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Parliamentary question - E-011401/2015Parliamentary question
E-011401/2015

Destruction of Roma homes in Bulgaria

Question for written answer E-011401-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Ilhan Kyuchyuk (ALDE)

At the end of May 2015, inspectors from the Directorate for National Construction Supervision (DNCS) sent out 124 notices of the voluntary demolition of illegal houses in the Roma quarter of the village of Garmen, Bulgaria. On 29 June, excavators entered the Roma quarter and knocked down the first four houses, leaving their occupants without shelter. The demolition was the final stage of a process that started with inspections by the DNCS. This process was the result of ethnic tension between Bulgarians and Roma in Garmen sparked by a domestic spat.

According to the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, leaving the occupants on the street is a serious case of racial discrimination by the public authorities, which is prohibited by both the Bulgarian Constitution and international law. The administration’s actions are directed only towards the Roma even though there are a huge number of illegally constructed buildings throughout the country.

On 10 July, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) asked the Bulgarian Government to stop demolishing houses in the Roma quarter of Garmen until it had provided housing to the vulnerable families. The ECHR urged the government to suspend the demolition activities if no housing had been found for the vulnerable applicants.

— Is the Commission aware of this matter and does it believe that the measures selectively targeting the Roma community constitute a serious case of racial discrimination?

— What measures does the Commission intend to take to prevent the buildings from being demolished in the future and ensure hundreds of people are not left homeless?