Roma, not just human rights groups, need to speak up

Spurred on by recent headlines on the treatment of Roma in Europe, many EU policy-makers are now realising that they can no longer move forward on the issue of inclusion without speaking with those most directly affected - the Roma communities themselves.

Take for example EU Commissioner Viviane Reding's recently announced five-point action plan that promises a dialogue with Roma. The problem is that the Roma are the least organised and most underrepresented ethnic minority group in Eu...