"Firstly, I strongly believe we need a broad and coherent strategy and an Action Plan with clear benchmarks and appropriate budget. In my view it should be a strategy not only for the EU member States but also for other countries where Roma communities live and which are either in the enlargement process or in the neighbourhood policy, thus allowing the EU to use the most appropriate tools on Roma policies. I am thinking of the countries of Western Balkans, Turkey, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine.

Secondly, I am convinced that we must apply the lessons learned from the equal opportunities policy, namely mainstreaming. Roma mainstreaming should become the working approach of the EU institutions.

Thirdly, when it is about the necessary expertise we should consider some affirmative actions, specially hiring Roma experts in the Council, in the Commission and the Parliament. It is in this note that I wrote letters to President van Rompuy and to President Barroso, recommending them to hire in their cabinets Roma counsellors".