EC denounces France's expulsion of Roma as "disgrace"

"I am personally convinced that the commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement action against France," said Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, in a statement on the latest developments on the Roma situation.

According to the official, over the past weeks, the commission has been following "very closely" the developments in France regarding the Roma.

"I personally have been appalled by a situation which gave the impression that people are being removed from a member state of the European Union just because they belong to a certain ethnic minority," she said.

Reding submitted a preliminary legal analysis of the French measures on Sept. 1 to the College of Commissioners, stressing that France would be in violation of EU law if the measures taken by French authorities in applying the Free Movement Directive had targeted a certain group on the basis of nationality, race or ethnic origin.

"Discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe," Reding reiterated in the statement.

Infringement proceedings against France may include a discriminatory application of the Free Movement Directive, and lack of transposition of the procedural and substantive guarantees under the directive.