that of guaranteed human rights andequal treatment; that of social and economic promotion and integration; andthat of full citizenship;e. The perspective of the costs of exclusion should be taken into account;19. Requires that the existing instruments have to be more effective, and participatingStates are asked for coordination, promotion and cooperation;

20. Urges that policies must be more specific:a. The Commission must play an active promotion, support and coordinationrole;b. Local involvement is essential;21. Requires that Education is given the priority in breaking the inter-generationalexclusion gap:a. Desegregation at school is essential;b. Special attention must go to the transition between primary and secondaryeducation;22. Asks that the Roma must have more prominence:a.b.c.d.More spaces for participation are needed;More public and political presence is required of the Roma;Better self-organization;Priority should be given to women, children and young people;