EU drops sanctions against France

THE European Commission has abandoned official sanctions against France over gypsy expulsions.

Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said the promises that France has made to introduce new guarantees relating to free movement of EU citizens are sufficient, and her colleagues have agreed. However she said she is still reviewing documents relating to complaints against France and may ask for further clarifications in coming weeks.

The commissioner had previously angered President Sarkozy by likening his mass expulsions of gypsies considered to be illegally resident to deportations of Jews in the Second World War and had asked that the commision start infringement proceedings. This is the body’s main sanction against states breaking EU law and can end up in them appearing in the European Court.

Sarkozy has said he is “very happy” about the news, adding it would bring closure to a “controversial episode which we could all have done without”.

France has promised formally to transpose into French law an EU directive on free movement as part of a new immigration law. Previously it had argued it was unnecesary because there were already enough procedural guarantees relating to expulsions in existing French laws.

In recent months France has expelled more than 1,000 foreign gypsies, mainly to Romania, and destroyed hundreds of illegal camps.

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