Debate: Condemning police violence against Romani people in the EU
Date: TUESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2021
Speaker: Anže Logar
Language: EN

All acts of discrimination, bias, hate speech and violence against any ethnic minority are unacceptable in 21st century Europe. These acts are a sad reminder of violence perpetrated against Roma and other ethnic groups by the authoritarian regimes of the 20th century.  We do have EU legislation prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or racial origin, as well as a framework decision on combating certain forms and expression of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law. Acting together as co—legislators, Parliament and the Council have also put in place legislation designed to safeguard and strengthen the rights of victims of crime and of their families.  It is up to Member States to implement this legislation, and it is their responsibility to maintain law and order. All this must be done in full respect of the rule of law. Engaging local communities as a whole in this process is essential.  At the same time, laws should be upheld in a non—discriminatory way and police should not be pressed into action when the use of force is justified and necessary. All this is essential, since each case of police violence can seriously damage trust in public authorities. The incidence of police violence against an ethnic group can be seen as an extreme example of systemic discrimination deeply rooted in society. At EU level, the Agency for Law Enforcement Training has been consistently offering a number of training courses focusing on respect for human rights in law enforcement activities. Moreover, we emphasise preventive action rather than coercive measures.  The Council adopted conclusions on certain aspects of European preventive policy in 2019 and is in close contact with the European Crime Prevention Network. This year, the Council has also adopted a recommendation on Roma equality, where it called for measures to effectively fight direct and indirect discrimination against Roma.  Romani people face considerable discrimination and, with it, comes exclusion and poverty. As this Parliament stated last year, many Roma live in extremely precarious conditions and in very poor socio—economic circumstances. That is why the Council recommendation seeks to give fresh momentum to Roma inclusion policies, with a focus on equality, inclusion and participation.  As part of this new drive, Member States have presented their new strategic frameworks for Roma inclusion to the Commission. The Fundamental Rights Agency will carry out regular surveys every four years, tracking progress. We should also do more to promote and communicate positive stories of integration and success of individual Roma or local Roma communities.  Honourable Members, the three institutions presented here today have been close partners in the effort over the past decade to improve the situation of the Roma community in support of the Member States, who of course hold key competences in this area.  We must do more to improve the marginalised situation of many of our Roma citizens. There are already many examples of Roma who reached beyond what at first sight appeared an environment deprived of opportunities and filled with prejudice and discrimination. We should encourage many more of them to seize the opportunities that do exist and, of course, make sure we keep creating those opportunities. Empowerment goes hand in hand with responsible citizenship. What we need are more individuals among Roma that are an integral and exemplary part of local and national communities where they live.