EP Vice-President Livia Jaroka welcomed Thursday s decision by the European Parliament (EP) to adopt by a large majority the EU s report on the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies. "The decision means that ten years of work has come to fruition, as the Roma integration measures initiated by Hungary may reach a new level. Today, we adopted a document which will define the next ten years, recommending additional developments in the current institutional and financial structure," the politician said.

Livia Jaroka, a politician of Hungary s ruling party Fidesz and co-rapporteur of the report in the European People s Party, emphasized that Thursday s decision reaffirmed the parts of the Roma Report (adopted in 2011) that were left out of the Council documents: the system of feedbacks and controls, the complex management of different policy areas, the introduction of specific commitments and – if necessary – sanctions, the importance of advancing the Balkan states; and the significance of Roma inclusion.

Ms Jaroka stressed the importance of a system based on of transparency, controls and feedbacks. The past ten years and the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic have helped to clarify the primary obcejtives of the work aimed at integrating the Roma, including the improvement of the quality of education and the creation of job opportunities for Roma communities. This is not an ethnic issue, but a shared interest of the societies of all member states.

„Hungary has provided a lot of good examples in recent years and we have performed among the best. This is also shown by the fact that the three largest party groups in the European Parliament have entrusted Hungarian representatives with the active participation in drafting the report”, the politician pointed out. She added that Hungary s results are encouraging for other member states as well.

The Roma issue is not a scene for political battles, but requires wise and well-founded policy decisions. The report calls on the Commission and the Council to pay special attention to the newly adopted report on the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies. Ms Jaroka also welcomed Ursula von der Leyen s thoughts on Roma integration in her parliamentary speech regarding the state of the European Union.

Járóka Lívia mint az Európai Parlament nyugat-balkáni kapcsolatokért felelős alelnöke külön örömét fejezte ki, hogy a jelentés túlmutat az EU jelenlegi keretein és segítő kezet kíván nyújtani a nyugat-balkáni romák számára is. Bizakodásra okot adó az Európai Bizottság és Várhelyi Olivér biztos úr ezen a területen mutatott való elkötelezettsége. 

As EP vice-president i charge of relations with the Western Balkans, Livia Jaroka said she was particularly pleased that the report went beyond the current EU framework and intended to provide support to Roma communities in the Western Balkan states. She called the commitment shown by the European Commission and Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi encouraging.

Finally, she thanked rapporteur Romeo Franz and all those who ve worked on the success of the report without making it a scene for ideological debates. She called on the member states  governments to draft strategic changes along the guidelines of the European Parliament which would ensure a full and happy life free of discrimination for all Roma people in Europe.