[Brussels, 04 June 2012] A new joint report from the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) highlights the continued plight of Roma people in EU countries.
Based on two surveys on the socioeconomic situation of Roma and non-Roma living nearby in 11 member states and in neighbouring European countries, the report shows that the situation of Roma in terms of employment, education, housing and health is on average worse than the situation of non-Roma living close by.
Only 15% of young Roma adults surveyed have completed upper-secondary general or vocational education, compared with more than 70% of the majority population living nearby.
On average, less than 30% of Roma surveyed are in paid employment, while around 45% of the Roma surveyed live in households lacking either an indoor kitchen, toilet, shower or bath, or electricity.
About 40% of Roma surveyed live in households where somebody went to bed hungry at least once in the last month because they could not afford to buy food.
The results contributed to the European commission’s Roma communication, presented in Strasbourg on Wednesday by EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding.
The EWL is working for a gender perspective in all EU Roma policies and is due this year to publish a Position Paper on the issue.
