"Terms such as segregation, racism and intolerance are unfortunately still associated with the Roma. All that is directly in contradiction with the values we in the European Union advocate -- tolerance and acknowledgement of differences," said Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) which is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group (ALDE), the liberal–centrist political group of the European Parliament.
Alongside Jews, the Roma suffered the most in World War II. Together with Nazi Germany, the Ustasha-led Independent State of Croatia (NDH) was one of the countries in which people were persecuted and killed only because they belonged to the "wrong" people, race or religion.
"Along with all tragedies from the past, Croatia today has excellent examples of the systematic care for Roma minority rights. As (former) Istria County prefect, I launched and realised a number of initiatives to the benefit of the Roma minority and their integration with society," Jakovcic said.
He said that Medjimurje was another region in Croatia where the Roma are well-provided for, adding that national and European programmes could not succeed without the inclusion of regional and local authorities.
"I call on the European Commission to think about how to allocate money directly to local and regional authorities, as this is the most efficient way for a successful integration of the Roma," Jakovcic said.