1. Roma health and social inequalities FRA Roundtable on 'On a road to Equality'

2. Lisbon Treaty - New general obligation for the EU to combat exclusion and discrimination The Union “shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child” - Art. 3 Para. 3 (TEU) “In defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall aim to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation” - Art. 10 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)

3. EU Anti-Discrimination Legislation The Racial Equality Directive (RED) 2000/43/EC Implements the principle of equal treatment between people irrespective of racial or ethnic origin; Gives protection against discrimination in employment and training, education, social security, healthcare and access to goods and services including housing; Gives victims of discrimination a right to make a complaint through a judicial or administrative procedure, associated with appropriate penalties for those who discriminate. Provides for the establishment in each Member State of an organisation - National Equality Body

4. FRA Research & Data Collection The situation of Roma EU citizens moving to and settling in other EU Member States – November 2009 Housing conditions of Roma and Travellers in the EU – October 2009 European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS) – April 2009 FRA & EUMC Annual Reports – RAXEN & FRALEX data collection Roma and Travellers in Public Education – May 2006 Breaking the Barriers – Romani Women and Access to Public Health Care – July 2003

5. Breaking the Barriers – Romani Women and Access to Public Health Care Joint Project: OSCE Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Council of Europe’s Migration and Roma/Gypsy Division and the EUMC. Qualitative research: interviews conducted with representatives of governments, non-governmental organisations and with Romani women in BG, FI, FR, UK, GR, HU, IE, LT, NL, PL, RO, SK, ES as well in Moldova and Serbia and Montenegro.

6. Research Key findings The health status of Roma is generally very poor across Europe, and there is little information about the needs and interests of Romani women. Romani women tend not to prioritise attention to their own health; at the same time they are often the primary caregivers in their families and communities. Access to healthcare is both a precondition to and inseparable from access to a legal identity, adequate social protection, education, minimum living conditions and housing. Limited Information, physical and economic barriers to accessing health care for Roma result from the interrelated effects of discrimination and poverty.

7. Roma experience various kinds of direct and indirect discrimination in accessing health care. These include:  Refusal of assistance by general practitioners or health care institutions;  Segregation in health care facilities;  Inferior and degrading treatment;  and difficulties in accessing emergency care imposed as a result of their ethnicity.

8. Many Roma lack identity cards, birth certificates and other official documentation of their legal status. Such documents are often required to access public services. Many Roma lack access to information about social benefits, including the fact that access to a doctor often depends on registration with and periodic visits to an unemployment office as proof of entitlement to care. Poor living conditions, problems securing a permanent domicile, lack of services, and forced evictions all impact negatively on access to health care. Difficulties for Romani women in accessing health care are compounded by attitudes and community practices that draw attention away from women’s health and may constitute sex discrimination.

9. EU – MIDIS: Topics Covered Discrimination Experiences Employment Education Housing Health + social service Consumer service Private services General perceptions on discrimination in MS Rights awareness/complaints Victimisation Experiences Property Assault and threat Serious harassment Corruption Police stops/contact Border stops

10. Data in focus report: The Roma  Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia  500 Roma respondents interviewed in each Member State  Interview period: 3 May – 10 July 2008  As a group, the Roma reported the highest overall levels of discrimination of all groups surveyed.

11. Average discrimination rate % discriminated against in the past 12 months (nine areas) – Experiences of discrimination

12. % of respondents who did not report discrimination to an organisation incidents in the past 12 months, nine areas

13. Main reasons for not reporting discrimination (%)

14. % of respondents discriminated against on ethnicity by healthcare personnel the past 12 months

15. Thinking about the last five years, have you ever been discriminated against when looking for a house or apartment to rent or to buy by people working in a public housing agency or by a private landlord or Agency? (%)

16. Awareness of laws prohibiting discrimination when renting or buying a flat (%)

17. Do you know of any organisation that can offer support or advice to people who have been discriminated against (%)

18. Comparative Report Housing Conditions Roma and Travellers in the EU In December 2007 the European Commission asked FRA to develop a comprehensive comparative report on the housing conditions of Roma and Travellers The FRA commissioned the work to the European Roma Rights Centre and Pavee Point Travellers Centre Evidence collected across the EU cover 2000–2009 by the FRA’s RAXEN network and additionally by contractor  Comparative report  Six case studies illustrating various housing initiatives (qualitative research)  Analysis of relevant EU-MIDIS data (quantitative research)

19. Research key findings  Large numbers of Roma and Travellers in the EU do not enjoy equal treatment in respect to housing  Many live in substandard conditions, which fall far below even minimum criteria of adequate housing  Some live in squalid shanty-towns and temporary camps, often in segregated and hazardous areas  Roma and Travellers housing is often in areas with poor access to public services, employment and schools  In some cases access to public utilities such as water, electricity or gas are inadequate or even non existent

20. Segregation Many Roma and Travellers continue to live in areas that are segregated severely limiting access to education, employment, health care – affecting future life chances There is some evidence that segregation makes Roma more susceptible to violent attacks While there are housing policies and projects actively combating segregation, e.g. in Spain, the research also identified policies and projects in other MSs that fail to address segregation or even further it

21. Multiple discrimination Women, the elderly and persons with disabilities more likely to experience problems, but projects and policies do not normally take account of their particular needs Widespread lack of awareness about this issue among policy makers, and civil society organisations Lack of data disaggregated by ethnicity and other characteristics such as gender, age or disability

22. Thank you for your attention Michail Beis Michail.beis@fra.europa.eu

23. EU-MIDIS Findings on Roma: Crime and victimisation  EU-MIDIS results indicate that Roma respondents are by far the most vulnerable group to become victims of crime:  On average – 1 in 4 Roma respondents were victims of personal crime – including assaults, threats and serious harassment – at least once in the previous 12 months.  On average – 1 in 5 Roma respondents were victims of racially motivated personal crime – including assaults, threats and serious harassment – at least once in the previous 12 months.

24.  Roma who were victims of assault, threat or serious harassment experienced on average 4 incidents over a 12 month period.  81% of Roma who indicated they were victims of assault, threat or serious harassment in the previous 12 months considered that their victimisation was racially motivated.  73% of Roma respondents identified members of the majority population as being perpetrators in connection with the last incident of assault, threat or serious harassment they experienced.

25. Racial victimisation: 81% of respondents who indicated they were victims of assault, threat or serious harassment considered that their victimisation was racially motivated

26. Contact with Law Enforcement, Immigration, Customs and Border Control  The research findings with respect to the percentage of Roma respondents who indicated they were stopped by law enforcement in the last 12 months show great variation between the Member States!  For example 56% of respondents in Greece indicated they were stopped in the last 12 months compared with only 14% in Bulgaria.

27. Stopped by the police (%) in the past 12 months

28. Ethnic profiling: stops by the police  When Roma were asked whether they considered that they were stopped by the police in the last 12 months on the basis of their ethnicity – ‘ethnic profiling’ – the research results indicate a consistent pattern between the volume of stops and the extent of ethnic profiling.  Greece stands out amongst the seven Member States as having a highly policed Roma community that considers its encounters with the police to be discriminatory.

29. Perception of ‘ethnic profiling’ when stopped by the police (%) in the past 12 months

30. Ethnic profiling: stops by immigration, customs or border control  Roma respondents were also asked whether they had been stopped by immigration, customs or border control when entering the country within the last 12 months, and, if they had, whether they considered that they had been singled out for stopping specifically on the basis of their minority background.  The survey results, indicate that half of Roma respondents in the Czech Republic consider that they were singled out for stopping on the basis of their minority status when coming back into the country.

31. Perception of profiling when stopped by the border control (coming back to their country) (%) in the past 12 months

32. Thank you very much for your attention For more information http://fra.europa.eu/eu-midis/