AI: EU action against Czech Republic for discrimination in schools is a victory for rights, justice,

[pampango]

and Roma (Gypsies).

Amnesty International today welcomed the European Commission’s announcement that it would use its powers to initiate infringement proceedings against the Czech Republic for breaching European Union (EU) anti-discrimination legislation.

The announcement comes one and a half years after Amnesty International and other civil society organisations called on the Commission to engage with the Czech government through infringement proceedings to tackle education discrimination against Romani children. The organisation presented a petition with nearly 100,000 signatures gathered in under three months calling on the Commission to take stronger action against EU member states failing to implement EU anti-discrimination legislation to protect Roma. These calls were based on evidence, gathered over a decade, of widespread unlawful discrimination against Romani children in Czech education, notably through segregation into schools for pupils with ‘mild mental disabilities’ or Roma-only schools, or classes offering lower educational standards.

“Education is a human right that must be guaranteed to all children. Discrimination through segregated education is unlawful. It leads to poorer education and limits future employment opportunities, trapping Romani children in a vicious cycle of marginalisation and exclusion,” added Beger.

“Today the Commission has lived up to its role as ‘guardian of the EU Treaties’, upholding EU law, and challenging member states for violating fundamental rights,” said Beger. “The Commission’s words must now be followed by swift, concrete, and consistent action to hold the Czech Republic accountable and stop discrimination. This will be essential to protect not only the current and future generations of Roma in the Czech Republic, but across the EU, where they continue to face routine discrimination.”

http://www.amnesty.org./en/news/eu-action-against-czech-republic-discrimination-schools-victory-rights-justice-and-roma-2014-09

If the Czech Republic does not live up to its EU treaty commitments, I hope the EC will take "swift, concrete and consistent action" to end discrimination.