Roemeens integratiebeleid voor Roma-zigeuners heeft te weinig budget volgens EU-rapport (en)
Auteur: | By Andrew Beatty
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A report set to be published today (27 September) says that Romania's efforts to improve the conditions of its Roma minority lack the necessary resources.
The report, obtained by the EUobserver, details the local implementation of Romania's three-year old strategy on improving conditions for the country's Roma population.
The 76-page report produced by the EU Monitoring and Advocacy Programme and the Open Society Institute says that while many of the bodies envisaged in the strategy have been set up they still lack resources.
Since 2001 the government, with the use of EU funds, has helped set up Prefecture-level County Offices for Roma; local experts at the town level according to the report.
However, the report notes: "While most of these bodies now exist in form, they lack the resources and authority that would enable them to carry out constructive activities at the local level".
"Monitoring indicates that participation in local working groups has been poor in some counties, with participating institutions delegating only low-level staff to attend".
Negotiations of EU membership
Romania is currently close to concluding its negotiations on EU membership.
The situation for the country's Roma has been repeatedly criticised by the European Parliament and human rights groups throughout this process and may yet prove problematic.
European Parliamentarians will have to approve Romania's accession treaty before it comes into force. Also, the current 25 EU member states must ratify the Romanian accession treaty.
The report does however praise some initiatives in assisting Roma in acquiring identity papers, offering family planning advice, increasing access to schools, and job training.
But, it says there is still more work to do: "The resolution of issues such as the legalisation of property, low education levels, and high unemployment will require much more sustained and far-reaching efforts than have been made so far".