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In a joint statement issued ahead of tomorrow's International Roma Day (8 April), four leading European human rights bodies today expressed deep concern about the continuing discriminatory treatment and exclusion of the Roma.

The European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) will today present a new report on ‘Developing indicators for the protection, respect and promotion of the rights of the child in the European Union'. This proposes a comprehensive series of indicators to measure child rights across the EU.

EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) releases new data on anti-Semitic incidents in the EUThe EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) releases today its new report “Anti-Semitism. Summary overview of the situation in the European Union 2001-2008”.

"The combat against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a priority issue to ensure equal rights to all people in the EU", said Constantinos Manolopoulos, FRA's Acting Director, ahead of International Day against Homophobia on 17 May 2008. "This day is an occasion to recall the discrimination and prejudices that many LGBT people still face in some EU Member States. We must address this social ill head on."

Statement by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on the occasion of International Roma Day.

Today we commemorate the tragic events of 1960 in Sharpeville, which led to the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (1) On this symbolic day, we - the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) - stand united in calling on political parties to combat racism. In the words of Nelson Mandela, we call on political leaders to build "a society of which all humanity will be proud".

"The discrimination and disadvantage faced by Roma and Travellers in Europe is a well-documented fact. Solutions have been outlined in action plans and numerous strategies. What we need now is more action on the ground, the rigorous implementation of adequately-resourced policies, and specific measures that tackle deep-rooted discrimination and negative stereotypes of Roma and Travellers," said Beate Winkler, interim Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, in a statement ahead of International Roma Day (8 April)".