European Roma: Forgotten victims of COVID-19
European Roma: Forgotten victims of COVID-19
Health, education and economic measures imposed by EU Member States during the COVID crisis have largely failed to protect Roma communities by not taking into account their extreme poverty and by not giving them priority in public health and vaccination strategies.
With 80% living in overcrowded settlements and dense neighbourhoods, often in households with no tap water and basic sanitations facilities and with reduced access to health services, Roma have paid a disproportionately heavy price during the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher mortality and hospitalisation rates than the general population. Economic measures and distance learning in schools, introduced by governments in response to the crisis, have often left Roma behind, leaving them without jobs or income and unable to follow education programmes.
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Business giants press EU to ban petrol and diesel car sales by 2035
Ikea, Uber and Sky are among a coalition of 27 businesses urging the EU to ban new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035, in light of the bloc s long-term net-zero vision.
Pictured: The Volvo XC40 Recharge. Volvo is one of the 27 business signatories
In an open letter sent to lawmakers earlier this week, the businesses state that such a move would “put Europe on the pathway to deliver emissions reductions in line with what is needed to meet the ambitions of the Paris Agreement” while “providing a clear signal to automotive manufacturers and suppliers” and firms in related sectors. This signal, it states, will help governments work with the private sector to deliver “timely investments” at the scale needed.