“In order to combat social exclusion and poverty, the Union recognises and respects the right to social and housing assistance so as to ensure a decent existence for all those who lack sufficient resources, in accordance with the rules laid down by Community law and national laws and practices.” (Art. 23.3, European Charter of Fundamental Rights)



On January 13th a group of 70 Roma were taken by the Romanian Police in Bucharest and fined between 750,000 to 1,000,000 Rol (20 - 25 euro) for illegal housing. They were released around 2 p.m the same day. Later on the representatives of the City Hall, police officers and gendarmes came to the Roma neighbourhood with orders for eviction and demolition of houses.



Due to the presence of Romani Criss a Romanian Human rights NGO; the actions were postponed for the next day not before non-nominally summonses were handed.



According to Romani CRISS[1] there is no legal ground for the actions of the 1st district Bucharest City Hall since the field is private property.



The actions are a serious infringement of the right to property granted under the Romanian Constitution as well as a violation of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights respectively the Government Obligations to Prevent Forced Evictions.



Despite the legal arguments invoked by Romani CRISS, the City Hall representatives continued to execute the demolition of the houses. The Mayoralty pulled down two buildings. Following a series of interventions from representatives of the Romanian Government and Parliament the actions was stopped and measures to address the situation taking in consideration the complex issues affecting the Roma community from Tarafului Street.



ERIO[2] and Romani CRISS consider such actions of social exclusion carried out by public local authorities against Roma are not only illegal but against the Lisbon Strategy and in grave discrepancy with the political discourse of the Romanian Government.

Both ERIO and Romani CRISS express their concern regarding the potential danger of such practices carried by local authorities and recommend a better collaboration between national and local authorities in order to promote the social inclusion of Roma.



Both organisations congratulate the reaction of representatives of the Romanian government and parliament and consider that further steps in the same direction, together with a stronger collaboration between the Roma NGOs and the political elites could curb the historical exclusion and discrimination of Roma in Romania.


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[1] Romani CRISS combines civic militantism with the designing and the implementation of public policy programs for the benefit of local Roma community, in order to respect Roma rights as human beings and as a minority. CRISS activates in the multiethnic communities with Roma population from Romania in order to consolidate the local democratic institutions based on the non-discriminatory respect of the civil, political, economical and cultural rights. CRISS promotes the political concept of Roma as people in the world Diaspora and as a European minority to whom the national states and the intergovernmental institutions have a special responsibility.

[2] See www.erionet.org



Valeriu Nicolae Executive Director ad interim ERIO
European Roma Information Office
Avenue Edouard Lacomble 17 , Brussels 1040
Tel : 0032 (0) 2733 34 62
Fax: 0032 2733 3875
Mobile :0032 (0) 476538194