MINELRES: Fwd: Official start of the European Roma Information Office in Brussels
MINELRES moderator
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Fri Mar 28 17:41:21 2003
Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>
Dear friends,
This week the European Roma Information Office- ERIO- in Brussels has
started. We hope that it will offer a serious and important contribution
to the improvement of the situation of the Roma in Europe Below you will
find more information.
Best regards
Josephine verspaget
Press statement
Official start of the European Roma Information Office in Brussels on 18
March 2003.
On Tuesday 18 March the European Roma Information Office has started its
work in Brussels, in the heart of the European Union.
The European Roma Information Office ERIO is an initiative of a group of
Roma leaders and activists. The aim of this European Roma Information
Office is to realise the legitimate rights of the Romany people in
Europe.
The director of the Information Office will be Angela Kocze, a well
known Romany activist, sociologist from Hungary. She will be assisted by
a deputy director.
Roma, and all related groups, are the largest minority of Europe. They
live all over Europe, in all the member states of the European Union and
in all the accession countries.
Despite efforts of the International organisations, such as the Council
of Europe and the OSCE, and some governments, most of the Roma in
Europe, inside and outside the European Union, live in bad
circumstances, comparable with the lives of poor people in slum areas in
developing countries.
Lack of houses, jobs, education, admission to health institutions are
daily facts for millions of Roma. Discrimination and exclusion from
society seem to be normal for the Romany population.
A recent report by UNDP, the development agency of the UN, described the
situation of the Roma as equally bad as in Sub Sahara Africa.
The European Roma Information Office will give information to the bodies
of the European Union, such as the Commission and the European
Parliament and other international organisations, about the actual facts
concerning all Human Rights, Political and Social Economic Rights of the
Roma in the EU member states and associated partners.
The European Roma Information Office will concentrate on the enlargement
process, funds and programs, the implementation of the Race Equality
Directive and all other issues, vital for the improvement of daily live
for Roma in Europe.
It will serve as a connecting point between the Roma grassroots
organisations, and the international organisations such as the Council
of Europe, OSCE, and NGOs like the European Roma Rights Centre etc.
It will also provide the Roma organisations with information about the
European Union, in order to create mutual interest.
For more information:
Judith Kiers, office manager ERIO, mob. tel. +31 6 5242-1987
Visiting address European Roma Information Office (ERIO)
Avenue Edouard Lacomble 17
B-1040 Brussels
Tel/Fax: +32-(0)2-733-3462/733-3875
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