On 9th December 2013, the Council of Europe adopted unanimously the Recommendation proposed by the Commission to improve the economic and social lives of Roma within the European Union (main areas: education, employment, healthcare and housing).
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) call for a total ban of coerced sterilisations and castrations – June, 26th 2013
On June 26th, the PACE adopted the resolution 1945 (2013) “Putting an end to coerced sterilisations and castrations”, as it considers that these acts constitute grave violations of human rights.
The Council adopted the Guidelines to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons – June, 24th 2013
These guidelines aim to provide officials of EU institutions and EU Member States, with guidance to be used in contacts with third countries and with international and civil society organisations in order to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTI persons within its external action. For this purpose, the
The European Court of Human Rights held that there had been no violation of the Convention with the dislocation of a Hungarian association which activities tented to the exclusion of Roma people – 9th July 2013
The Hungarian Guard Association, founded in 2007, aims to preserve “Hungarian traditions and culture”. The paramilitary formation held several rallies and demonstrations throughout Hungary, in villages with a large number of Roma populations, calling for the defence of “ethnic Hungarians” against so-called Gipsy criminality. In December 2008, the Budapest Regional
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights report on Estonia – June 20th 2013
Following a visit in March 2013, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muižnieks published on 20 June a report on the situation of human rights in Estonia.
The Common European Asylum System adopted by the European Parliament establishes new rules on asylum to strengthen the rights of LGBT people – June 12th 2013
The directive “on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection” grants new rights to LGBT people through procedures specifically adapted to migrants because of their greater vulnerability related to their age, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.
The European Commission published its second annual progress report on the implementation of national Roma integration strategies – June 26th 2013
On 26 June 2013, the European Commission published its second annual progress report on the implementation of national Roma integration strategies. The report points out that, while some progress has been made by member states, the improvements of the situation of Roma in member states are limited and too slow.
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published its annual report: “Fundamental rights: challenges and achievements in 2012” – June 18th 2013
The report addresses the situation of the Roma, who continue to face discrimination and social exclusion: the population often faces extreme poverty but also discrimination in various areas of their everyday life such as access to health care, decent housing, education and employment.
Case Lavida and others v. Greece: the European Court of Human Rights condemns Roma school segregation in Greece – May 28th 2013
On 28 May 2013, the European Court of Human Rights – in the case Lavida and others v. Greece – concluded that the education of Roma children who were restricted to primary school in which the only pupils were other Roma children, resulted in a violation of Article 14 of
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights publishes a report titled “Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare” – 11 March 2013
On 11 March, a new report titled “Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare” by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) identifies the specific barriers and experiences of unequal treatment in accessing healthcare that people may face because of a combination of their personal characteristics (e.g. ethnic origin, gender, age and disability).