First published in AfroArticles, Buzzle and the American Chronicle on 16th September 2008 The event is a first; never before did so many influential European statesmen and administrators gather to honor a scattered nation of permanent migrants, the Roma. The First EU Roma Summit could herald a frank interest and a sincere pledge, but certainly these moral qualities never preoccupy the Brussels bureaucracy and their unelected and invisible masters. Why now this hypocritical interest for a so much insulted and offended nation? One has to remind to the deaf, bubble-talking EU administrators that there has never been any sort of discrimination against the non-Christian, non-Muslim, non-Jewish Roma in Asia and in Africa; the discrimination occurred in Europe, on Christian European territory only, and it would rather be advisable to present apologies than to bribe. Does the EU pursue such policies of corruption? The angelic authorities of the world’s most loathed centralizing political force certainly do not bribe anyone; they simply manage to invite Mr. George Soros in this event about the much persecuted (by European Christians) nation of the Roma (still comfortably called ‘Gypsies’ by so many ‘enlightened’ Europeans); he will probably pay the bill……

1. Roma People, Kosova, Abkhazia,
Aramaeans, Berbers of Kabylia,
Sidamas, Afars, and the EU Biases
The event is a first; never before did so many influential European statesmen
and administrators gather to honor a scattered nation of permanent migrants,
the Roma. The First EU Roma Summit could herald a frank interest and a
sincere pledge, but certainly these moral qualities never preoccupy the
Brussels bureaucracy and their unelected and invisible masters.
Why now this hypocritical interest for a so much insulted and offended
nation?
One has to remind to the deaf, bubble-talking EU administrators that there
has never been any sort of discrimination against the non-Christian, non-
Muslim, non-Jewish Roma in Asia and in Africa; the discrimination occurred
in Europe, on Christian European territory only, and it would rather be
advisable to present apologies than to bribe.
Does the EU pursue such policies of corruption?
The angelic authorities of the world’s most loathed centralizing political force
certainly do not bribe anyone; they simply manage to invite Mr. George Soros

2. in this event about the much persecuted (by European Christians) nation of
the Roma (still comfortably called ‘Gypsies’ by so many ‘enlightened’
Europeans); he will probably pay the bill……
Although arranged since many months and placed within a meticulous Roma
EU Agenda, the event takes place at a moment Kosova, Abkhazia and South
Ossetia have already been recognized, each of them by different countries.
The great concern for the Roma, shown by the EU Commission and the
notorious Hungarian Jewish businessman, is overshadowed by the total
indifference and the guilty silence of the European authorities for many
persecuted nations in Asia and Africa; the Aramaeans of the Middle East, the
Berbers of the African Atlas, the Afars and the Sidamas of the Horn of Africa
are only some of the existing examples of European disregard for persecuted
and subjugated nations.
Why as that?
One may suggest that the Roma inhabit European soil whereas the
Aramaeans, the Berbers, the Sidamas and the Afars live in Asia and Africa.
This is however only partly correct because the bulk of the Roma people live
in Asia, scattered there too.
EU policies are the Science of Intrigue and Conspiracy, Bias and Malignancy.
With the American commitment in favor of Kosova, and the Russian support
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the EU faces an avalanche of explosive
problems – all created by the traditionally vicious and perfidious European
mentality and attitude.
The American approach is different from the Russian only in terms of
execution; in fact, both tactics are similar in principles and concepts. Every
nation must delineate (in peace with the neighbors, if possible) its territory
and there exercise full sovereignty. The EU opposed both approaches; the
Europeans tacitly ‘agreed’ with the American insistence to go ahead with
Kosova only to avoid another Atlantic chasm. And the EU opposed softly the
Russian policy in Caucasus in order to slightly demarcate its policy from
Washington. But Europe is opposed to nation-building procedures,
independence and self-determination.
The Brussels bureaucracy is made of lunatics who oppose – shamelessly and
ominously – the secession of Galicia, Catalonia, Corsica, Brittany, Bask Land,
Scotland and many other lands annexed in forced by the states that still
control them - illegitimately. To prevent an independent Roma state in both
Romania and Bulgaria (with an enclave in Spain), where the bulk of Roma in
Europe have been dividedly dwelling over the past few centuries, the
disreputable bureaucrats of Brussels asked George Soros to pay for a

3. theatrical party that is about to take the form of real funerals of the Roma
nation.
To shed light on the excessive demonstration of false EU interest, which of
course was not accompanied by a formal apology, I re-publish from the EU
website a Press Release, the Programme of the theatrical EU-Roma party, and
a related Memorandum.
First EU Roma Summit
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=88&langId=en&eventsId=105&fu
rtherEvents=yes
On 16 September 2008, the European Commission’s first ‘EU Roma Summit’
will take place in Brussels, under the joint patronage of the Commission
President José Manuel Barroso and the French Presidency of the Council of
the European Union.
The Summit aims to promote a firm commitment to tackling concrete
problems and to creating a better understanding of the situation of Roma
across Europe. It will also help identify "policies that work" in promoting
inclusion and highlighting the plight of Roma communities. The outcome of
the discussions will be an important input for debates at EU level and for
further action.
The event will bring together more than 400 representatives of EU
institutions, national governments and parliaments and civil society including
Roma organisations. President Barroso, Vice-president Jacques Barrot (Justice
and Home affairs), Commissioners Danuta Hübner (Regional Policy),
Vladimír Špidla (Employment, Social affairs and Equal opportunities), Ján
Figel' (Education, Training, Culture and Youth), as well as Bernard Kouchner,
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (French Presidency) and several
ministers from Member States and candidate countries will be among the
speakers.
The background:
Roma communities in Europe continue to face persistent discrimination.
Following the enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and 2007, Roma
communities now represent one of the largest ethnic minorities in the EU.
However, the richness these communities could bring to European society is
often overlooked, tainted by stereotypes and prejudices that manifest
themselves in the form of economic, social and political discrimination.
The integration of Roma communities is a joint responsibility of Member
States and the European Union. In this respect, following from a request of

4. the European Council of December 2007, the Commission examined existing
Community instruments, policies and progress achieved towards Roma
inclusion. On 2 July 2008, the Commission published its response in the form
of a comprehensive staff working document. This report is essentially a stock-
taking exercise, outlining the way in which lessons learned can be used to
make existing instruments and policies more effective.
The event:
The conference will take place at the Charlemagne building, Rue de la Loi 170
(Room "Alcide de Gasperi" S 3) on 16 September 2008. A press conference will
take place in the Berlaymont press room at 12.30 that day. A press release will
be issued.
Journalists interested in attending the conference itself can register by sending
an e-mail to this address: patrick.lentz@bb-international.eu
Interpretation is provided in English, French, German, Bulgarian, Romanian,
Italian, Spanish, Slovak and Hungarian (simultaneous, active and passive) as
well as in Romanes (consecutive, passive).
The Programme
Morning session
9:30 – 10:30 Registration (CHAR Ground floor) and Welcome Coffee (CHAR S
3
Lobby)
10:30 – 10:40 Opening
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
10:40 – 10:50 Key Note Address
George Soros, Chairman of the Open Society Institute and Soros Foundations
network
10:50 – 11:00 Presentation of Roma video
11:00 – 12:20 Panel ‘Time to Act – Building a Strong Partnership for Roma
Inclusion’
Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social affairs and Equal
opportunities

5. Ján Figel, Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth
Christine Boutin, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs (Presidency of the
EU), France
Džamila Stehlíková, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities, Czech
Republic
Lívia Járóka, Member of the European Parliament
Viktoria Mohácsi, Member of the European Parliament
Nicolae Gheorghe
Moderator: Shada Islam, journalist, Senior programme executive, European
Policy Centre
Lunch Break
12:30 – 12:45 Opening of exhibition with paintings by Kasum Cana, Croatia
(CHAR S 3 Lobby)
12:45 – 14:00 Lunch (CHAR S 3 Lobby)
Afternoon session
14:00 – 14:10 Key note address
Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (Presidency of
the EU), France
14:10 – 15:25 Policy Panel 'Global Responsibility'
Chair: Mihnea Constantinescu, Special Envoyé of the Prime Minister on Roma
Issues, Romania
Rapporteur: David Mark, Coordinator European Roma Policy Coalition
Nyamko Sabuni, Minister for Integration and Gender Equality, Sweden
Božidar Djelic, Deputy Prime Minister, Serbia
Magda Kósáné Kovacs, Member of the European Parliament
Soraya Post, President, International Roma Women’s Network

6. Nezdet Mustafa, Minister without Portfolio, Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia
Rudko Kawczynski, President, European Roma and Travellers Forum
Discussion
15:30 – 15:40 Key note address
Shigeo Katsu, Worldbank
15:40 - 16:40 Policy Panel ‘Policies that Work: A Can-Do-Approach to
Inclusion’
Chair: Lajos Korozs, Secretary of State, Hungary
Rapporteur: Gruia Bumbu, State secretary, National Agency for Roma,
Romania
Andor Ürmös, Ministry for Social Affairs and Labour, Dept. of Roma
Integration, Hungary
Isidro Rodríguez, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Spain
Annemarie Sigmund, European Economic and Social Committee
Ivan Gabal, Gabal - Analysis & Consulting, Czech Republic
Eugenia Maria Roccella, Undersecretary of State for Employment, Health and
Social Policies, Italy
Rumyan Russinov, Roma Education Fund
Discussion
16:40 – 17:10 Coffee break (CHAR S 3 Lobby)
17:10 – 17:20 Key note address
Romani Rose, Zentralrat der Sinti und Roma
17:20 – 18:35 Policy Panel 'Rights Based Perspective'
Chair: Ivan Ivanov, Executive Director, European Roma Information Office
Rapporteur: Michael Guët, Council of Europe

7. Jacques Barrot, Vice-president of the European Commission, Commissioner
for Justice and Home Affairs
Anastasia Crickley, Fundamental Rights Agency
Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia, former MEP
Mohammed Aziz, ENAR
Valeriu Nicolae, European Roma Grassroots Organisation
Alexander Filipov, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Emergency Situations,
Bulgaria
Discussion
18:40 – 19:10 Closing panel ‘The Way Forward – Towards Concrete Steps for
Improvement’
Chair: Nikolaus G. van der Pas, Director-General for Employment, Social
affairs and Equal opportunities, European Commission
Rapporteurs
Andrzej Mirga, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights,
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Amparo Valcarce García, Secretary of State, Spain
19:15 – 19:30 Conclusions
Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social affairs and Equal
opportunities
Evening
20:30 – 23:30 Dinner and cultural event (Autoworld)
What is the EU Roma Summit?
MEMO/08/559 Brussels, 12 September 2008
European Roma Summit (Brussels, 16 September 2008)
The Summit will be the first time that EU institutions, national governments
and civil society organisations from around Europe come together at the

8. highest level to discuss the situation of Roma communities in the EU and find
ways to improve it.
The event – taking place on 16 September in Brussels – is being organised by
the
European Commission together with the French Presidency of the EU.
It is a follow-up to the Commission's July 2008 report on the EU instruments
and
policies available to support Roma inclusion, which called for a joint response
to
tackle Roma exclusion and discrimination in the EU (see IP/08/1072).
Why is the Commission organising this event?
In December 2007, EU leaders acknowledged for the first time that the Roma
face a very specific situation across the EU and called upon Member States
and the Union to use all means to improve their inclusion.
The Commission responded in July 2008 with a Communication and
accompanying Staff Working Document setting out a renewed commitment
to non-discrimination in general and action to improve the situation of Roma
in particular.
The Summit forms the next step in this process and aims to support and
promote a joint commitment by the Member States, the EU institutions and
civil society.
Why does the Summit only focus on Roma?
The situation of Roma is far more difficult than the situation of other ethnic
minorities. In 2007 the High Level Advisory Group of Experts on the social
integration of ethnic minorities and their full participation in the Labour
Market (High Level Group on ethnic minorities) identified 14 barriers to
ethnic minorities in getting a job (IP/07/1833).
The problems of most ethnic minorities can be explained by a limited number
of obstacles. Roma, however, are affected by nearly all of them (the 14 barriers
are: lack of education and training; lack of language skills; lack of recognition
of skills and qualifications; lack of access to professions; lack of access to
citizenship; lack of integration policies; stereotypes, prejudicesand negative
attitudes; industrial change; disincentives through welfare systems;
discrimination; lack of information; labour market competition; and
undeclared work).
What are the main challenges for Roma in the EU?

9. The Commission's July report described the situation of the Roma as
characterized by persistent discrimination – both at individual and
institutional level – and far-reaching social exclusion.
The problem is a complex one that requires a complex response – there is no
quick-fix solution and all aspects of the question need to be taken into
consideration. The main priorities, however, are pretty clear: education,
employment, health and housing.
Who is participating at the Summit?
More than 400 representatives of EU institutions, national governments,
parliaments and civil society will take part, including Roma organisations.
European Commission
President Barroso, Vice-President Barrot (Justice and Home affairs) and
Commissioners Špidla (Employment, social affairs and equal opportunities),
and Figel (Education, training, culture and youth) will be among the speakers.
They will be joined by Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European
Affairs and Christine Boutin, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs (on
behalf of the French EU Presidency), several ministers from EU Member
States and candidate countries as well as George Soros, Chair of the Open
Society Institute, Shigeo Katsu, Vice-President of the World Bank, and
Romani Rose, President of the German Central Council of Sinti and Roma.
The direct involvement of Roma organisations and representatives is a key
feature of the event. These include two Members of the European Parliament
of Roma origin, Lívia Járóka (EPP-ED, HU) and Viktória Mohácsi (ALDE,
HU).
Will the Summit launch a new European Roma policy?
The inclusion of Roma is a joint responsibility of the Member States and the
European Union. The European Commission is determined to act where it has
the competence, in particular by ensuring that the legislation already in force
(the Race Equality Directive) is properly enforced. However, it recognises that
this can be only successful if done in close cooperation with the Member
States. Many of the key areas for Roma inclusion – education, employment,
social inclusion, health services or the infrastructure and urban planning – are
national responsibilities. So the Commission is committed to supporting
Member States in implementing policies to improve the living situation of
Roma. This coordination of national policies supports benchmarking and
mutual learning and considerable resources in the framework of the EU
Structural Funds can be mobilised to implement respective policies.

10. What has the EU done so far to improve the situation of Roma?
The EU has for some years taken action in four key areas: Rights, policies,
financial support and awareness-raising. In particular,
• Roma are fully covered by EU legislation which prohibits discrimination on
grounds of ethnic origin in employment, social protection and education as
well as access to goods and services, including housing.
• The coordination of Member States' policies on education, employment and
social inclusion provides for a framework for mutual learning and the
identification of good practice.
• The European Social Fund is a powerful tool to improve the employability
of Roma and can be mobilised for a broad range of actions, such as tailormade
vocational training. During the last programming period 2000-2006, some
EUR 275 million were devoted to projects specifically targeted at Roma.
During the same time approx. EUR 1 billion was spent on measures targeted
at vulnerable groups, including the Roma.
• There is a persistent need for information and campaigning in order to
highlight the right to live a life free of discrimination, but also to underline the
richness which Roma contribute to European civilisation.
The Commission also organises an internship scheme for young Roma
graduates in partnership with the Open Society Institute. 10 young Roma join
the Commission for five months to work as trainees twice a year.
What will happen next?
The Summit will discuss the implementation gap in instruments and policies
to address Roma exclusion that was highlighted in the Commission's July
report.
The results of the debates and conclusions of the Summit will be submitted to
the French Presidency for further consideration in the Council of Ministers
ahead of the December 2008 European Council meeting of EU leaders. The
Commission will use all the means at its disposal to support this process
looking forward to a clear commitment from the European Council at the end
of the French Presidency.
Conference website
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=88
Video News Release: Defending Roma Rights in the European Union

11. http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/video_prod_en.cfm?type=detail&pro
did=6383&src=1
Note
Picture: Unfortunately, due to EU and George Soros manipulations, the Roma
Flag will never be offered a position in the UN.
By Prof. Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
Published: 9/16/2008