Europe has failed to get a grip on the estimated 10 million Roma people who live within the European Union. Brussels is pumping billions of euros into projects to improve the lives of the continent’s largest ethnic minority. In spite of this, the Roma remain a headache dossier for many European member states.

In France, police broke up Roma camps up and down the country this summer. At least 8,100 Roma were put on planes to Romania and Bulgaria, the countries they "originally" came from, with a cheque in their hands. Opponents of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s harsh policies called the operation “deportations”. President Sarkozy, supported by a large part of the population, thinks Romania and Bulgaria should do more to look after their returning citizens.

Of course, the Roma are not citizens of Bulgaria or Romania in the ordinary sense. By the very nature of their travelling culture, on a basic level they do not accept the notion of nation states or of citizenship. The fact that many are technically Bulgarian or Romanian is the result of the post-war situation of many Roma in Eastern Europe, where communist regimes forced them to abandon their itinerant lifestyle and conform to the dominant culture. Their children grew up in blocks of flats and were sent to school.

Romania and Bulgaria are being given a lot of European money to look after the Roma. The European Social Fund invests 17.5 billion euros in 'vulnerable groups' in Europe. The lion’s share, more than 13 billion over a period of six years, is earmarked for use with the Roma. "That is an awful lot," says a Brussels researcher who has investigated the amounts paid out.

Self-regulation
The money which flows to agencies in eastern Europe is extensively checked by the European Commission. But on the subject of how the money is finally spent in, for example, Romania “it is up to the Romanians themselves” says a source within the commission.

"The chance that the money is used for other purposes, is a constant risk," says Romanian MEP Renate Weber.

Her colleague Dennis de Jong of the Dutch Socialist Party goes further, he says a large portion of European money intended for Roma integration projects in eastern Europa “goes missing” . He adds that the European Auditor has been warning for some time that it is impossible to vouch for a lot of the money. It is often a question of corruption.

Political correctness
The political correctness with which West European politicians speak about the problems of Roma, doesn't inhibit discussions in East European politics.  Hungarian, Czech and Bulgarian social workers are adamant: it is evident that Roma are disadvantaged, but what role do Roma themselves play?

"They are responsible for their own negative image," say many people running Roma projects. Their experience is that the Roma are not particularly motivated to change their predicament.

Meanwhile, planeloads of Chinese, Vietnamese and Indians fly into Romania every day to replace the Romanians who are going to work in West European countries. An absurd situation thinks Ms Weber. The Asians are "cheaper and more disciplined workers. While the Roma reject this imposed discipline."

She thinks there is a lot of discrimination on the Romanian labour market. Ms Weber: "Romanian employers prefer to take on Chinese or Vietnamese workers."

On Monday, integration ministers from six EU member states will meet in Paris to discuss a tough deportation policy. President Sarkozy has only invited countries which already take a hard line. The Netherlands is not one of them.