Publications

Weekly Mail n° 259

• News from ENAR
• News from other networks
• News from Europe
• EU institutions  
• Roma issues
• Reports & publications
• Conferences & events
• Vacancies

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• Launch of ENAR’s 2009-2010 shadow report on racism in Europe

ENAR is organising the launch event of its 2009-2010 Shadow Report on racism in Europe on 21 March 2011, on the International Day Against Racism. A press conference will be held in the morning at the Residence Palace in Brussels. On the occasion of the launch, ENAR is organising a Round Table in the European Parliament in Brussels, which will be hosted by the European Parliament’s Anti-racism and Diversity Intergroup, focusing on the issue of racial violence in Europe. For more information, contact Celina Kin-Armbrust at celina@enar-eu.org.

• Save the date for ENAR’s Employment Conference: Broadening the race for equality

This year’s ENAR Employment Conference ‘Broadening the race for equality’ will be held on 24 June 2011 at ‘The Hotel’ (formerly Hilton) in Brussels. Through this conference, we aim to promote, deepen and enlarge the ENAR Alliance on Promoting Equality in Employment, a pioneering initiative bringing together companies committed to diversity and inclusion and the anti-racist civil society to work together and engage in finding solutions to ensure the full participation of ethnic minorities in the labour market. The conference will also enable the sharing of good practices and the development of common advocacy strategies by NGOs, private companies, trade unions, public employers, and other relevant stakeholders, both at European and national level. Read more

• ENAR is currently recruiting volunteers and/or interns

• Social Platform writes to President Barroso on European Platform Against Poverty

The Social Platform sent anopen letterto Commission President Barroso welcoming the Commission’s communication on the European Platform Against Poverty (EPAP), one of the main tools to deliver on the EU target to take at least 20 million people out of poverty and social exclusion by 2020.Four proposals were made to ensure that the EPAP delivers solid results: working in partnership with civil society at EU and national level in line with the Europe 2020 integrated guidelines; ensuring that the next multi-annual financial framework, and resulting EU financial instruments, back up the actions of the EPAP with strong financial support; ensuring a broad perspective to tackling poverty and social exclusion; and ensuring that Europe 2020 monitoring and governance takes into account “inclusive growth” and the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Read more

• EAPN calls for restoring inclusive growth as an equal priority

The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) sent a letter to the members of the Employment and Social Affairs Ministers’ Council (EPSCO), in view of their meeting on Monday 7 March to discuss their response to new developments on Europe 2020, including the new European Semester, proposals for economic governance and the European Flagship against Poverty and Social Exclusion. Current economic governance proposals will only result in increased poverty andinequality and put at risk the commitment of people to the EU project. EAPN calls on the EPSCO Council to defend the EU project and preventsocial degradation, restoring balance to EU economic governance. EAPN highlights its concern of the return to a “growth only” strategy, undermining the commitments made to a coherent economic, environmental and social approach for Europe 2020. Read more

• EWL and AGE welcome ECJ ruling against sex discrimination in insurances

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) delivered its ruling in the Test-Achats case (C-236/09) concerning sex discrimination in insurance premiums. The ECJ ruled that different insurance premiums for women and men are not compatible with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. Member States are not allowed to derogate from the principle of equality between women and men in their national legislation. The ‘opt out’ clause in the Council’s Directive 2004/113 on gender equality in access to and supply of goods and services is thus illegal. As of 21 December 2012, no further differentiations in insurance premiums and benefits for women and men will be permitted in the EU. The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and AGE Platform Europe, who partnered up with the Belgian consumers’ organisation ‘Test-Achats’ in the context of the adoption of the Directive, are delighted at the result. Read more

• Amnesty welcomes EC call for improvements in Croatia’s human rights record

Amnesty International has welcomed a European Commission report calling for swifter reform of the Croatian justice system and improvements in the country’s human rights record. The Commission has said that Croatia must set a convincing track-record in addressing impunity for war crimes there. Following the report’s publication, the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle said the Commission proposes to conclude negotiations with Croatia once all shortcomings the report identifies, including impunity for war crimes, are addressed. Read more

• SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards 2011

NEWS FROM EUROPE

• Marine Le Pen poll rating shock for French politics

An opinion poll suggesting far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, could win the first round of next year's presidential election has caused a shock in France. The survey for ‘Le Parisien ‘newspaper puts the National Front leader, who took over from her father Jean-Marie in January, ahead of all other candidates. It gives her 23% of the vote, 2% ahead of both President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist leader Martine Aubry. However, some analysts question the accuracy of the online poll. Read more

• Tensions in Cyprus over immigration policy

Following the Cypriot government’s attempt to move 70 asylum seekers to a Larnaca hotel converted into a reception centre as a way to cut their monthly benefits, deputies and ruling party AKEL waded into the debate on rising tensions between Larnaca residents and Palestinian asylum seekers and refugees. As MPs fought a war of words with Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis, around 25 Palestinians tried to set up camp in the mixed village of Pyla in protest against getting their benefits cut, drawing the ire of local residents who gathered to kick them out the village. Police and the UN had to intervene to calm tempers and prevent the situation from spiralling out of control. KISA, ENAR’s national coordination in Cyprus, distinguished between asylum seekers and refugees, saying the government was entitled to move the former to reception centres but should have given them more than three days warning. The latter however cannot be forced to move out of Larnaca. KISA pointed out that many asylum seekers have been living freely in Larnaca for two years waiting for their applications to be processed, and are understandably reluctant to suddenly move into ‘hotel’ rooms with no electricity sockets and an 8pm curfew. Read more

• Greece hunger strike migrants taken to hospital

Up to 50 migrants are being given hospital treatment, almost five weeks after going on hunger strike in Greece. More than 280 migrants in Athens and Thessaloniki began the hunger strike in late January, calling on Greece to give them residence permits. Some of the migrants were being treated for acute kidney failure, Greek media said. As supporters gathered outside the Greek parliament in Athens, there were reports of minor scuffles with police. An immigrant support network said many of the strikers, most of them from North Africa, had stopped taking water. The hunger strikers, many of whom have lived and worked on the Greek island of Crete for years, have attracted the support of unions, human rights organisations and a number of academics. At least 350,000 migrant workers in Greece are without residence permits, which are required for access to social insurance payments. But the number of unemployed migrants has risen as the national jobless rate has climbed to almost 14%. The Greek government has refused to legalise all the migrant workers but said this week it would consider easing residency regulations. Read more

• Poll in UK finds huge support for far right ‘if they gave up violence’

• Sweden in 'historic' deal on immigration policy

• Dior sacks designer Galliano over anti-Semitic video

•   MEPs question EU's immigration and asylum capacity following Arab revolutions

Popular uprisings in the Arab world are sending ripples across the Mediterranean forcing the EU to re-think its immigration and asylum policy. In an extraordinary meeting of 1 March Civil Liberties Committee questioned the Council Presidency, the Commission, the European External Action Service and EU border agency Frontex on the EU's ability to cope with possible huge waves of refugees and immigrants from southern neighbourhood who are fleeing persecution and poverty. The fear is that Asylum systems of European countries could be overwhelmed by possible mass influx of migrants from and via northern Africa as people try to flee instability. Read more

• First European Equal Pay Day

• Say no to hate pages on Facebook

• US ambassador urges Bulgaria to take greater measures to look after its Roma population

• Report by Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe criticises the Czech Republic on Roma integration

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, released areportbased on his visit to the Czech Republic on 17-19 November 2010. The Commissioner is concerned by frequent racist and anti-Roma discourse among leading politicians and the media in the Czech Republic, which continue to provide a platform for anti-Gypsyism. He recommends the adoption of measures, including by promoting active self-regulation, to effectively address and eliminate racist and stigmatising speech against Roma in politics and the media. In addition, he underlines that a vigorous implementation of the relevant criminal provisions must be ensured. Read more

• Research finds Roma pupils are more comfortable at school than non-Roma

• Scotland: Tour backs Roma rights

In Scotland, campaigners made a tour of Edinburgh's European consulates to lobby for the rights of Gypsy travellers and Roma, ending at Bute House, the First Minister's official residence. They handed in letters outlining cases of abuse and called on governments to guarantee human rights. Last week's action included Amnesty International, Unison and the Church of Scotland. John Watson, of Amnesty in Scotland, said: "It is time for governments across Europe to take action to end this abuse”. Read more

The Council of Europe has just published a report entitled ‘Rethinking progress and ensuring a secure future for all: what we can learn from the crisis (Trends in social cohesion n°22)’. The publication looks into the impact of globalisation, population movements, and the awareness of our interdependence and competition for natural resources are increasing. Against this background, the Council of Europe has asked several noted intellectuals about their vision for the future, inviting them to share their thoughts in order to spark a debate on how to envisage societal progress and ways of living together. Read more

• New EPC Working Paper, Temporary and circular migration: opportunities and challenges

• Social Innovation Initiative for Europe launch event

The "Social Innovation Europe" initiative is supported by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry. It aims to become a meeting place for social innovators, entrepreneurs, non-profit organisations, policy makers and anyone else who is inspired by social innovation in Europe. The initiative is run by a consortium of European partners, led by the Social Innovation eXchange (SIX) at the Young Foundation. The objectives of this event are to network social innovators from Europe and beyond, and to develop an understanding of social innovation, related themes and the most appropriate tools. This will be achieved by short inspirational speeches from thought leaders, group work and some innovative networking activities. The 150 participants of this event will come from civil society, businesses, governments, public sector organisations and the social economy. Read more

• Stakeholder meeting on protecting and developing historical linguistic minorities under the Lisbon Treaty

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is drafting an own initiative opinion on "Protecting and developing historical linguistic minorities under the Lisbon Treaty". The Rapporteur on the opinion, Mr Luciano Caveri (IT/ALDE), Regional Councillor of the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta, together with his expert, Mr. Saverio Favre are coming to Brussels to meet with representatives of various stakeholders for a consultation and exchange of views on his opinion. The consultation will take place on 8 March 2011 at the Committee of the Regions. For more information contact Alexander Popov at the CoR: alexander.popov@cor.europa.eu

• Conference "Transforming Reality: Roma people in films, photos and music”

The Socialists & Democrats group in the European Parliament are organising a conference entitled ‘Transforming Reality: Roma people in films, photos and music’. The conference, which will take place in the European Parliament on 15 March 2011, will be opened by Mr. László Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Read more