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| EUROPE AND EXPULSIONS (16.11.2007) |
| (2007-11-16) |
| Last updated: 2007-11-19 14:29 EET |
On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution on the decree adopted by the Italian government on the expulsion of Community citizens, which is mainly directed against Romanians. The resolution, adopted with 306 votes in favour and 186 against, rejects collective expulsions, restating the need to fight any form of racism and xenophobia, and claiming that the freedom of movement is a fundamental principle of the European Union.
The resolution also stipulates that the expulsion of EU citizens should be made within strict limits, out of public order, public safety and public health reasons. Any such measure must be exclusively based on individual behavior and in any case, should be other than preventive in character. The resolution also recommends the European Commission to initiate as soon as possible a strategy for the social inclusion of the gypsy minority, a strategy based on community funds.
The vote took place after extremely heated debates, on Monday, when European Commissioner for Justice, Franco Frattini, member of the European People’s Party (PPE), the largest group in the Strasbourg Parliament, was strongly criticized. Several Euro MPs, including Italians, reproached Frattini for issuing statements that mix up his function as European official and as member of the Italian opposition. As a consensus could not be reached, two draft resolutions were tabled: one from the European Socialists and another from the European People‘s Party.
The Socialists’ variant, which was the one adopted, was backed by the Liberals, the Greens and the United Left. The resolution only has the character of a recommendation for the European Commission; since a directive of the so-called Brussels government was not given, the Italian decree will not be affected. Radu Carp, senior lecturer with the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Bucharest, explains the situation.
“At this stage, neither the European Parliament nor the European Commission can block the implementation of this decree. The only European institution that can block the enforcement of the decree is the European Court of Justice. In this respect, the best stance for the Bucharest Government would be to submit the case to the European Court of Justice, which has the capacity to block the orders of the prefects, in fact to contest the orders under this decree. “
Until then, the situation of gypsies from Romania and of Romanians in Italy remains a difficult one, and not just because of the decree adopted by the Italian executive after the death of an Italian woman and the arrest of a Romanian of Roma origin. The searches, arrests, threats and attacks that followed, coupled with the aggressive rhetoric of Italian politicians and the press, have enhanced the sense of insecurity felt by the Romanian community. Can the resolution adopted by the European Parliament change the situation? Will it remain a mere recommendation? Will it hold the Italian authorities to account? As yet, it’s too early to say.
(Florentin Capitanescu)
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