First EU Roma Summit
Christine Boutin,Vladimir Spidla, George Soros
- On: 16.09.2008
- In: Brussels
Roma inclusion: a priority affirmed by the French Presidency at the first EU Roma summit.
The first EU Roma Summit was held on 16 September 2008 in Brussels. Organised by the European Commission in partnership with the Soros Foundation, it was attended by 400 representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, national parliaments and governments and NGOs working on Roma issues. The French Presidency was represented by Christine Boutin, the French Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and minister responsible for combating social exclusion.
Speakers included European Commissioners Vladimír Špidla (Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) and Ján Figel' (Education, Training, Culture and Youth), George Soros, the chairman of the Soros Foundations Network and the Open Society Institute, two MEPS of Roma origin, Livia Karoka and Viktoria Mohacsi, and Christine Boutin, who affirmed the French Presidency's commitment to addressing the Roma issue. This issue will also be examined at the Equality Summit in Paris on 29 and 30 September, the Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion in Marseilles on 15 and 16 October, and the European Council in Brussels on 11-12 December 2008.
Ms Boutin emphasised the need for political will at national level to intensify efforts to help the Roma population access education, employment, health services and housing, while calling for more coordination between EU Member States using the existing legislation and instruments (anti-discrimination directives, European Structural Funds, etc.) put in place by the European institutions.
Lastly, Ms Boutin appealed for proposals for specific pro-Roma actions, particularly from NGOs, to help guide the preparatory work of the December European Council.
- Updated: 18.09.2008
