France's Roma expulsion 'disgrace'

Europe’s Justice Commissioner, Viviane Reding, launched an angry tirade after weeks of tension over the French policy of Roma expulsions.

“Over the past weeks, the European Commission has been following very closely the developments in France regarding the Roma,” she said in a statement in Brussels.

“I personally have been appalled by a situation which gave the impression that people are being removed from a member state of the EU just because they belong to a certain ethnic minority. This is a situation I had thought Europe would not have to witness again after the Second World War.”

According to the European Commission, the Roma are the EU’s largest ethnic minority, and trace their origins to medieval India.

There are many Roma subgroups living in Europe, including an estimated 15,000 in France. The issue is now bound to be raised at a summit of EU leaders taking place in Brussels tomorrow.

Ms Reding’s outburst continued: “This is not a minor offence in a situation of this importance – after 11 years of experience in the Commission, I would even go further: this is a disgrace.

“Let me be very clear – discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe. It is incompatible with the values on which the European Union is founded.

“National authorities who discriminate ethnic groups in the application of EU law are also violating the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which all member states, including France, have signed up to.” Ms Reding accused France of double-dealing, claiming political assurances by French ministers that specific ethnic groups had not been targeted in France were contradicted by an “administrative circular” by the French government.

“The role of the Commission as guardian of the Treaties is made extremely difficult if we can no longer have confidence in the assurances given by two ministers in a formal meeting with two Commissioners,” she said.

“I am personally convinced that the Commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement action against France. I will, of course, give the French authorities the right to submit comments on the new developments in the course of the next days. But I make it very clear my patience is wearing thin – enough is enough.”

Last week Euro-MPs condemned France, attacking the “inflammatory and openly discriminatory rhetoric” of the French government about the mass deportation programme.

The European Parliament resolution also criticised a “late and limited” response by the European Commission – something Ms Reding more than remedied yesterday, after talks at Commission HQ about how far the Commission could go in its assault on a founding member state.

Labour’s European spokesman on civil liberties Labour MEP Claude Moraes also approved. “The French government is not above the rule of law and now the Commission is making that fact clear to President (Nicolas) Sarkozy.

“The beginning of action against a large founder member of the EU sends a huge warning signal to Italy, Sweden, Denmark and any other member states who feel they can expel EU citizens based on their ethnicity.