COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS STEPS FORWARD IN IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL ROMA INTEGRATION STRATEGIES
Date: 2013-06-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, EU growth strategy, Roma, access to education, anti-discriminatory measure, economic and social cohesion, housing, job access, project evaluation, public health, social integration

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 26.6.2013  
COM(2013) 454 final 

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

STEPS FORWARD IN IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL ROMA INTEGRATION 
STRATEGIES 

EN 

   EN 

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

STEPS FORWARD IN IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL ROMA INTEGRATION 
STRATEGIES 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

for  National  Roma 
The  Commission's  Communication  An  EU  Framework 
Integration  Strategies1  called  on  Member  States  to  adopt  or  further  develop  a 
comprehensive  approach  to  Roma  integration  and  endorse  a  number  of  common 
goals.  These  goals  cover  the  four  pillars  of  education,  employment,  health  and 
housing  and  aim  to  speed  up  the  integration  of  Roma.  The  Heads  of  State  or 
Government of all EU Member States endorsed this approach.2 

In  response  to  this  call,  the  Member  States  presented  national  Roma  integration 
strategies.  The  national  strategies  varied  according  to  the  size  of  the  Roma 
population  and  the  challenges  Member  States  needed  to  address3.  The  European 
Commission assessed these strategies4 in 2012 and concluded that, to make progress 
on the four pillars, it was necessary to prioritise on several structural pre-conditions 
that are indispensable for a successful implementation of the strategies, and amongst 
them:  working  with  local  and  regional  authorities  and  civil  society;  allocating 
proportionate  financial  resources;  monitoring  and  enabling  policy  adjustment; 
fighting  discrimination  convincingly;  and  establishing  national  contact  points  for 
Roma integration. 

The present communication  focuses on these structural pre-conditions as, although 
some  steps  have  been  taken  at  policy  level  in  the  Member  States,  in  particular  to 
better coordinate all stakeholders active on Roma integration, effective changes are 
still insufficient. Furthermore, to encourage further efforts by the Member States, the 
Commission commits, with this communication , to provide additional support to the 
Member States notably on their use of EU funds for Roma integration. 

2. 

THE  EFFECTIVE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  STRATEGIES  —  CRUCIAL  FOR  THE 
CREDIBILITY OF POLITICAL COMMITMENTS AND FOR GRASSROOTS CHANGE 

Ensuring the effective implementation of the national Roma integration strategies is 
crucial. In the current economic context, it is essential to take adequate measures and 

1 
2 

3 
4 

COM(2011) 173 final, 5.4.2011. 
European  Council  conclusions,  EUCO  23/11  of  23  and  24  June  2011,  following  the  Employment, 
Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council Conclusions on an EU Framework for 
National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020, 106665/11, 19.5.2011. 
In this communication, the term ‘strategy’ covers integrated sets of policy measures and strategies. 
Communication  National  Roma  integration  strategies:  a  first  step  in  the  implementation  of  the  EU 
Framework and the accompanying staff working document SWD (2012)133 final. 

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use available resources more efficiently to address the socio-economic integration of 
Roma.  This  is  why  the  Commission  follows  progress  made  by  the  Member  States 
closely, both within the Europe 2020 process and in the specific context of the EU 
Framework for national Roma integration strategies.  

As  part  of  the  Europe  2020  process,  close  monitoring  of  Roma  inclusion  and  its 
coherence with mainstream policies will continue on an annual basis up to 2020. To 
make progress towards the Europe 2020 employment, social inclusion and education 
targets,  Member  States  with  larger  Roma  populations  will  have  to  tackle  the 
challenges  of  Roma  inclusion  highlighted  in  the  2012  European  Semester.  In  these 
Member  States,  integrating  Roma  people  will  not  only  bring  social,  but  also 
economic benefits.5 In the 2013 European Semester the Commission has proposed to 
strengthen  and  further  refine  recommendations  relevant  for  Roma  inclusion  for  the 
most concerned Member States6. 

In  the  context  of  the  EU  Framework  for  national  Roma  integration  strategies,  the 
Commission  strengthened  dialogue  with  a  number  of  Member  States.  Bilateral 
meetings  took  place  in  2012  and  20137,  bringing  together  the  relevant  national 
authorities  and  experts  from  the  Commission  to  discuss  the  detailed  assessment  of 
the  national  Roma  integration  strategies  and  ways  to  ensure  their  effective 
implementation. 

In  addition,  a  network  of  the  Member  States’  National  Contact  Points  for  Roma 
integration was set up to facilitate multilateral exchanges of experience, peer learning 
and cooperation among the Member States8. 

Finally, to help Member States measure progress on Roma integration, the European 
Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) set up an ad hoc working group9. Its 
main  objective  is  to  help  participating  Member  States  set  up  effective  monitoring 
mechanisms to obtain reliable and comparable results10. 

5 

6 

7 
8 

9 

10 

In four countries, full Roma integration in the labour market could bring economic benefits of around € 
0.5  billion  and  tax  benefits  of  around  €  175  million  annually.  World  Bank,  Roma  Inclusion:  An 
Economic Opportunity for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania and Serbia, September 2010. 
Based on the Commission's proposal adopted on 29 May 2013 five Member States (Bulgaria, the Czech 
Republic,  Hungary,  Slovakia  and  Romania)  receive  Country  Specific  Recommendations  relevant  for 
Roma  inclusion.  These  recommendations  on  the  one  hand  address  the  implementation  of  National 
Roma  Integration  Strategies  (ensuring  effective  delivery,  including  via  better  coordination  between 
stakeholders, allocation of funding, robust monitoring and mainstreaming Roma inclusion goals in all 
policy fields), and on the other hand specific policy developments in the field of education (especially 
the need to ensure effective access to quality inclusive mainstream education starting with pre-school) 
and employment (promoting activation measures, supporting transition to the labour market).  
BG, FR, HU, IT, RO, SK. 
Within this network, a working group, reflecting the diversity of situations and experiences concerning 
Roma  in  the  EU,  was  set  up  to  discuss  further  the  challenges  and  workable  solutions.  The  issues 
identified  fed  into  a  proposal  for  a  legal  instrument  aiming  to  provide  more  support  and  guidance  to 
Member  States  on  promoting  Roma  inclusion  presented  in  parallel  with  this  Communication 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/roma_nationalcontactpoints_en.pdf 
Ten  Member  States  (BG,  CZ,  ES,  FI,  FR,  IT,  HU,  RO,  SK,  UK)  participate  in  this  working  group, 
which also includes experts from Eurofound and the United Nations Development Programme. 
Croatia  has  already  begun  preparing  to  join  the  process  of  the  EU  Framework  and  is  actively 
participating in the network of National Contact Points and the FRA working group on monitoring. 

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The Commission has analysed the progress made in 2012 in implementing national 
strategies on the basis of Member States'  input, and contributions from experts and 
civil society11, as well as findings brought out by the FRA. 

2.1. 

Structural pre-conditions for efficient implementation 

(a) 

Involving regional and local authorities and working closely with civil society 

The EU Framework highlighted the need for a continuous dialogue between national, 
regional and local authorities and Roma civil society in designing, implementing and 
monitoring  national  strategies.  Most  Member  States  took  measures  in  this  respect. 
However,  they  were  often  perceived  as  ineffective  by  stakeholders  in  terms  of 
enabling  them  to  actively  participate  in  the  implementation  and  monitoring  of 
national strategies. 

(1) 

Involving local and regional authorities 

As highlighted in the Commission’s 2012 progress report, the active involvement of 
local and regional authorities at all stages of the Roma inclusion process is a crucial 
pre-condition for success. 

Involving 
authorities 

local 

and 

regional 

Member  States  that  have  taken  such 
measures 

Structured dialogue set up  

AT,  BE,  BG,  CZ,  DK,  EE,  EL,  ES,  FI, 
FR, HU, IE, IT, LV, NL, RO, SE, SI, SK, 
UK  

Promotion  of  exchange  of  experience 
and cooperation among local authorities 

BE, BG,CZ, DK, FI, FR, HU, IT, SE, ES, 
SI, UK 

Allocation  of 
integration 
to 
authorities 

resources 
local 

and 

for  Roma 
regional 

AT, BE, CZ, DE, DK, EL, FI, FR, IE, IT, 
PL, RO (planned), SE, SI, SK,  

A year later, it can be concluded that most Member States need to make further 
efforts  and  involve  local  authorities  more  closely  and  systematically  in 
developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing policy12. Roma 
integration policies and action plans should be developed as an integral part of 

11 

12 

of 

network 

Including  conclusions  highlighted  during  a  dialogue  between  Commissioners  and  civil  society 
representatives  on  15  May  2013,  as  well  as  reports  from  civil  society  coalitions  organised  by  the 
Decade  of  Roma  Inclusion  Secretariat  Foundation  in  six  Member  States  (Bulgaria,  Czech  Republic, 
Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Spain) and two enlargement countries (Albania, FYROM), reports from 
the 
inclusion 
(http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1025&langId=en),  the  report  from  the  European  Roma 
Information  Office,  Discrimination  against  Roma  in  the  EU  in  2012,  the  written  feedbacks  from 
Eurocities and from Eurodiaconia and research papers from the Academic network on Romani studies 
(http://romanistudies.eu/news/contributions_from_members/).  
Some  Member  States  made  extra  efforts  to  promote  the  international  networking  of  their  local 
authorities,  e.g.  participating  in  the  European  Alliance  of  Cities  and  Regions  for  Roma  Inclusion. 
Others  have  appointed  regional  or  local  coordinators  to  better  identify  problems  in  the  Roma 
communities or coordinate the implementation of the strategies at the local level. 

independent 

experts 

social 

on 

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regional  and  local  public  agendas:  they  should  set  a  clear  baseline,  quantified 
targets  and  specific  measures  so  as  to  translate  the  four  pillars  of  the  national 
Roma  integration  strategy  into  action  at  the  local  level.  To  implement  these 
plans, local and regional authorities should be given appropriate financial and 
human  resources.  Their  capacity  to  manage,  monitor  and  evaluate  Roma 
inclusion should be improved. 

(2)  Working closely with civil society 

The  Commission's  2012  progress  report  pointed  out  that  involving  civil  society 
should  go  beyond  merely  consulting  it  when  developing  strategies.  Civil  society 
needs to play an active role in implementing and monitoring national strategies. The 
capacity building of grassroots civil society at local level, in particular among Roma, 
is crucial for the success and sustainability of integrated local action plans. 

Working closely with civil society 

Member  States  that  have  taken  such 
measures 

Structured dialogue with civil society set 
up at national level 

BE,  BG,  EE,  ES,  DK,  FI,  FR,  HU,  LV, 
LT, SE, SI, UK 

Encouraging  the  active  involvement  of 
civil society and Roma representatives at 
local level 

BE (regional level), BG, CZ, ES, FI, HU, 
LV, PT, SE, SI, 

Financial  support  for  developing  the 
capacity of civil society 

EE, ES, FR, LV, SE, SI 

In  the  second  year  of  implementation  of  the  national  strategies  in  most  Member 
States, the legitimate representation of Roma and the involvement of all the relevant 
civil society organisations remain insufficient. To be able to provide a meaningful 
contribution,  civil  society  organisations,  in  particular  local  organisations 
representing Roma, must have the appropriate capacity to better access public 
funding,  to  help  making  it  available  swiftly  and  effectively  to  those  directly 
concerned,  and  to  effectively  participate  in  the  development,  implementation 
and monitoring process of Roma integration policies. Only a few Member States 
provide  adequate  support  for  civil  society  organisations  to  play  such  a  role. 
Although  mechanisms  are  in  place  to  incorporate  the  views  of  Roma,  they  do 
not  ensure  a  significant  impact  of  these  views  on  policies.  All  Member  States 
should  ensure  that  regular  consultation  mechanisms  operate  efficiently  and 
transparently  and  that  they  cover  the  implementation,  monitoring  and 
evaluation of the impact of the strategies. Dialogue should be encouraged across 
various kinds of civil society organisations and researchers working in all areas 
relevant  for  Roma  inclusion.  Co-operation  with  civil  society  should  also  be 
encouraged when setting up local action plans. 

(b) 

Allocating proportionate financial resources 

The  EU  Framework  invited  Member  States  to  allocate  sufficient  funding  for  Roma 
inclusion  measures  from  national  budgets,  to  be  complemented,  where  appropriate, 
by EU and international funding, co-funding from EU funds is available mainly from 

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the  European  Social  Fund,  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund,  and  the 
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 

In  the  Commission’s  2012  progress  report,  weaknesses  in  allocating  financial 
resources matching the policy commitments made in the strategies remained a major 
obstacle to implementation. Specific, transparent budgetary allocation for the action 
plans is an absolute pre-condition. In addition, a territorial approach should be used, 
addressing the specific needs of those areas most affected by poverty or target groups 
at the greatest risk of discrimination or exclusion. 

Allocating  proportionate 
resources 

financial 

Member  States  that  have  taken  such 
measures 

Integrated 
financial resources 

approach 

Territorial 
financial resources 

approach 

to 

allocating 

EL, ES, FI, HU, IT, LV, SI, SK, 

to 

allocating 

CZ, EL, ES, HU, IT, PL, SE, SK 

Involvement  of 
local  and  regional 
authorities and civil society in planning 
the use of EU funds 

BE,  BG,  CZ,  ES,  FI,  IT,  RO,  SI,  SK 
(initial steps)  

Although  some  progress  has  been  made  since  the  previous  report,  the  financing  of 
national  strategies 
the 
implementation of the national strategy is delayed because insufficient resources 
are allocated from the national budget.  

is  not  yet  adequate.  In  some  Member  States, 

Reflecting the challenges identified in the European Semester exercise, all Member 
States should ensure that appropriate measures are taken to include Roma integration 
in  the  Partnership  Agreements  on  the  use  of  European  Structural  and  Investment 
Funds13  for  the  period  2014–2020  in  proportion  to  the  size  and  situation  of  their 
Roma communities. Key policy priorities for Roma inclusion have been highlighted 
in  the  country-specific  recommendations  within  the  European  Semester  and 
Commission  position  papers  for  the  negotiation  of  Partnership  Agreements  with 
several Member States. National budgetary commitments remain essential to ensure 
the sustainability of Roma inclusion measures. 

The  European  Social  Fund  is  the  main  EU  financial  instrument  for  investment  in 
Roma  inclusion  in  the  fields  of  employment,  education  and  social  inclusion.  The 
European  Regional  Development  Fund  has  invested  in  housing  as  part  of  an 
integrated  approach  in  a  number  of  Member  States,  yet  in  most  cases  this  funding 
possibility for Roma inclusion could be further exploited. To this aim, the Member 
States  could  draw  on  the  pools  of  skills  and  resources  developed  by  coalitions  of 
international  organisations  aiming  to  support  projects  for  Roma  inclusion  at  local 
level. 

13 

European  Social  Fund  (ESF),  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  Cohesion  Fund  (CF), 
European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  and  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries 
Fund (EMFF). 

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The  Commission  proposals  for  EU  cohesion  policy  in  2014-2020  provide  the 
basis  for  an  integrated  approach  combining  the  financing  possibilities  of  the 
ERDF and the ESF in order to achieve the EU Roma integration goals. Member 
States  should  also  envisage  using  support  possibilities  made  available  under 
rural  development  policy.  Furthermore,  the  Commission  Communication 
Towards  Social  Investment  for  Growth  and  Cohesion14  urged  Member  States  to 
use  EU  resources  for  social  investment  during  the  next  programming  period 
(2014–20). The Commission also proposed to allocate an adequate share of EU 
cohesion funding to investment in people, employment and social policy reforms 
through the European Social Fund (ESF)15. It also proposed that at least 20 % 
of  this  amount  be  allocated  in  each  Member  State  to  social  inclusion,  also 
including the integration of Roma. This would ensure that the overall allocation 
of funding to social inclusion increases and better reflects the challenges in this 
area.  The  Member  States’  and  regions’  use  of  the  new  specific  investment 
priority  on  the  integration  of  marginalised  communities  such  as  Roma  within 
the European Social Fund (proposed by the Commission for the programming 
period 2014-2020) will allow a better assessment of what is spent on measures to 
integrate Roma. 

(c) 

Monitoring and enabling policy adjustment 

The  EU  Framework  invited  the  Member  States  to  set  up  sound  monitoring  and 
evaluation methods to assess the results and impacts of Roma inclusion measures and 
enable  policy  adjustments  where  necessary.  The  2012  report  concluded  that  the 
Member States need to make stronger efforts in this respect. 

Monitoring 
enabling policy adjustment 

transformation 

and 

Member  States  that  have  taken  such 
measures 

Mapping  of 
(‘baseline’) undertaken or under way 

the  situation  of  Roma 

CZ,  EE,  EL,  ES,  FI,  FR,  HU,  LT,  LV, 
NL, PT, RO, SI, SK  

A  monitoring  system  to  measure  the 
results  and 
the  national 
impacts  of 
strategy 

Initial steps: BG 

Under development: BE, ES, FI, HU, IT, 
SE 

Identification  of  areas  with  extremely 
poor Roma communities  

CZ, EE, EL, FR, HU, PL, RO, SK 

Involvement of all major stakeholders in 
the monitoring and evaluation process 

AT, CZ (planned), FI, HU, IT (planned), 
LT  (planned),  SE  (partially),  SI,  SK 
(planned) 

Cooperation  established  with  National  BG,  CZ,  EL,  ES,  FI,  HU,  IT,  LV,  RO, 

14 

15 

Communication  Towards  Social  Investment  for  Growth  and  Cohesion  —  including  implementing  the 
European Social Fund 2014-2020, COM(2013) 83 final; and Commission Recommendation: ‘Investing 
in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’ COM(2013) 778 final, 20.02.2013. 
In line with the commitment made at European level to reduce the number of people living in poverty 
by 20 million by 2020. 

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Statistical Offices 

SK, UK 

Planned regular reporting and evaluation  BE,  BG,  CZ,  EL,  FI,  HU,  LT,  PL,  RO, 

SE, SI, SK 

Despite  clear  efforts  since  the  last  report16  to  put  in  place  a  robust  monitoring  and 
evaluation  framework 
to  systematically  and  consistently  produce  data  (not 
necessarily  using  ethnic  criteria)  on  the  impact  of  Roma  integration  measures,  this 
remains a challenge in most Member States. As highlighted by the working group on 
monitoring  set  up  by  the  FRA,  a  monitoring  system  should  be  able  to  provide 
accurate  feedback  to  governments  at  various  levels:  on  the  one  hand,  on  progress 
towards  the  goals  in  the  national  strategy  and  in  the  local  action  plans;  and  on  the 
other  hand,  on  improvements  in  the  socio-economic  situation  of  Roma  and  in  their 
fundamental rights compared to the majority population (monitoring ‘the gap’). 

There  is  a  great  need  to  regularly  compare  data  to  rigorously  evaluate  the 
impact  of  the  measures  on  the  ground  against  the  baseline.  In  particular,  there  is 
still a general lack of impact indicators. In addition, in most cases, the extent to 
which  other  stakeholders  are  involved  in  monitoring,  evaluation  and  policy 
review,  in  line  with  the  10  Common  Basic  Principles  for  Roma  Inclusion17,  is 
unclear.  Possible  synergies  with  existing  EU  policy  indicators  should  be 
explored. 

(d) 

Fighting discrimination convincingly 

The  EU  Framework  called  on  the  Member  States  to  ensure  that  Roma  are  not 
discriminated  against  and  that  the  respect  of  their  human  rights  enshrined  in  the 
Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  EU  and  the  European  Convention  of  Human 
Rights  is  guaranteed.  The  Commission's  2012  progress  report  stated  that  Member 
States  should  ensure  that  anti-discrimination  legislation18  is  effectively  enforced  in 
their  territories  and  that  they  fight  discrimination  convincingly.  The  report  also 
highlighted  the  significant  number  of  Roma  living  in  the  Member  States  that  are 
legally  staying  third-country  nationals,  who  face  the  same  challenges  as  migrants 
coming  from  outside  the  EU.  They  must  enjoy  the  same  rights  as  those  granted  to 
other non-EU migrants. 

Measures to fight discrimination 

Member  States  that  have  taken  such 
measures 

Enforcing  anti-discrimination  legislation  AT, DK, SE 

16 

17 

18 

Some Member States have indicated having used surveys, micro-censuses, territorial poverty mapping, 
etc. 
The 10 Common Basic Principles on Roma Inclusion were presented at the first Platform meeting on 24 
April  2009.  They  were  annexed  to  the  Council  conclusions  of  8  June  2009.  They  comprise:  1) 
constructive, pragmatic and non-discriminatory policies 2) explicit but not exclusive targeting 3) inter-
cultural  approach  4)  aiming  for  the  mainstream  5)  awareness  of  the  gender  dimension  6)  transfer  of 
evidence-based  policies  7)  use  of  EU  instruments  8)  involvement  of  regional  and  local  authorities  9) 
involvement of civil society 10) active participation of Roma.  
In conformity with their obligations under the Treaties, Member States are required to transpose in their 
national legal order the provisions of Directive 2000/43/EC on the principle of equal treatment between 
persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin and accordingly implement these transposing measures. 

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at local level 

Raising  awareness  (including  in 
public administrations) 

AT,  BG,  CZ,  DK,  EE,  ES,  FI,  FR,  HU, 
IE, IT, LV, LT, PT, RO, SI 

Increasing awareness among Roma 
of their rights 

AT, FI, LV, SE, SI 

Tackling 
multiple 
discrimination against Roma women 

forms 

of 

RO (initial steps) 

Fighting  against  human  trafficking  and 
the labour exploitation of children 

CZ, DK, HU, NL 

Despite  the  commitments  made  by  the  Member  States  and  anti-discrimination 
legislation  in  all  Member  States,  racism  towards  and  discrimination  against  Roma 
continue.  The  segregation  of  Roma  children  in  education  is  still  widespread  in 
several  Member  States19.  Civil  society  and  academic  reports20  confirm  various 
examples  of  discrimination,  including  less  favourable  access  to  education,  health, 
police  protection  and  housing  compared  to  the  majority  population.  The  persisting 
challenges of integrating Roma who are EU citizens into their societies, continue to 
have a direct impact on wider EU relations with third countries. For example, some 
countries apply visa requirements to the nationals of certain Member States because 
of  issues  relating  to  Roma  integration21.  The  same  challenges  can  arise  for  third-
country national Roma who migrate to the EU22. 

Without  systemic  measures  to  fight  discrimination  and  racism  towards  Roma,  the 
implementation of the national Roma integration strategies cannot yield the expected 
results. Most Member States carry out awareness-raising activities to promote Roma 
inclusion23. At the same time, however, public authorities should do much more 
to explain the social and economic benefits24 of Roma inclusion to their societies 

19 
20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

In particular in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. 
This  includes:  reports  from  the  national  experts  on  social  inclusion;  European  Roma  Information 
Office, Discrimination against Roma in the EU in 2012, 2013; Decade of Roma Inclusion Secretariat 
Foundation in collaboration with Open Society Foundation`s Making the most of EU Funds for Roma 
Programmes  and  Roma  Initiatives  Office,  Interim  Civil  Society  Reports  on  the  Implementation  of 
National  Roma  Integration  Strategies  and  Decade  Action  Plans,  2013;  Amnesty  International  report 
Roma:  Demanding  Equality  and  Human  Rights,  April  2013;  research  papers  from  the  Academic 
network  on  Romani  studies  (http://romanistudies.eu/news/contributions_from_members/);  written 
contribution from members of Eurodiaconia. 
For  instance,  Canada  has  expressed  serious  concerns  following  the  increase  in  the  number  of  asylum 
applications lodged by the nationals of certain Member States.  
The Commission's remarks in Communication National Roma Integration Strategies: a first step in the 
implementation  of  the  EU  Framework,  COM(226)2012  final,  26.5.2012  are  still  valid  today:  'The 
current situation of Roma living in poor conditions in enlargement countries had consequences in terms 
of the increased number of Roma temporarily migrating to EU Member States under visa-free regime 
and even applying for asylum. This can have a negative impact on the visa liberalisation, which is one 
of the greatest achievements towards the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU." 
Some of them (AT, BG, ES, FR, LV) organise training sessions for their civil servants (e.g. teachers, 
the  police  and  the  judiciary)  to  prevent  discriminatory  behaviour  against  Roma  and  counteract 
prejudice. 
World  Bank,  Roma  Inclusion:  An  Economic  Opportunity  for  Bulgaria,  the  Czech  Republic,  Romania 
and Serbia, September 2010. 

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at large. To step up the fight against discrimination, it is also necessary to raise 
awareness about rights, duties and opportunities among Roma themselves and 
ensure  tools  to  protect  and  enforce  their  rights,  such  as  through  Equality 
Bodies. The Member States must do more to combat stereotyping and deal with 
racist  or  otherwise  stigmatising  language  or  behaviour  that  may  constitute 
incitement to discrimination against Roma. 

Member  States  should  do  more  to  effectively  fight  child  labour,  prohibit 
begging  involving  children,  fully  enforce  legislation  on  underage  marriages, 
fight  forced  marriages  and  deal  more  effectively  with  the  issue  of  human 
trafficking, including through international cooperation. 

Addressing  steadily  and  comprehensively  the  lack  of  registration  of  Roma  in 
national  population  registers,  as  well  as  the  lack  of  personal  identity  papers, 
where  relevant,  is  an  absolute  pre-condition  for  ensuring  equal  access  to 
education, public services, social protection systems, minimum living conditions, 
housing and healthcare. 

(e) 

National Contact Points for Roma integration 

The  EU  Framework  invited  Member  States  to  set  up  National  Contact  Points  for 
Roma  integration25  (NCPs)  with  the  authority  to  coordinate  the  development  and 
implementation of the strategy. The Commission's 2012 progress report stressed that 
these National Contact Points should be fully enabled to effectively coordinate Roma 
inclusion across policy areas.  

Measures 
to  enable 
Contact Points to work efficiently  

the  National 

Member  States  that  have  taken  such 
measures 

Coordination  between  sectors  at  national 
level  

AT,  BE,  BG,  CZ,  EE,  EL,  ES,  FI,  FR, 
HU, IT, LT, LV, RO, SE, SK 

Coordination  among  various  levels  of 
government (from national to local) 

AT,  BE,  BG,  DK,  CZ,  EE,  ES,  FI,  FR, 
HU, IE, IT, LV, NL, RO, SE, SI, SK 

Involvement  of  the  National  Contact 
Points in planning the use of EU funds 

BE, BG, CZ, EL, ES, FI, HU, IE, IT, LT, 
SK 

All  National  Contact  Points  participate  in  the  network  set  up  in  October  2012  and 
have real concerns regarding Roma integration. Despite clear progress in developing 
their commitment and coordination role, there is room for improvement with regard 
to their status, capacities, resources, mandate and the political support they receive: 
National  Contact  Points  should  be  given  appropriate  human  and  financial 
resources;  they  must  have  the  formal  authority  and  competence  to  coordinate 
processes  across  ministries  and  various  levels  of  government  and  ensure  that 
Roma  inclusion  is  integrated  into  all  relevant  public  policies;  they  should 
contribute  to  the  definition  and  implementation  of  relevant  policies  and  be 

25 

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/roma_nationalcontactpoints_en.pdf 

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10 

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involved  in  the  strategic  planning  for  the  use  of  EU  funds.  They  should  also 
facilitate dialogue and exchanges between all stakeholders and explore synergies 
with any relevant initiatives26. 

3. 

ENLARGEMENT COUNTRIES 

In its EU Enlargement Strategy 2012-2013 as well as in the more detailed Progress 
Reports  country  by  country,  the  Commission  highlights  that  Roma  remain 
the  Western  Balkans.  In  many  countries 
particularly  disadvantaged  across 
discrimination remains to be addressed in terms of access to education, employment, 
social and health care, housing and personal documents.  

Whilst  some  progress  has  been  made  over  recent  years  leading  to  some  initial 
improvements  in  education  and  health,  sustained  efforts  are  still  needed.  These 
include  allocating  appropriate  resources  for  implementing  policies  for  Roma 
integration. Challenges remain in the effective implementation and enforcement 
of  the  legal  and  institutional  framework.  In  several  countries  multiannual 
strategies  for  improving  the  situation  of  Roma  and  related  action  plans  have  either 
been  recently  adopted  (Montenegro  and  the  Former  Yugoslav  Republic  of 
Macedonia)  or  reviewed  and  improved  (Albania,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  Kosovo 
and Serbia27). Turkey has still to develop a systematic approach and comprehensive 
strategy to foster Roma integration.  

Enlargement  countries  should  continue  to  act  on  the  operational  conclusions 
jointly  agreed  with  the  Commission  at  the  2011  national  conferences.  These 
conclusions  are  being  reviewed  annually  in  the  context  of  the  structural  policy 
dialogue.  They  concern  five  issues:  registration,  education,  health,  access  to  work 
and  housing.  The  Commission  stepped  up  its  efforts  in  2012  by  providing  targeted 
financial assistance for the implementation of the operational conclusions in several 
countries.  Better  use  was  made  of  the  financial  Instrument  for  Pre-Accession 
Assistance  (IPA)  by  providing  more  support  measures  aimed  at  including  Roma  in 
society  and  improving  their  status  and  living  conditions  and  by  helping  countries 
develop,  review  and  implement  their  national  strategies,  under  both  national  and 
regional  programmes.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  support  policies  and 
concrete  measures  aimed  at  improving  the  situation  of  Roma,  including  measures 
under  the  Decade  for  Roma  inclusion28,  as  part  of  these  countries'  EU  accession 
processes.  

26  

27 

28 

Such  initiatives  include  the  National  Contact  Points  on  Integration,  the  EU  Strategy  for  the  Danube 
Region, etc. 
This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the 
ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. 
The Decade for Roma inclusion, which embraces all enlargement countries except Iceland, Kosovo and 
Turkey,  serves  so  far  as  a  platform  and  bridge  for  policy  coordination,  exchange  of  experience  and 
information  sharing  between  participating  EU  Member  States  and  the  enlargement  countries,  whilst 
promoting  civil  society  participation  on  the  national  and  local  level  and  complementarity  with  other 
international initiatives.  

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11 

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4. 

CONCLUSIONS — THE WAY FORWARD 

Two  major  conclusions  can  be  drawn  from  assessing  the  progress  made  by  the 
Member  States  over  the  past  year:  some  Member  States  significantly  rethought  or 
developed  their  strategies  in  concrete  terms,  in  particular  by  seeking  to  organise 
horizontal  and  vertical  dialogue  as  well  as  coordination  for  the  implementation  of 
their  strategies;  however,  some  of  the  necessary  preconditions  for  successful 
implementation  are  still  not  in  place  and  progress  is  therefore  very  slow  on  the 
ground.  

To  speed  up  progress  on  Roma  integration  along  the  four  pillars  of  access  to 
education,  employment,  healthcare  and  housing,  the  Commission  is  offering 
additional support to the Member States by: 

(a)  upholding  the  attainment  by  the  Member  States  of  their  policy  goals  and 

commitments 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

presenting  in  parallel  with  this  Communication  a  proposal  for  a  Council 
Recommendation on enhancing the effectiveness of measures to achieve Roma 
integration.  The  findings  of  the  Commission’s  2012  progress  report29,  of  the 
high-level exchanges with civil society and  Roma  representatives, and of this 
report led the Commission to propose to Member States moving up a gear in 
Roma integration by means of a legal instrument to be adopted by the Council;  

pursuing bilateral and multilateral exchanges with the National Contact Points 
for  Roma 
the 
implementation of policy measures for Roma inclusion; 

integration  and  other  national  authorities 

involved 

in 

further  reviewing  progress  on  Roma  integration  in  the  context  of  the  Europe 
2020  Strategy,  as  Roma  integration  should  be  part  of  Member  States’  overall 
efforts  to  combat  poverty  and  social  exclusion,  increase  employment,  reduce 
school drop-out rates and increase educational attainment. 

improving dialogue and cooperation between all stakeholders through the next 
meeting of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion; 

monitoring the implementation of the Race Equality Directive in administrative 
practices. 

(b)  providing support through EU funding 

• 

completing  national  resources  by  setting  out  a  framework  for  how  EU 
funding30  (European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  European  Social 
Fund  (ESF)  and  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development 

29 

30 

Communication  National  Roma  Integration  Strategies:  a  first  step  in  the  implementation  of  the  EU 
final,  26.5.2012  and  accompanying  Staff  Working  Document 
Framework,  COM(226)2012 
SWD(2012)133. 
Commission staff working document, Elements for a Common Strategic Framework 2014 to 2020 for 
the  European  Regional  Development  Fund,  the  European  Social  Fund,  the  Cohesion  Fund,  the 
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, of 
14.3.2012, SWD(2012) 61 final, Part II. 

EN 

12 

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(EAFRD))  could  support  the  inclusion  of  marginalised  communities  such  as 
Roma in the Member States between 2014-20. Furthermore, use of private and 
third  sector  resources  should  be  promoted  to  increase  the  leverage  on 
investment in Roma integration. 

• 

• 

proposing  that  some  Member  State  make  use  of  the  investment  priority 
"Integration  of  marginalised  communities  such  as  the  Roma"  ,  or  set  specific 
objectives related to the labour market integration, access to education or social 
inclusion  of  Roma  people  for  the  next  programming  period  to  reflect  the 
findings of the European Semester; 

proposing  a  new  social  investment  policy  framework31,  based  on  three 
elements32, that could contribute to Roma inclusion. 

The Commission invites the European Parliament to participate actively in a debate 
on  the  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  enhancing  the  effectiveness  of 
measures to achieve Roma integration.  

The Commission will report once a year in spring – next report will be in 2014 – to 
the European Parliament and to the Council on progress made on the four pillars of 
education,  employment,  health  and  housing,  based  on  information  provided  by  the 
Member States, on data collected by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency and on the 
contributions  received  from  civil  society  organisations.  The  annual  reports  will 
benchmark  the  efforts  made  and  progress  achieved  by  Member  States  on  Roma 
integration. 

31 

32 

Communication  Towards  Social  Investment  for  Growth  and  Cohesion  —  including  implementing  the 
European Social Fund 2014-2020, COM(2013) 83 final; and Commission Recommendation: ‘Investing 
in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’, COM(2013) 778 final, 20.2.2013. 
Making social systems better and more sustainable, implementing activating and enabling policies and 
supporting life-long social investment. 

EN 

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ANNEX 

Examples of actions related to the structural pre-conditions of implementation 

Example of the active involvement of local and regional authorities 

In  Germany,  the  government  of  the  State  of  Berlin  adopted  a  strategy  on  Roma 
inclusion on 7 August 2012. It calls for the development of a regional action plan on 
Roma inclusion. A steering group was set up including different Senate Departments 
of  the  Berlin  government  and  local  authorities  that  deal  with  Roma  migrants.  Civil 
society helped develop this regional action plan33.  

Examples of working closely with civil society 

In  France,  a  national  monitoring  group  has  been  set  up  by  the  National  Roma 
Contact  Point.  It  brings  together  associations,  representatives  from  the  various 
Ministries involved, and local actors. It and its four thematic sub-groups were set up 
as a platform to exchange expertise and reach a consensus on the measures that need 
to  be  taken  next.  It  will  propose  these  measures  to  the  inter-ministerial  steering 
committee in charge of coordinating the implementation of France’s strategy. 

In Latvia, a call for proposals aimed at working closely with the Roma community 
was launched in October 2012. Financed by the State, the call, open to organisations 
representing  Roma,  aimed  to  encourage  their  participation  in  society  and  ensure 
cooperation  between  them  and  public  authorities  (local  government  and  other 
stakeholders).  Selected  projects  will  include  organising  practical  seminars  to  come 
up  with  local  cooperation  projects  involving  all  stakeholders  and  developing  a 
cooperation platform between employers and Roma. 

Examples of underpinning the strategies with appropriate financing 

Bulgaria has set up an inter-ministerial working group dedicated to mobilising EU 
funds  for  Roma  integration.  The  group  is  chaired  by  the  Ministry  of  EU  Funds 
Management and comprises deputy ministers, experts from the managing authorities 
and operational programmes and representatives of Roma NGOs. It aims to propose 
instruments  and  schemes  and  verify  the  measures  planned  under  each  operational 
programme. It will prepare an annex to the national strategy setting out activities and 
sustainable financing to implement them. This annex has not been adopted yet. 

In  Hungary,  based  on  an  indicator  system  set  up  by  national  law,  the  most 
disadvantaged  micro-regions  were  identified.  These  micro-regions  suffer  severe 
economic,  employment  and  infrastructural  problems.  To  develop  them,  targeted 
measures  are  used,  consisting  of  social  interventions,  community  and  rural 

for  Roma 
The  Berlin 
berlin.de:8080/starweb/adis/citat/VT/17/DruckSachen/d17-0440.pdf. 

inclusion 

strategy 

is 

available 

at 

http://www.parlament-

14 

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33 

EN 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
development measures and human resource services. 

Examples of robust monitoring systems 

The  Hungarian  monitoring  system  will  aim  to  measure  the  social  impact  of  the 
national  strategy  and  follow  the  state  of  play  of  its  implementation.  The  system’s 
four basic components are: 

1.  A  set  of  indicators  measuring  societal  changes,  aligned  to  the  targets  set  in  the 
national strategy; 

2.  A  regular  reporting  system  being  set  up  in  cooperation  with  an  external 
international consultant to monitor whether the measures in the action plan have been 
implemented; 

3. Research; 

4.  A  social  inclusion  information  system  enabling  the  collection  of  data  in  various 
policy areas. Local authorities will also use it to develop equal opportunity plans. 

Estonia has recognised the need to further map the situation of Roma to determine 
the  appropriate  measures  for  Roma  integration.  The  situation  of  Roma  is  therefore 
being assessed in a survey being carried out from 2012 to 2013. The aim is to use the 
findings to plan the next steps of the strategy.  

Example of fighting discrimination 

Spain carried out various activities to train police forces. Training on equal treatment 
and  ethnic  discrimination  was  given  to  158  regional,  local  and  national  security 
forces in 2012. 

In  Germany,  the  Land  of  Schleswig-Holstein  decided  in  2012  to  amend  its 
constitution to recognise Roma and Sinti that are German nationals and live there as 
an ethnic minority. 

In Romania, special places in secondary schools, vocational training classes and in 
universities in the public education system are earmarked every year for Roma pupils 
and students. Thus far around 15,000 Roma pupils and students have benefited from 
this form of positive action. 

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