Strasbourg, March 15, 2010 - Today - as she has promised on Tuesday's plenary debate in the European Parliament on the forthcoming "Second European Roma Summit" - Romanian liberal MEP Renate Weber (PNL, ALDE) has issued a letter to Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and to the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, calling for a broad and coherent strategy accompanied by the Action Plan with clear benchmarks for Roma inclusion. 

"This strategy should also focus on non-EU member States where Roma communities live. Roma mainstreaming should become the working approach of the EU institutions", says Mrs. Weber and continues: "For the necessary expertise we should consider some affirmative action approaches, especially hiring Roma experts in the Council, in the Commission and the Parliament".

"I am pleased to announce that 15 MEPs joined me in signing the letters to President Barroso and President Van Rompuy".   (See attached the facsimile with the two letters and the signatures).

The letters were sent by Renate Weber's office this afternoon.