The Record: Europe

20 September edition
Lucy Thomas
Producer

EU holds first Roma summit

Italy's controversial Roma policy

The EU attempts to tackle poverty and discrimination faced by one of Europe's biggest minorities. The EU's first ever Roma summit was held in Brussels to understand better the problems facing Europe's Roma people and come up with some concrete solutions.

There are around nine million Roma in Europe. Many live in poverty with little education, afflicted by unemployment and poor health. The summit comes after criticism of Italy where authorities cracked down on Roma camps and this summer introduced a controversial fingerprinting scheme.

Shirin Wheeler asks three members of the European Parliament whether the EU has been tough enough on Italy and what kind of Roma strategy is needed:

• Lívia Járóka MEP, Roma/Hungarian Centre-Right;
• Claude Moraes MEP, British Labour;
• Jas Gawronski MEP, Forza Italia.

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The discussion in full

Europe's beekeepers call for action

Also on the programme, Europe's beekeepers came to Brussels to call for EU action on how to stop the dramatic decline in bees. They met members of the European Parliament's Sustainable Development Intergroup.

The figures are stark. Colonies have halved in the last decade. The risk is not just ecological say the beekeepers. European fruit growers rely on the bees to pollinate their crops and thousands of jobs are at risk.

Bees debate

Shirin Wheeler speaks to:

• Beekeepers Andrew Scarlett and Murray McGregor;
• Chair of the Parliament's Sustainable Development Intergroup Struan Stevenson MEP, British Conservative.

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The Record: Europe examines the key moments in the political week in Brussels and Strasbourg and focuses on the work of the European Parliament and European Commission.

It is broadcast on BBC Parliament on Saturdays at 2300 GMT, Sundays at 1700 GMT and Mondays at 1000 GMT, on BBC World on Saturdays at 1330 GMT and Sundays at 0630 GMT and on the BBC News channel on Sundays at 0530 GMT and Mondays at 0330 GMT.

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Presenter profile

Shirin Wheeler

Shirin Wheeler presents the weekly EU politics programme The Record: Europe from Brussels and Strasbourg.

She is based in the BBC's Brussels bureau. She was born in Berlin and educated in Washington DC, Brussels and Britain.

Shirin has been in Brussels since 1996, working mainly with BBC TV and radio.

During her time in Belgium she has also reported for BBC business programmes, local radio and regional TV. She has two daughters.