Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The social and economic integration of the Roma in Europe
Date: 2010-04-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Union, European social policy, Roma, anti-discriminatory measure, ethnic group, social integration, socioeconomic conditions

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 7.4.2010 
COM(2010)133 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

The social and economic integration of the Roma in Europe  

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

The social and economic integration of the Roma  

1. 

CONTEXT 

The EU and its Member States have a special responsibility towards the Roma, who live in all 
Member  States,  candidate  countries  and  potential  candidates.  The  Charter  of  Fundamental 
Rights sets out the values on which the EU is based. These values need to be translated into 
practice  in  order  to  improve  the  situation  of  the  Roma  people,  who  form  the  largest  ethnic 
minority in the EU.  

Roma inclusion is in line too with the Inclusive Growth priority of the EU 2020 strategy and 
especially its Flagship Initiative of a European Platform against Poverty. The full integration 
of  Roma  will  have  important  economic  benefits  for  our  societies,  especially  for  those 
countries  with  a  shrinking  population  which  cannot  afford  to  exclude  a  large  part  of  their 
potential labour force.  

Yet a significant part of the 10-12 million Roma in Europe live in extreme marginalisation in 
both  rural  and  urban  areas  and  in  very  poor socio-economic conditions. The discrimination, 
social exclusion and segregation which Roma face are mutually reinforcing. They face limited 
access  to  high  quality  education,  difficulties  in  integration  into  the  labour  market, 
correspondingly low income levels, and poor health which in turn results in higher mortality 
rates  and  lower  life  expectancy  compared  with  non-Roma.  Roma  exclusion  entails  not  only 
significant  human  suffering  but  also  significant  direct  costs  for  public  budgets  as  well  as 
indirect costs through losses in productivity. 

The  complexity  and  interdependence  of  the  problems  calls  for  sustainable  responses  which 
tackle  all  aspects  of  Roma  deprivation  through  an  integrated  approach.  Low  educational 
attainment,  labour  market  barriers,  segregation  in  housing  and  other  areas,  and  poor  health 
outcomes need to be addressed simultaneously.  

Since  December  2007,  in  a  series  of  Council  conclusions,  the  EU  has  endorsed  the 
Commission’s assessment that there is a powerful EU framework of legislative, financial and 
policy coordination tools already available to support Roma inclusion, but that more can be 
done  to  make  them  work  more  effectively.1  The  Council  affirmed  that  it  is  a  joint 
responsibility  of  the  Member  States  and  the  European  Union  to  address  the  challenge  of 
Roma  inclusion,  within  the  scope  of  their  respective  and  complementary  competences,  and 

1 

Pursuant to the Communication ‘Non-discrimination and equal opportunities: A renewed commitment’, 
COM(2008)420. 

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has firmly embedded Roma inclusion into EU policy making.  2 The current Trio Presidency 
has identified the social and economic integration of the Roma as one of their priorities.3 

Measures  to  overcome  Roma  exclusion  need  to  be  set  within  the  wider  framework  of 
European  equality,  inclusion,  and  growth  policies  and  to  optimise  the  use  of  the  legal  and 
financial  instruments  available  also  to  mainstream  society.  The  overall  objective  is  an 
inclusive society, not a new form of ethnic segregation: any progress which can be achieved 
in the area of Roma inclusion represents progress too in the inclusion of all ethnic minorities 
in the EU and vice-versa. 

The  aim  of  this  Communication,  ahead  of  the  2nd  Roma  Summit,  is  to  indicate  how  the 
European  Union  will  develop  its  contribution  to  the  full  social  and  economic  integration  of 
the Roma, on the basis of the progress achieved.  

2. 

PROGRESS ACHIEVED 

Since  2008  progress  has  been  made  in  the  Member  States  and  at  EU  level,  as  the 
accompanying report demonstrates4. The focus shifted in the EU in 2009 from an analysis of 
the problems to an exploration of how existing instruments could be made more effective and 
how  the  situation  of  the  Roma  could  be  addressed  more  explicitly  across  a  broad  range  of 
policies,  including  employment,  social  inclusion,  health,  education,  housing,  youth  and 
culture.  

The  enforcement  and  further  development  of  EU  legislation  in  the  areas  of  non-
discrimination,  freedom  of  movement,  data  protection  and  anti-racism  has  continued.  The 
Commission also monitored the transposition of the relevant acquis in candidate countries and 
potential candidates. This was complemented by including a specific Roma perspective in the 
work  of  the  EU  Fundamental  Rights  Agency,  the  network  of  specialised  Equality  Bodies 
(EQUINET), training for legal practitioners and the European Commission's ‘For Diversity — 
Against Discrimination’ information campaign. 

The  European  Platform  for  Roma  inclusion  — composed  of  key  players  in  Roma  inclusion 
from  EU  institutions,  international  organisations,  Member  States  governments  and  civil 
society  —  was  launched  in  April  2009  to  exchange  good  practice  and  experience  and  to 
stimulate  cooperation  among  its  participants.  Its  objective  is  to  increase  the  coherence  and 
effectiveness  of  the  parallel  policy  processes  at  national,  European  and  international  level 
with a view to creating synergies. The Common Basic Principles for Roma inclusion, drawn 
up under the Platform process and distilled from the experiences of successful Roma inclusion 
initiatives,  provides  a  practical  framework  for  public  policy  makers  at  all  levels  on  how  to 
design and implement successful initiatives.5 

For example, the second of the ten Principles was used to justify the Commission proposal in 
2009 to modify the European Regional Development Fund Regulation. The aim is to benefit 

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5 

European  Councils:  Council  documents  16616/1/07  and  11018/1/08  REV1;  General  Affairs  Council: 
Council  document  15976/1/08  REV  1,  Employment,  Social  Affairs,  Health  and  Consumer  Affairs 
Council: Council documents 9721/2/09 REV2 and 10394/09. 
Council document 16771/09 
SEC(2010). 
Council Document 10394/09, annex. 

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extremely  marginalised  communities  –  explicitly  but  not  exclusively  addressing  Roma 
communities  –  in  the  27  EU  Member  States  by  co-funding  interventions,  together  with  the 
European Social Fund, in new and renovated housing in urban and rural areas, as part of an 
integrated approach that includes education, employment, social care, and healthcare actions. 

Most  Member  States  report  a  stronger  focus  on  internal  coordination  and  on  involving  the 
Roma  communities.  Some  Member  States  have  begun  to  use  the  opportunities  of  complex 
programming and combined cohesion policy instruments. 

Member States report that they want to mainstream Roma issues and to use mutual learning 
and of peer reviews to explore how to improve their initiatives on desegregation and on access 
to  education,  employment  and  basic  social  services.  A  forum  for  such  exchanges  is  the 
European  Network  on  Social  Inclusion  and  Roma  under  the  Structural  Funds  (EURoma), 
which aims at exchanging information and experience, sharing strategies and approaches and 
generating knowledge. 

The  forthcoming  report  of  a  study  for  the  Commission  in  2009  and  2010  on  ‘Activities  to 
improve  the  impact  of  policies,  programmes  and  projects  aimed  at  the  social  inclusion  and 
non-discrimination of Roma people in the EU’ will identify success factors and good practice. 

Many of these actions have been supported by the EU Structural Funds, and in particular the 
ESF6.  In  line  with  the  conclusions  of  the  December  2008  General  Affairs  Council  and  the 
March 2009 Resolution of the European Parliament, the Commission increased its efforts to 
harness  the  full  potential  of  these  instruments.  In  particular,  the  Commission  has  engaged 
bilaterally with Member States’ governments to support them in making greater use of the EU 
Structural Funds to support Roma inclusion. Moreover, the effectiveness of the ESF has been 
enhanced by stepping up the monitoring and evaluation of Roma projects and disseminating 
throughout Europe those measures which were found to be particularly effective.  

The  European  Commission  is  also  implementing  a  pilot  project  on  Roma  inclusion  (€  5 
million  2010-2012),  initiated  by  the  European  Parliament,  addressing  early  childhood 
education,  self-employment  through  micro-credit,  and  public  awareness  particularly  in 
countries  with  high  Roma  populations.  The  pilot  project  will  also  explore  methods  for  data 
collection and counterfactual evaluation to assess the impact of the interventions in these three 
fields.  

3. 

CHALLENGES AHEAD 

The earlier analysis of the EU instruments and policies7 and the progress report 2008-20108 
confirm that these instruments and policies are generally apt to support Roma inclusion, even 
on a large scale. The issue is how to ensure their potential is realised. 

Several  European  and  international  players  are  currently  pursuing  parallel  policy  processes 
aimed at including Roma. Among them are the EU policies relevant for Roma inclusion, the 
OSCE Action Plan on the participation of Roma and Sinti in public and political life (adopted 

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European Social Fund (ESF) and European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) 
SEC(2008)2172. 
SEC(2010)…. 

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in  2003  and  signed  by  55  States),9  the  Council  of  Europe’s  Recommendations  and 
Resolutions  of  the  Committee  of  Ministers  and  the  Parliamentary  Assembly,10  and  the 
national action plans adopted and implemented by the 12 countries participating in the Decade 
for  Roma  Inclusion  2005-2015.11  The  outcomes  of  these  activities  vary,  depending  on  their 
legal bases,  the  instruments, the resources and the  stakeholder involvement.  Moreover, they 
are  only  loosely  coordinated  through  the  Informal  Contact  Group  of  International 
Organisations on Roma, Sinti and Travellers.12 

The challenges ahead include: 

•  Improved  cooperation  between  European,  national  and  international  players  and 
representatives of the Roma communities, building on the commitment to Roma 
inclusion that has materialised in the last 5-10 years; 

•  A  translation  of  this  commitment  and  cooperation  into  positive  changes  at  the 
local  level.  This  needs  to  be  complemented  by  improved  ownership  and  a 
strengthened  capacity  on  the  part  of  local  administrations,  civil  society  and  the 
Roma themselves to initiate and implement projects, programmes and policies; 

•  More  effective  communication  of  the  benefits  of  Roma  inclusion  for  local  and 
national economic and social development.13 The social and economic integration 
of Roma is a 2-way process which requires a change of mindsets of the majority 
as well as of members of the Roma communities and their leaders;  

•  The  promotion  of  the  integrated  use  of  EU  Funds  in  order  to  tackle  the  multi-

dimensional challenges of Roma exclusion; 

•  The  development  of  explicit  desegregation  policies,  notably  in  education  and  in 

housing and supported by the Structural Funds; 

•  Achieving a special focus on the most disadvantaged micro-regions; 

•  Mainstreaming  Roma  inclusion  issues  into  the  broad  policy  areas  of  education, 
employment, public health, infrastructure and urban planning, and economic and 
territorial development, rather than treating it as a separate policy. Good practices 

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OSCE Decision no. 3/30, Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE 
Area (MC.DEC/3/03). 
In particular: Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers 2006/10 (access to health care); 2005/4 
(housing  conditions);  2004/14  (movement  and  encampment  of  Travellers);  2001/17  (economic  and 
employment  situation);  2000/4  (education  of  Roma/Gypsy  children);  1983/1  (stateless  nomads  and 
nomads of undetermined nationality); 1975/13 (social situation of nomads);. 
http://www.romadecade.org/decade_action_plans. 
The Informal Contact Group (ICG) is co-organised by the Presidency of the Council and the Council of 
Europe. It comprises representatives of the EU institutions, international organisations and multilateral 
initiatives  (UN  organisations,  World  Bank,  OSCE,  Decade  for  Roma  inclusion  2005-2015),  Member 
States (represented by the former, current and future Presidency), as well as civil society. The ICG is a 
forum  for  mutual  information  about  ongoing  activities  within  the  remit  of  the  participating 
organisations. 
The Commission uses the key message ‘Roma in Europe: Support inclusion for everyone’s benefit’ for 
specific print and audiovisual materials.  

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and successful models from projects need to be better disseminated and to become 
an integral part of policy.  

Accordingly, the Commission, Member States and other key players need to concentrate their 
efforts on meeting these challenges by enhancing the effectiveness of policies in terms of both 
content and process. 

3.1. 

Policy Measures for Effective Roma Inclusion 

3.1.1.  Financial instruments 

The  EU  Structural  Funds  and  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development 
(EAFRD) as well as the Instrument for pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) represent nearly half 
of the annual budget of the European Union and are important levers for change. 

Information on the implementation of these instruments shows that, generally speaking, there 
is  no  lack  of  available  funds  to  underpin  promising  policies  and  programmes.  There  are, 
however,  a  number  of  obstacles  which  prevent  some  Member  States  from  using  them  for 
actions  targeted  at  Roma  inclusion  which  comprise  shortcomings  in  planning  and 
programming  as  well  as  administrative  burden.  As  successful  examples  now  demonstrate, 
integrated  Roma  strategies  which  address  the  complexity  of  the  problems  that  underly  the 
marginalisation of Roma communities are much more effective than isolated projects which 
address only one or two issues. Obstacles also include reticence at the local level and a lack of 
political  awareness  and  capacity  among  local  administrations,  as  well  as  among  Roma 
communities.  These  difficulties  can  be  tackled  by  incentives  or  by  the  provision  of 
appropriate  support  and  expertise,  including  through  technical  assistance  under  the  EU 
Structural Funds. The Commission welcomes NGO initiatives in support of capacity building 
(e.g.  the  OSI  initiative  "Making  the  Most  of  EU  Funds  for  Roma").  Moreover,  Roma 
empowerment  and  in  particular  participation  in  the  decision-making  process  by  Roma 
women,  who  act  as  a  link  between  the  family  and  society,  have  proved  to  be  an  important 
factor for the success of any measure. 

To support Member States to implement policies with a visible impact on the ground, in 2009 
the Commission began a series of High Level bilateral events in the Member States to bring 
together political decision makers and the highest level of administrations and stakeholders at 
both  European  and  national  levels  along  with  representatives  of  Roma  communities.  These 
events  prepare  the  ground  for  agreeing  targets  for  a  greater  use  of  EU  Funds  for  Roma 
inclusion by setting specific and established milestones.  

The  Commission  has  encouraged  larger-scale  integrated  programming  which  combines 
actions under several Operational Programmes in support of interventions which take an inter-
sectoral approach to tackling the problems of Roma communities. It welcomes initiatives by 
Member States to make desegregation measures a condition of access to Structural Funding 
and  considers  this  is  fully  in  line  with  the  requirement  to  avoid  any  discrimination  in  the 
implementation of the Funds.14  

The Commission also encourages Member States to involve the Roma community in planning 
the use of the Funds through the practical implementation of the partnership principle, so as to 
involve Roma at every stage of the process from programme design to evaluation, as well as 

14 

Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 notably Article 16 

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to  support  capacity  building  within  Roma  civil  society  and  within  local  administrations.  It 
welcomes too efforts to simplify application procedures and the more systematic provision of 
pre-financing to successful applicants. 

3.1.2.  An integrated approach alongside mainstreaming 

Although  the  living  conditions  of  many  Roma  communities  are  characterised  by  multiple, 
mutually reinforcing problems, measures to address these problems are too often disconnected 
from general policies on education, employment, public health or urban rehabilitation. There 
is  still  a  tendency  to  focus  on  single-strand  solutions,  such  as  the  promotion  of  Roma 
employment  or  the  refurbishment  of  Roma  settlements,  implemented  through  short-term 
projects and programmes which are not sustainable.  

As underlined by the European Economic and Social Committee in 2008,15 the mainstreaming 
of Roma issues into all relevant European and national policies is the most promising way to 
achieve inclusion. The joint work on health inequalities under the Social Protection and Social 
Inclusion strategy and the EU Health Strategy is a specific example of such an approach.16 In 
2009,  the  Commission  put  specific  focus  on  Roma  in  the  context  of  the  Lisbon  Strategy. 
National  performance  levels  and  policy  responses  concerning  the  inclusion  of  Roma  in  the 
labour  market  were  analysed  on  the  basis  of  National  Reform  Programmes  in  the  Member 
States  and  fed  into  the  Joint  Employment  Report  2008/2009.  Mainstreaming  does  not 
invalidate  the  promotion  of  integrated  and  tailor-made  approaches  that  take  the  specific 
situation of Roma communities in the Member States into consideration. 

The  increasing  exchanges  of  experience  among  national  administrations  about  successful 
Roma-targeted programmes can be developed through the participation of Member States in 
the European Network on Social Inclusion and Roma under the Structural Funds (EURoma). 
An  academic  network  on  Roma  studies,  supported  by  the  Commission  and  the  Council  of 
Europe, will improve the evidence base for Roma initiatives and create a stronger bridge with 
policy. 

The structured cooperation of Member States in the existing Open Methods of Coordination is 
of  utmost  importance  in  the  central  areas  of  education,  employment  and  social  inclusion  to 
mainstream  Roma  issues  into  national  policies.  As  the  facilitator  of  the  exchange  of 
experience and good practices, the Commission can influence this process. 

Making policy measures more effective  

The Commission will: 

•  continue  organising  high-level  bilateral  events  in  the  Member  States  and  to  follow  up 
subsequent developments. It will take stock of the results of these visits by the end of 2013.  

•  urge  Member  States  to  take  action  to  ensure  that  interventions  financed  by  Structural 

Funds promote equal opportunities and tackle segregation;  

•  encourage Member States to use the EURoma network to exchange best practices;  

15 

16 

Exploratory  Opinion,  The  Integration  of  Ethnic  Minorities/Roma,  SOC(263),  EESC  1207/2008, 
paragraph 5.3. 
Communication ‘Solidarity in Health: Reducing Health Inequalities in the EU’, COM(2009)567. 

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•  support a network on Roma studies to better link research and policy; 

•  encourage  Member  States  to  develop  appropriate  tools  and  methods  for  evaluation  as  a 
prerequisite  for  designing  evidence  based  policies  for  Roma  inclusion,  on  the  basis  of 
lessons learned inter alia through the evaluation of the Pilot Project on Roma Inclusion; 

•  reinforce  coordination  between  the  ERDF,  ESF  and  the  EAFRD17,  in  particular  at  the 
regional  and  local  level,  when  using  the  funds,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  and 
facilitating an integrated approach in housing (in line with the provisions of the modified 
Art 7 (2) of the ERDF Regulation) or in other fields; 

•  provide  information  and  technical  support  to  Member  States  on  the  efficient  use  of  the 
Structural Funds and of the Rural Development Fund in tackling socioeconomic exclusion 
of the Roma; 

•  take account of the results of the evaluation of the EU Structural Funds interventions for 
Roma,  of  the  Pilot  Project  on  Roma  inclusion,  and  of  the  study  on  successful  projects, 
programmes  and  policies  for  Roma  inclusion  when  developing  the  next  generation  of 
European Union Structural Funds and programmes; 

•  address the inclusion of Roma when developing and implementing the ‘European Platform 
against Poverty’ Flagship Initiative, proposed by the Commission as part of the EU 2020 
Strategy; 

•  invite  Member  States  to  address  Roma  issues  when  reporting  on  the  implementation  of 
national  policies  in  all  fields  which  are  relevant  for  Roma  inclusion  (such  as  education, 
employment,  social  protection  and  social  inclusion,  and  health)  in  the  framework  of  the 
Open Method of Coordination and of the EU2020 Strategy. The Commission will integrate 
a specific employment-related focus on Roma into the Mutual Learning Programme 2010-
2011; 

•  review its policy and programmes concerning Roma, in the context of enlargement, with a 

view to further developing and improving the relevant financial assistance under IPA 

3.2. 

Policy coherence  

Real  change  can  only  be  based  on  effective  policy  implementation.  Effective  policies  need 
coherent  planning.  Coherent  planning  needs  the  involvement  of  all  relevant  stakeholders, 
political  support  and  the  allocation  of  the  necessary  resources  from  the  respective  decision-
making levels. These considerations and an analysis of the challenges ahead prove the need 
for stronger and more effective coordination and a concentration of forces.  

The European Platform for Roma inclusion offers a forum for cooperation in this area and the 
Common  Basic  Principles  for  Roma  Inclusion,  elaborated  under  the  Platform,  provide  a 
common  framework.  The  Principles  emphasise  that  programmes  and  policies  which  target 
Roma  must  not  exclude  members  of  other  groups  who  share  similar  socio-economic 
circumstances.18The  Principles  also  stress  that  programmes  and  policies  must  aim  for  the 

17 
18 

Art. 9 of the General Regulation of the EU Structural Funds. 
Council Document 10394/09, annex: in particular Common Basic Principle no. 2. 

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mainstream  in  order  to  avoid  the  separation  of  Roma-focused  interventions  from  broader 
policy  initiatives.19  Finally,  the  Principles  put  a  strong  focus  on  the  creation  of  ownership, 
embracing local authorities, NGOs and Roma communities.  

The mainstreaming of Roma issues into all relevant national and European policies as well as 
the mobilisation of mainstream instruments for Roma inclusion require robust efforts and the 
necessary resources for monitoring the implementation and for designing future policies and 
instruments. Civil society organisations, notably Roma organisations, need to be involved in 
this process at all stages and at all levels.  

Making processes more effective 

The Commission will: 

•  support  successive  Council  Presidencies  in  making  the  Platform  more  effective.  The 
Commission  will  provide  support  to  each  Presidency  in  the  organisation  of  a  Platform 
meeting; 

•  support Presidencies with the organisation of future Roma summits; 

•  apply  the  Common  Basic  Principles  for  Roma  Inclusion  when  designing,  implementing 

and evaluating policies which are relevant to Roma inclusion; 

•  explore the most effective ways to ensure in its internal procedures that the mainstreaming 

of Roma issues in all relevant policies is guaranteed;  

•  enable the Roma themselves to influence policy processes, including through cofinancing 

the operations of a European level network active in representing the Roma; 

4. 

DEVELOPING MODEL APPROACHES  

There is a large and growing body of experience in the EU of which policy interventions work 
and which do not. However this knowledge is not yet easily accessible or digestible for public 
policy  makers.  Moreover  it  is  not  available  in  a  form  which  is  readily  adapted  to  different 
situations.  Roma  communities  in  the  EU27  as  well  as  in  candidate  countries  and  potential 
candidates  are  not  homogeneous  groups.  This  heterogeneity  means  that  there  cannot  be  a 
single  strategy:  rather  there  is  a  need  for  differentiated  approaches  that  take  account  of 
geographical, economic, social, cultural and legal contexts.  

While each context is unique, four major types can be identified: 

•  Roma  communities  living  in  disadvantaged,  highly  concentrated  (sub)urban  districts, 

possibly close to other ethnic minorities and disadvantaged members of the majority; 

•  Roma  communities  living  in  disadvantaged  parts  of  small  cities/villages  in  rural  regions 

and in segregated rural settlements isolated from majority cities/villages; 

•  mobile Roma communities with citizenship of the country or of another EU country; 

19 

Council Document 10394/09, annex: in particular Common Basic Principle no. 4. 

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•  mobile  and  sedentary  Roma  communities  who  are  third-country  nationals,  refugees, 

stateless persons or asylum seekers. 

In many Member States several or even all of these types are present (although the number of 
mobile  communities  is  generally  relatively  small  compared  to  sedentary  communities). 
Across the different Roma communities, women and children are exposed to particularly high 
risks. 

Core socio-economic issues, such as access to the labour market and to self employment, and 
to non-segregated quality education, housing and health services, are vital to ensure inclusion 
for all Roma (as for all other people). Other issues, however, such as the lack of documents 
proving  land  ownership  or  the  lack  of  ID  documents,  are  more  relevant  for  some  types  of 
community than for others. 

Public  policy  interventions  have  to  take  into  account,  too,  the  features  of  the  urban  or  rural 
environments in which the communities are living as well as the legal status of their members. 
For  example,  improvements  with  regard  to  the  enrolment  of  Roma  children  in  mainstream 
(early  childhood  education  and  care)  schools  might  require  in  one  case  providing  extra 
resources to individual schools, in others changing the admission procedures, the boundaries 
of  school  districts,  the  provision  of  public  transport,  the  issuing  of  ID  documents  for  the 
parents or the involvement of intercultural mediators. 

The  Commission  therefore  intends  to  assist  policy  makers  by  developing  a  set  of  model 
approaches. Building on best practice, each model would address the needs of the major types 
of Roma community, including their particularly vulnerable subgroups, and suggest the most 
appropriate  targeted  public-policy  interventions.  Each  model  would  identify  the  key  players 
and  legal  and  financial  instruments  needed  to  implement  a  local,  regional  or  national 
integration  agenda  and  outline  possible  initiatives  in  order  to  improve  Roma  access  to 
education, employment, health and housing. This would be completed by a list of initiatives to 
combat  discrimination,  to  apply  gender  mainstreaming  and  to  provide  protection  for 
to  monitor 
particularly  vulnerable  subgroups.  Guidance  would  be  given  on  how 
implementation and how to communicate progress to the different categories of stakeholders. 

The application of these model approaches would not be mandatory but Member States would 
be  encouraged  to  take  one  or  more  of  them  into  account  when  structuring  their  Roma 
inclusion  policies.  The  Commission  would  discuss  with  Member  States  how 
the 
implementation  and  the  monitoring  of  these  model  approaches  could  be  integrated  into  the 
existing  Open  Methods  of  Coordination  and  the  implementation  of  the  European  Platform 
against Poverty and could be supported by the EU financial instruments. 

The Commission will develop these model approaches with the help of internal and external 
expertise and of relevant fora, notably the European Platform for Roma Inclusion.  

5. 

CONCLUSION 

The European Union needs to build on the strong mobilisation in the EU institutions, Member 
States and international organisations and within civil society in support of the better social 
and economic integration of Roma.  

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Greater  cooperation  between  national,  European  and  international  players  can  increase  the 
effectiveness  of  the  range  of  available  instruments  in  achieving  the  inclusion  of  Roma 
communities. The European Platform for Roma inclusion and the Common Basic Principles 
provide a solid foundation for strengthening this cooperation.  

In  line  with  these  Principles,  Roma  issues  should  be  systematically  mainstreamed  into  all 
relevant European and national policies. Policies which maintain or promote the segregation 
of Roma communities or the provision of segregated housing, education or other services for 
Roma should be ended. This does not however preclude the provision of targeted or positive 
action measures as permitted in the relevant EU legislation.  

The  specific  task  for  the  Commission  in  the  mid-term  (2010-2012)  is  to  build  on  the 
experience  gained  from  evaluating  the  impact  of  national  and  European  instruments  and 
policies. In addition to the commitments set out above, it will do this in particular by, firstly, 
developing a set of model approaches for the social and economic integration of Roma, and, 
secondly,  ensuring  that  the  preparation  of  measures  to  implement  the  EU  2020  Strategy  as 
well as of programmes in the new financing period provide specific solutions to the problems 
of the different types of Roma communities.  

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