EPP Group MEP Lívia Járóka met activists of the European Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg. On the occasion Járóka emphasized the responsibility of the new generation Roma leadership as well as urged the involvement of Roma civil society into the preparation of national inclusion strategies.
Hungarian MEP Lívia Járóka along with Andrey Kovatchev and Mariya Nedelcheva Bulgarian members of the European Parliament met activists of the Roma Youth Conference, a civil association supported by the Council of Europe. Járóka, the Rapporteur of the European Roma Strategy urged Roma NGOs to provide their suggestionsto the European governments with regards national inclusion strategies that Member States are due to submit until the end of the year. "Without properly gathered and analysed statistical data disaggregated by ethnicity, it would be impossible to evaluate, monitor and update the programmes" – she highlighted. She also spoke about the empowerment of civil society and enhancing Roma participation in public life, noting that the basic prerequisite was to put forward credible and highly educated Roma leaders who work for the overall benefit of their communities and put community building and social mission in the forefront.
The day before, members of the Roma Youth Conference submitted a petition to the EP which expresses their concerns about the current rise of extremism, racism and anti-gypsyism in several European countries. Járóka set Hungary as an example where authorities managed to keep up the law and order in all the villages affected by the marchof extremist groups and the parliament immediately passed a modification of the Penal Code according to which such behaviour can be punished up to three years in prison, thus eversince, this phenomenahas stopped.