Giving human rights credit: EU countries agree to toughen scrutiny of export loans loans

24/06/2011 – The European Commission is considering a review of the European Roma Platform with the objective to strengthen the Platform. We would very much welcome such a reform. In its current form, the European Roma Platform does not reach its objectives to ensure exchange of expertise, provide support and facilitate cooperation between all concerned parties in a meaningful way.

23/06/2011 – The right to adequate housing is a human right to which everyone is entitled without discrimination. However, in Romania, the right to housing is not effectively recognised or protected by national law. This often leaves people without access to justice for human rights violations.

31/05/2011 – Amnesty International is concerned that the new Constitution of Hungary, adopted by the Hungarian Parliament on Monday 18 April, introduces changes which may restrict internationally protected human rights and calls on the Commission to take a position on the matter and to react to what seems to be an attack against EU core principles and values. 

03/05/2011 – An Amnesty International delegation visited the island of Lampedusa and the “Village of Solidarity” near Mineo, in Catania province, between 29 March and 2 April 2011. Prompted by widespread reports of a humanitarian crisis on Lampedusa, the delegation researched the conditions of thousands of foreign nationals who had recently arrived in Italy from North Africa. On 20 April, Amnesty International wrote to the Italian Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to express concern over its findings, and the collective summary removal of Tunisian nationals from Lampedusa to Tunis from 7 April onwards.

28/04/2011 – Amnesty international has expressed its concerns over the draft of Hungary’s new constitution, which may restrict internationally-protected human rights.

11/04/2011 – The European Roma Policy Coalition (of which Amnesty International is a member) acknowledges the European Commission’s political commitment to Roma inclusion, but criticises its failings in tackling Roma exclusion.

11/04/2011 – Amnesty International writes to Stefan Füle about its report documenting forced evictions of Roma people by the City of Belgrade in connection with an EU-funded construction project and analyses how the authorities failed to comply with their international human rights obligations on the right to adequate housing.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

08/04/2011 – In this report, Amnesty International documents a pattern of forced evictions by the City of Belgrade of Roma communities living in informal settlements. The report describes how the Serbian Government has failed to comply with its obligations to respect the right to adequate housing by failing to prohibit, and protect against, forced evictions.