The Council of Europe and the European Commission today intensified their efforts to improve the place of the Roma minority within European society by agreeing joint action for training Roma Mediators. Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland and EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou officially endorsed the agreement launching the Programme at a meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers with the signature of a joint declaration.
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said: "Roma still face prejudice, intolerance, abuse and social exclusion every day. The agreement signed today will help to improve the situation of Roma and their integration into European societies."
Commissioner Vassiliou added: "Education holds the key to breaking the vicious circle of disadvantage and social exclusion which keeps millions of Roma at the margins of European society. The 1,000 mediators will work with families and children in towns and villages across Europe.They will focus on health care, job agencies and schools. At present, far too many Roma children leave school early, before completing their studies, and this damages their personal development and job prospects."
