Chris off:
Calling EU policy on millions of ethnic Roma a failure, the EPP Group wants a fresh approach to lifting them out of poverty. Its new position paper calls for better access to education, drinking water and sanitary services, as well as incentives for businesses to hire Roma. The EPP Group´s Peter Pollák is a Roma from Slovakia.

Peter Pollák, Slovak MEP
0:07 – 0:16 “Mnoho Romov dnes…. – systemov bez vzdelania”
Many Roma do not have access to drinkable water. Many Roma do not have sewage systems. Many Roma children leave educational systems without qualification.

1:41 – 1:51 “Romov musime zatahnout – a manazovat tieto program”
We have to include Roma directly in solutions. Roma have to participate, not only as participants in a project but they have to invent and manage these programmes.

GFX: What was your experience as a Roma?

Pollák on
3:04 – 3:14 “Pred viaca ako ctyriciatemi rokmy – prišel zablátěný”
More than 40 years ago, I grew up myself in a Roma settlement, where there were no pavements, no roads. When I walked to school I arrived covered in mud.

3:31 - 3:46 "Já niechcem, aby moje deti - kvuli tomu, lebo sou Romovia"
I do not want my children to live through the same I did. I do not want Roma children to continue walking in mud. I do not want Roma to be refused in restaurants only because they are Roma.

Pollák on
0:36 - 0:49 “Ak sa nám podarí - Romov na pracovní trh"

If we manage to use the potential of Roma, I am persuaded that it will bring an enormous amount of money for every Member State where Roma live. It is estimated that we lose approximately half a billion euro annually if we do not integrate Roma to the labour market.