Will Brussels consider creating the post of EU Commissioner for Roma?

News server Romovia.sme.sk reports that Petr Pollák, the Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for the Romani minority, has said that the European Commission should lead by example when it comes to integrating Romani communities. The Third European Roma Summit, which took place recently in Brussels, focused on the integration of Romani communities into majority societies throughout the EU. 

Suggestions were repeated at the summit for the creation of the post of an EU Commissioner for Roma. Pollák says that would be a good idea, mainly because it would facilitate the more thorough promotion of Romani participation in public life.  

"The European Commission must be a model for the EU Member States. It is not a bad idea for the Commission to have a Commissioner in charge of this topic so that it is not dispersed among several Commissioners," Pollák explained. 

Currently the EU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Employment and Inclusion, László Andor, is in charge of Romani affairs, but EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding is also in charge of part of the Roma agenda. The full Romovia.sme.sk article on this issue is available (in Slovak only) here.