The social integration of Romanian immigrants

29.1.2014

Question for written answer E-000907-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Corina Creţu (S&D)

Migration has become over time a considerably wide-spread phenomenon across the entire European continent, especially towards the European Union and within its borders, and the dynamics and effects of this process have generated fierce debates over the years, many of them bordering on petty politics and lacking in substance.

Recently, with the liberalisation of the labour market for Romanians and Bulgarians, populist and xenophobic political parties in certain states began sending messages and disseminating materials that more or less directly encourage discrimination against Eastern European citizens.

Despite legal regulations prohibiting all forms of discrimination, Romanians unfortunately face hostile attitudes, especially in the workplace. For example, the media has recently reported cases of patients in various countries refusing to be treated by Romanian doctors, invoking reasons that have nothing to do with professional training, but are only based on considerations relating to the nationality of the doctors in question. I believe that these are serious cases, which go beyond the remit of any legal provision and which are very difficult to correct by such legal provisions.

Does the Commission envisage adopting policies which, beyond the already existing legal framework, could protect citizens working honestly abroad, and which, in the long term, could eliminate these kinds of attitudes which are profoundly unjust and entirely against the fundamental values of the European Union?

OJ C 296, 03/09/2014