Commissioner: Member States, EU Must Integrate Roma

EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Laszlo Andor. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The EU is ready to up its efforts in Roma integration, if member states follow suit in doing so, stated EU social affairs commissioner Laszlo Andor.

He was speaking at the opening of a conference held in Romania over the use of EU funds for Roma integration.

Commissioner Andor deplored that fact that "countless young persons grow up in city ghettos and segregated rural areas in Europe, one of the richest regions of the world."

He characterized the recent campaign of the French government to oust Roma from Bulgaria and Romania to their home countries as unacceptable, but added that ironically this has drawn stronger attention to the problems Roma are facing.

The Hungarian commissioner called for all member states with Roma populations to do more for their integration and wellbeing.

It is estimated that over 10 M of Roma live in the EU, forming its largest minority.

Some 400,000 Roma live in Bulgaria, which is about 5% of the population. For Romania, the figures are 550,000 persons or about 2.5% of the population.

Estimates have it that Hungary is home to more than another half-million Roma people.

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