SOCIAL INCLUSION : ROMA INTEGRATION: COORDINATION BUT NO OBLIGATIONS.

Member states will not be obliged to improve their policies on Roma integration, which apart from those of Hungary and Spain still show shortcomings, but Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding and Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor introduced "European coordination of national strategies" in a communication presented on 5 April in Strasbourg.

The European Commission does not follow MEPs' recommendations for binding objectives. It proposes national goals and member states will be asked to conduct an initial appraisal of their efforts next December. The common priorities include completion of primary school by 100% of Roma children by 2020 compared with 42% today. The European average is 97.5%.

The largest European minority - made up of 12 to 15 million persons - is also the victim of labour market discrimination. The Commission's aims in this respect are understood to include vocational training for Roma, a ban on discrimination and better social protection.

The third priority: housing, water, electricity, gas, etc, must be accessible to all Roma, sedentary or not.

The Commission will monitor implementation of these objectives - member states' reports at the end of 2011 will be the first opportunity to determine whether progress is being made - but no penalty system is planned.

The executive also proposed that each member state appoint a contact person who would liaise with it regularly.

ABSORPTION OF EU FUNDS

Structural Funds (European Social Fund, European Development Fund, Cohesion Fund) do...