Billionaire philantropist and investor George Soros has urged the European Union to do more to help Europe's Roma minority, pointing out that few Europeans are familiar with the conditions in which they live.

Soros, 79, said there was widespread ignorance about the deteriorating circumstances of Roma, hit hard by the fall of Communism and subsequent shelving of jobs in heavy industry.

He said that the problem was exacerbated by the growing hostility shown towards Roma individuals by members of the general population who see them as a threat.

"You now have parties in Hungary and Bulgaria that feed on the resentment felt towards the Roma," said Soros. "I think the European Union needs to develop a Roma strategy," Soros said. However, he said that he was confident that progress can be made in this area under the upcoming Spanish EU presidency, a country that has had considerable success in integrating its Roma population.

EU funding for the Roma population comes largely from the European Social Fund, with the last programming period (2000-2006) seeing about 275 million euro going to projects specifically designed to aid Roma.

In 2005, 12 European countries launched the Decade of Roma Inclusion, a project that aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of Europe's largest minority.

Recent EU enlargements, combined with the bloc's freedom of movement laws, have resulted in a steady march westwards of Roma communities, with Italy and Spain the main recipients.