The European Commission has a “high level” conference planned in Bucharest next month to discuss the contribution and usage of European Union funding for the integration of Roma as part of its fight against poverty.
The Bucharest conference will be on Oct. 12 and 13, and will be followed by two regional events on Oct. 14 in the Romanian city of Cluj, and Oct. 20 in the city of Iasi, according to a description of the event on the EU’s website.
There are as many as 12 million Roma, as gypsies from eastern Europe are known, in the EU, candidate countries and potential candidate countries, according to the commission. Programs in 12 member states have a total budget of 17.5 billion euros ($22.8 billion) over the period 2007-2013 for measures benefiting Roma and other vulnerable groups. The conference is aimed at improving the usage and awareness of the funding.
“We have been working on this for a very long time,” Cristina Arigho, spokeswoman for EU Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Laszlo Andor, said by telephone today. “It’s not a reaction to what’s been going on at the moment,” she said, referring to France’s controversial expulsion of Roma.
The deportation of Roma from France may be illegal, according to the commission. The EU’s executive arm is embroiled in a diplomatic row with France after EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding last week compared the expulsions to World War II deportations. She apologized for making the comparison on Sept. 15.
