Romanian President Says Many Nomadic Roma Steal To Live

Speaking in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Basescu said statements made by the governments of some countries, whereby Romania would be denied accession to the Schengen Area over the issue of Roma, or other issues such as the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, are in breach of the Treaty of Accession between the EU and Romania. The president said six European Commission reports on Romania's technical progress towards Schengen Area accession have been positive, with a seventh report expected in December.

Basescu said he unreservedly supports providing nomadic Roma with at least basic healthcare and opportunities for work and education. He said Romania is not trying to get out of its responsibilities as the state of origin for the Roma minority, but it may not restrict its citizens' right to free movement in the EU. Therefore the issue of Roma is not only a concern of Romania, but of every European country in which Roma choose to settle, Basescu concluded.

Slovenian President Danilo Turk said every person has the right to free movement and the EU should not set a precedent by restricting it. "Solutions for Roma people must be sought close to their problems, not by limiting freedom of movement. Europe needs stronger commitment to solve the Roma minority's education and healthcare issues," he said.

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