European Trade Union Committee for Education

In its plenary session on 15 April 2015, the European Parliament adopted a resolution to end discrimination against Roma. The members of the European Parliament called upon European member states on the occasion of the International Roma Day (8 April) to acknowledge the genocide of Roma during World War II and to follow the recommendations of Roma Organisations to "recognise the 2 August as European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day".

"Discrimination and marginalisation, [...] is mainly the result from the failure of mainstream society to recognise the rights of individuals and the failure to provide the necessary structures for individuals to invoke those rights, " the motion for the resolution states. Due to the raising anti-Gypsyism in Europe, Roma today still suffer "intersectional discrimination" and "limited access to employment, education, health, social services and decision-making" and the Parliament requested member states to tackle racism. Furthermore MEPs asked to fully implement the Racial Equality Directive, which member states should have accomplished already in the year 2000. The Directive protects individuals and groups on grounds of race and ethnic origin.

ETUCE member organisations already play a decisive role in supporting Roma rights in the education sector and are invited to further promote the idea of the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day and to exert pressure on governments to fully implement the Racial Equality Directive.

To read more about the topic, please click here and to read about the ETUCE project on developing non-discriminating quality education for Roma children, please click here.