ENAR Weekly Mail 2
8 July 2005
ENAR’S ACTIVITIES
· Statement Calling for Solutions to End the Warehousing of Refugees
ENAR signed this statement, which calls for refugees to enjoy their basic rights under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and other instruments with special focus on their rights to earn livelihoods and freedom of movement.
Read the statement: in English // in French
To sign, contact Marion Fresia: mfresia@uscridc.org
NEWS FROM ENAR MEMBERS
· Sweden: The Blue And Yellow Glass House
Paul Lappalainen, Substitute Board member of ENAR-Sweden, published an Inquiry into the structural discrimination in Sweden. The focus is on discrimination due to ethnicity and religion and covers research in various areas such as working life, housing, education, legal system, media, politics and welfare services. In addition, calling upon experiences in the US, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands, as well as related fields such as gender equality, the Inquiry proposes some 50 measures to the government. You can download the report in Swedish, which includes a 20-page English summary (pages 39-59).
· Italy: new Euro-Mediterranean Institute “Paralleli”
Website: www.paralleli.org
NEWS FROM THE EU
· UK Presidency
On 1 July the UK took over the Presidency of the EU from Luxembourg. The website of the UK Presidency is now available and contains useful information about the next 6 months, including a calendar of key meetings as well as the UK’s priorities.
Read more in English // in French
Some of the UK Presidency declared priorities:
o Counter terrorism: taking forward EU Counter Terrorism Action Plan including measures such as the European Evidence Warrant, which will enable law enforcement agencies to quickly access important evidence from elsewhere in the EU.
o People trafficking and migration: developing an Action Plan on people trafficking and working for greater EU-wide police co-operation; managing migration into the EU through stronger links with the main source countries worldwide and strengthening the EU's borders.
o Combating all forms of discrimination in and through sport: this prioritisation of discrimination in sport follows an earlier European Commission decision to find out whether any national sports federations have rules that discriminate against non-nationals by September 2005, saying it will not hesitate to start infringement proceedings where rules discriminate against non-nationals.
· G5 discuss stricter immigration controls
Interior ministers from Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Germany (the so-called G5), met in France on 4-5 July for talks on organised crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Read more: in English // in French
They also agreed to introduce regular flights of shuttle airplanes, which will pick up illegal immigrants in the five countries, then drop them in the countries they are to be deported to. Read more: in English // in French
NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC)
· European Fundamental Rights Agency
On 30 June the EC adopted a proposal for a Regulation establishing an EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. The objective of the proposal is to extend the mandate of the EUMC by establishing an Agency which would be a centre of expertise on fundamental rights issues on the EU level, in line with the EU Fundamental Rights Charter. The Agency is to become operational on 1 January 2007.
Read the press release: in English // in French
The proposal (53 pages) is available: in English // in French
· European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007)
Five years after the adoption of landmark anti-discrimination legislation, the EC has issued a new framework strategy for EU action on anti-discrimination. The strategy is designed to ensure that discrimination is effectively tackled, diversity is celebrated and equal opportunities for all are promoted. The centerpiece will be a European Year of Equal Opportunities for All in 2007.
Read more about the European Year in English // in French
Communication on a framework strategy (COM/2005/224 final, 01.06.2005): in English // in French
Proposal for a Decision on the European Year (COM/2005/225 final, 01.06.2005): in English // in French
Both documents are also available in other European languages (see links), and have been issued in one hard copy document, which can be ordered at the Anti-Discrimination Unit of the Directorate-General Employment and Social Affairs.
· Annual Conference of key stakeholders in the EC Action Programme to Combat Discrimination
The 2005 conference took place in Lisbon on 25-26 April and focused on the theme of ‘Access to Justice’. It looked at the mechanisms through which people who have experienced discrimination can take action to seek redress. Conference proceedings and presentations and are now available (most documents are available in EN, some also in FR or other languages)
· Call for tender: Non-discrimination mainstreaming impact assessment - Study of Community policies and legislations
The EC recently launched a call for tender to support a study on how Community policies take account of the principle of non-discrimination. The study will examine a selected number of relevant policy fields and evaluate the extent to which they respect the principles of equal treatment as defined in the Employment Equality and Race Equality Directives. On the basis of this evaluation, it will come up with practical recommendations on how the Commission services can best respect and promote non-discrimination when devising and implementing all future relevant Community policies. Read more (English only).
NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
· AI recommendations on human rights policy to the UK Presidency
A strong human rights agenda can help the European Union overcome its political and institutional crisis and reaffirm the EU as a Union of values, said Amnesty International on 28 June in its recommendations to the UK Presidency of the EU.
Read the press release and Delivering on human rights - AI's ten-point program for the UK Presidency of the EU (available in English only).
· Social Platform devises 7 tests for the UK Presidency: Stand by your commitments!
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair took on two commitments for the UK Presidency of the EU: “making poverty history” and “making social Europe work”. Social NGOs welcomed these commitments and devised 7 tests upon which to assess the performance of the UK Presidency in six months time.
To download the Tests: in English // in French
· ECRE: Reception and Integration Newsletter, June 2005
This newsletter compiles and summarises developments on immigration issues since December 2004, covering EU and Council of Europe developments, academic studies and ECRE activities. (available in English only)
ROMA ISSUES
· Open Society Institute (OSI): Roma Programs
OSI's Roma Programs focus on issues related to Roma in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. They are aimed primarily at improving the social, political, and economic situation of Roma populations. These efforts address a range of open society issues, including legal and education reform, media access, youth outreach, and women’s empowerment. In addition, centrally funded OSI grants programs focus on human rights, culture, high-impact civic campaigns, political participation, support for Roma-led advocacy organizations, and systemic policy reform through the 2005-2015 Decade of Roma Inclusion. Read more on the OSI Roma programs website.
· Five organisations urge action to stop racial segregation of Roma
On 30 June, five NGOs sent a letter to the Czech Prime Minister, urging him to act to address an emerging crisis in the town of Bohumin, where a number of persons are threatened with forced eviction from their housing. The persons under threat - the majority of them Romani - have been offered racially segregated alternate housing arrangements or have been provided with no alternate housing at all. Read more
· Campaign for the promotion of health care among Roma in Macedonia
The LULUDI Roma Association of Women and Youth and the For a Happy Childhood NGO implemented a national survey on the use of health insurance and healthcare among the Roma in Macedonia. The survey, conducted on a sample of 1,000 Roma families, provides a general picture of the characteristics, needs and priorities of the Roma population in terms of healthcare. Read more
CONFERENCES & MEETINGS
· European Conference on “Building Social Policies on Fundamental Rights” ["Construire la Politique sociale sur les Droits fondamentaux"]
Date & venue: 11-12 October 2005, Brussels
This conference will address 2 core questions: What is the scope for building EU social policies on fundamental rights? What does this mean in practice – what are social policies built on fundamental rights? The conference will enable in-depth exploration of these questions by a diverse range of participants.
Read more: in English (translation in French forthcoming]
· Social Emergency and Crisis Intervention in large European cities
Organiser: FEANTSA (European Federation of Organisations working with the Homeless) [Fédération Européenne des Associations Nationales travaillant avec les Sans-Abri]
Date & venue: 27-28 October 2005,Paris
Rough sleeping and other forms of social emergencies remain an important problem in most cities in the EU. Several policies have been developed with varying results. The aim of the Conference is to bring together, for the first time, the various actors across the EU active in emergency services for the homeless and exchange the different existing practices and strategies on social emergency services. For more info and to register: in English // in French
· North-South Civil Society Conference on Refugee Warehousing
Date & venue: 25-26 September 2005, Geneva
Brief: This conference will gather advocates from refugee hosting and donor countries to learn from one another and to collaborate on tactics and strategies to win the basic rights of refugees to live free, dignified, and productive lives even as they await durable solutions. Read more: in English // in French
PUBLICATIONS
· European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC): 2003-2004 Bi-annual Report
This report provides a summary description of ERRC activities over the past two years, as well as a CD-Rom containing a selection of ERRC advocacy and legal submissions, key court judgments, articles by ERRC staff and affiliates, and media articles on ERRC activities.
Read the report (in English only) or order a hard copy of the report & CD-Rom from patricia.devenyi@errc.org - price: 35 Euros or 45 USD