COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Midterm review of the EU framework for national Roma integration strategies
Date: 2017-08-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, Roma, access to education, aid to disadvantaged groups, equal treatment, ethnic discrimination, health policy, housing, rights of minorities, social integration

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 30.8.2017  COM(2017) 458 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Midterm review of the EU framework for national Roma integration strategies {SWD(2017) 286 final}  
 
 
This  midterm  review  takes  stock  of  the  progress  since  the  launch  of  the  EU  framework  for 
national Roma integration strategies (NRISs) in 2011. It is based on data on how the situation of 
Roma  have  changed  and  input  from  national  authorities,  civil  society  and  other  partners.  The 
review confirms the added value of the framework, the relevance of EU Roma integration goals 
and the continued need for a combination of targeted and mainstream approaches.  

The most important improvements prompted by the EU framework include: 

the commitment to addressing Roma integration as a priority at European and national levels 

 
  structures for cooperation and coordination among Roma inclusion stakeholders 
 

the  development,  implementation  and  monitoring  of  national  strategies  and  integration 
measures, and  
the  mobilisation  and  alignment  of  legal,  policy  and  funding  instruments  to  fight 
discrimination and promote Roma inclusion 

 

With the development of the necessary structures, the conditions are in place to make a difference 
in the life of Roma. 

As regards real change in the situation of Roma between 2011 and 2016, however, it is clear that 
five years is too short a period to undo centuries of discrimination and deprivation. Progress is 
visible mainly in the area of education; in particular, the growing participation of Roma children 
in early childhood education and care points to strong potential for their later development. On 
the other hand, early school-leaving and poverty risk among Roma, though declining, are still far 
too  high.  The  growing  proportion  of  young  Roma  who  are  not  in  education,  employment  or 
training (NEET) is an alarming signal that translating results in education into employment and 
other areas requires a more effective fight against discrimination.  

The review also identifies key priorities for Member States to address and ways to strengthen the 
EU Framework for NRIS.   

1.   DEVELOPING THE EU FRAMEWORK 

In 2011, the situation of Roma,1 Europe’s largest minority (about 10-12 million people),  came to 
the centre of political attention. In the context of the economic crisis, it became clear that tackling 
economic and social marginalisation and discrimination against Roma is not only a moral duty in 
line with fundamental EU values, but also, an economic imperative promising long-term benefits 
for ageing European societies. It was clear that action is needed at both national and EU levels. 
While  Member  States  are  primarily  responsible  and  equipped  to  change  the  situation  of  their 
Roma  communities,  the  Commission  (in  line  with  a  call  from  the  European  Parliament) 2 
proposed a new targeted European-level policy instrument: the EU framework for national Roma 
integration strategies (NRISs).3  

The framework aims to close the gap between Roma and non-Roma in four key areas: education, 
employment, healthcare and housing. The Commission’s proposal was followed up by Council 
and  European  Council  conclusions 4 marking  an  unprecedented  EU-level  commitment  to  a 
comprehensive approach to Roma inclusion. Key requirements included:  

1   In line with the terminology of European institutions and international organisations, the term ‘Roma’ is used 
here to refer to a number of different groups (e.g. Roma, Sinti, Kale, Gypsies, Romanichels, Boyash, Ashkali, 
Egyptians, Yenish, Dom, Lom, Rom, Abdal) and includes travellers, without denying the specificities of these 
groups. 

2   2010/2276(INI). 
3   COM(2011) 133.  
4   EUCO  23/11,  EPSCO  106665/11.  In  line  with  the  Council  conclusions,  all  Member  States  were  invited  ‘to 

2 

 
 
                                                        
 
 

 

a commitment by all Member States to developing national strategies 
a  combination  of  social  inclusion  and  rights-based  approaches,  with  the  fight  against 
discrimination becoming a horizontal requirement across all policy fields 
the  involvement  of  regional  and  local  authorities,  civil  society  and  Roma  in  the  design, 
implementation and monitoring of NRIS 
adequate and sustainable funding (national budget to be supplemented by EU funds) 

 
  monitoring of results, and 
  mainstreaming Roma inclusion goals in public policies 

In  2013,  the  EU  Roma  framework  was  strengthened  by  a  Council  Recommendation  on 
effective  Roma  integration  measures. 5  The  Recommendation  sharpened  the  focus  on 
anti-discrimination and extended work on Roma to new horizontal and structural areas. It also 
introduced,  as  of  2016,  an  annual  reporting  obligation  on  Member  States,  contributing  to  the 
development of a European system of monitoring. The December 2016 Council conclusions on 
accelerating the process of Roma integration6 confirmed the Member States’ commitment and 
called for a midterm review of the EU framework.  

2.   MOBILISING EUROPEAN LEGAL, POLICY AND FUNDING INSTRUMENTS  

Since  the  launch  of  the  EU  framework,  legal,  policy  and  funding  instruments  have  been 
mobilised  and  aligned  to  promote  Roma  inclusion.  Mainstream  EU  legislation  (the  Racial 
Equality  Directive,  the  Council  Framework  Decision  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia)7 
prohibits  anti-Roma  discrimination,  hate  speech  and  hate  crime.  The  European  Semester 
promotes reforms of mainstream policies that are conducive to Roma inclusion. The 2014-2020 
European  structural  and  investment  funds  (ESIFs)  include  several  innovations  to  link  policy 
priorities with European funding.  

2.1.   Fighting discrimination  

Following  the  adoption  of  the  EU  framework,  the  Commission  took  a  series  of  measures  to 
fight  Roma  discrimination.  It  reinforced  its  monitoring  of  Member  States’  implementation  of 
anti-discrimination and anti-racism and xenophobia legislation.  

continuously  monitors  Member  States’ 

the 
The  Commission 
anti-discrimination  legislation.  There  is  a  particular  focus  on  the  fields  of  education  and 
housing.  Cases  of  systematic  discrimination  against  Roma  on  grounds  of  their  ethnicity  are 
swiftly  investigated.  Infringement  proceedings  concerning  discrimination  against  Roma 
children in education are ongoing.8 The Commission highlighted that placing Roma children in 
segregated  schools  or  Roma-only  classes  with  substandard  school  curricula,  and  diagnosing 
them  with  light  mental  impairment  in  disproportionate  numbers  on  the  basis  of  their  social 
disadvantage, are in breach of the Racial Equality Directive.  

compliance  with 

prepare, update or develop their national Roma inclusion strategies, or integrated sets of policy measures within 
their broader social inclusion policies’. By 2012, all Member States except Malta had submitted strategies or 
integrated  sets  of  policy  measures.  The  terms  ‘NRIS’  and  ‘strategy’  also  cover  integrated  sets  of  policy 
measures. 
5   OJ C 378 
6   14294/16 
7   2000/43/EC, 2008/913/JHA 
8 CZ, HU, SK 

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The  Commission  also  monitors  Member  States’  transposition  of  the  Council  Framework 
Decision  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia,  and  fights  racist  and  xenophobic  stereotypes 
and hate speech and hate crime, including when addressed to Roma. Under this framework the 
Commission entered dialogue with Member States leading to changes in legislation, established 
an  EU  high-level  group  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia  to  foster  cooperation  between 
relevant  actors  and  reached  agreement  with  the  main  social  media  providers  on  a  code  of 
conduct on countering illegal hate speech online. 

Several important steps have been taken to recognise and fight antigypsyism, as a specific form 
of  racism  against  Roma  and  one  of  the  root  causes  of  Roma  social  exclusion  and 
discrimination: 

 

 

the  2013  Council  Recommendation  highlighted  the  need  to  fight  antigypsyism  and 
encouraged Member States to adopt measures to prevent or compensate for disadvantages 
suffered by Roma (positive action) 
a 2015 European Parliament Resolution9 called on Member States to recognise the Roma 
holocaust officially and designate a European memorial day 
 
antigypsyism was further discussed at the 2015 European platform for Roma inclusion 
  European Roma and pro-Roma civil society produced a reference paper on antigypsyism10  
 
the  2016  Council  conclusions  referred  to  antigypsyism  and  to  the  recognition  and 
commemoration of Roma genocide, and 
the above mentioned high level group combating racism and xenophobia aims to , prevent 
and counter, inter alia, antigypsyism 

 

The  Commission  has  also  worked  to  tackle  multiple  discrimination  against  Roma  children 
and women, as groups exposed to high risks of violence, trafficking in human beings (THB),11 
exploitation,  and  underage  and  forced  marriage,  and  to  ensure  that  they  are  better  protected. 
Promoting  the  empowerment  of  both  groups,  as  well  as  Roma  youth,  was  at  the  core  of  the 
above-mentioned Council conclusions. 

2.2.   Promoting inclusive reform through the European Semester  

Through the European Semester exercise, the Commission steers and monitors Member States’ 
action  in  order  to  make  mainstream  policies  more  inclusive  of  Roma.  Since  2012,  the  five 
Member  States  most  concerned  (i.e.  with  the  largest  Roma  communities  and  most  acute 
challenges) 12  have  received  country-specific  recommendations  (CSRs)  on  Roma  inclusion. 
These  increasingly  focused  on  education,  calling  for  systemic  measures  to  promote  Roma 
children’s  participation  in  quality  inclusive  mainstream  education.  CSRs  steered  funding 
priorities in the 2014-2020 programming period. 

2.3.   Mobilising EU funding 

The EU framework called on Member States to make full use of EU funds for Roma inclusion. 
In  2007-2013,  the  funds  took  a  mainstreaming  approach  to  disadvantaged  groups/regions, 

9   2015/2615(RSP). 
10  www.antigypsyism.eu 
11   The EU strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings 2012–2016 (COM(2012) 286 final) led 
to  relevant  deliverables,  such  as  a  2015  study  on  high-risk  groups  for  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  the 
Report  on  the  progress  made  in  the  fight  against  trafficking  in  human  beings  COM(2016)  267  final  and 
SWD(2016) 159 final.  
12 BG, CZ, HU, RO, SK 

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without  explicitly  targeting  Roma,  so  the  precise  amounts  of  funding  for  Roma  inclusion 
cannot  be  quantifed.  Disadvantaged  groups  could  receive  funding  from  the  European  Social 
Fund  (ESF)  mainly  in  the  area  of  social  inclusion,  but  also  in  the  areas  of  employment  and 
education. The amount allocated to the integration of disadvantaged people (including Roma) 
into employment was around €10 billion. The amount allocated under the European Regional 
Development  Fund  (ERDF)  for  social  infrastructure  (benefiting  Roma  among  others)  was 
around  €17 billion.  The  ERDF  Regulation  was  amended  in  2010  and  the  Commission  issued 
guidance  in  2011  to  support  integrated  housing  interventions  for  Roma  communities.  Rural 
development policy supported the inclusion of marginalised minorities, including Roma.  

For the 2014-2020 programming period, the EU framework and the European Semester have 
ensured that there is a strong linkage between policy and funding priorities. The link between 
implementation of CSRs and the ESIFs ensures that mainstream policy reforms serve inclusion 
goals.  For  example,  the  Commission  asked  Member  States  that  received  CSRs  calling  for 
enhanced  Roma  participation  in  education  to  select  the  investment  priority  ‘socio-economic 
integration  of  marginalised  communities  such  as  Roma’  and  to  mainstream  Roma  inclusion 
under other relevant priorities (most importantly, ‘fighting early school-leaving and promoting 
equal access to quality early childhood, primary and secondary education’). Inclusive education 
cannot  be  achieved  by  targeted  actions  alone,  but  requires  reforms  of  mainstream  education. 
The 2014-2020 rural development programmes of the Member States most concerned provide 
support  under  priority  6  "promoting  social  inclusion,  poverty  reduction  and  economic 
development  in  rural  areas"  which  includes  measures  to  address  the  specific  needs  of 
marginalised  groups  including,  but  not  limited  to  Roma.13 The  Commission  also  encouraged 
the involvement of NRCPs in the planning of EU funds, including as members of monitoring 
committees. 

For  2014-2020,  several  new  tools  have  been  introduced  (in  addition  to  the  ‘socio-economic 
integration of marginalised communities’ investment priority) to improve the effectiveness of 
the ESIFs as regards social inclusion, including that of Roma:  

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

a new set of requirements to ensure that Member States that allocate EU funds for Roma 
inclusion, have  national  strategic  Roma  inclusion  policy  frameworks  and  meet  the  pre-
conditions for their effective implementation  
a  more  robust  partnership  principle  (as  part  of  a  European  code  of  conduct)  to  guide 
cooperation  with  civil  society,  local  authorities  and  social  partners  in  the  planning, 
implementation and monitoring of EU-funded interventions  
increased earmarked funding for capacity-building for civil society organisations 
obligatory minimum allocation ratios for investment in social inclusion 
support  for  the  physical,  economic  and  social  regeneration  of  deprived  communities  that 
may involve stronger integrated housing measures 
territorial  and  integrated  approaches  addressing  the  specific  needs  of  geographical  areas 
most affected by poverty and target groups at highest risk of social exclusion,  facilitated 
by a multi-fund approach 
enhanced  results-oriented  monitoring  arrangements  (common  indicators  focusing  on 
outputs and results) and reporting on a Roma-specific investment priority, and 
guidance for Member States on the use of EU funds to tackle segregation 

13  Ibid  –  Targeting  is  made  during  the  selection  process  prioritizing  projects  addressing 
problems  of  marginalised  groups  in  rural  areas,  mainly  under  measure  7  "Basic  services  and 
village renewal in rural areas" and measure 19 "Community-led local development." 

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In June 2016, the Court of Auditors published the results of its audit on EU policy initiatives 
and financial support for Roma inclusion, concluding that significant progress in setting out EU 
policy initiatives promoting Roma inclusion had led to clear improvements for the 2014-2020 
period. The Court called for additional efforts to ensure that the new tools improved results on 
the  ground.  It  also  made  specific  recommendations  regarding  the  use  of  the  ESIFs,  data 
collection and monitoring.14 

The  Commission  has  mobilised  directly  managed  EU  funding  to  finance  projects  fostering 
Roma inclusion and fighting discrimination across Europe: 

  The  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme  funds  local,  national  and  transnational 

projects on Roma inclusion and anti-discrimination 

  The Europe for Citizens Programme supports projects commemorating the Roma holocaust  
  The  Employment  and  Social  Innovation  (EASI)  Programme  promotes  social  policy 

innovation aimed at Roma inclusion 

  Erasmus+ helps develop lifelong learning measures for Roma inclusion 
  The Public  Health Programme supports  initiatives to  promote equal  access to  healthcare, 

and 

  The  Horizon  2020  research  and  innovation  programme  and  the  Seventh  Research 
Framework  Programme  fund  research  on  social  inclusion,  education,  including  research 
projects on the mobility of Roma to Western Europe and the impact of educational policies 
on Roma 

2.4.   European mainstream policy initiatives  

European  mainstream  policy  initiatives  in  the  fields  of  education,  employment,  social  and 
health can help to promote Roma inclusion.  
The 2011 Council Recommendation on policies to reduce early school-leaving15 recommends 
the  inclusion  of  targeted  measures  for  the  most  vulnerable  groups,  including  Roma.  As  a 
follow-up  to  the  Paris  Declaration 16,  the  Commission  stepped  up  its  support  for  inclusive 
education. One of the priorities is to foster the education of disadvantaged children and young 
people, including Roma, by ensuring that education and training systems address their needs. 

The  youth  guarantee  and  youth  employment  initiatives  of  2013  are  particularly  relevant  for 
Roma. They played a crucial role in helping to get young people back into work or education, 
but  the  Commission  has  acknowledged  that  more  effort  must  be  made  to  support  ‘hard-to-
reach’  young  people,  such  as  Roma.  Key  categories  of  the  European  pillar  of  social  rights 
include equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and social 
protection and inclusion. 

The  Commission’s  initiatives  targeting  Roma  health  are  taken  forward  under  a  range  of 
general  and  specific  policies.  The  2014  Roma  health  report  constitutes  an  important 
contribution to improving the knowledge base and mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on 
the health status of the Roma, with a focus on countries with large Roma populations. 17 

14   EN 2016, no. 14 
15   2011/C 191/01 
16 17.03.2015, informal meeting of EU education ministers 
17   Roma Health Report 2014 

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2.5.   Involving all stakeholders at European level 

If Roma exclusion is to be overcome, all relevant stakeholders must join forces, fulfilling their 
responsibilities in the light of their mandates, competences and capacities. In order to promote 
mutual  learning,  dialogue  and  cooperation,  the  Commission  has  facilitated  and  financially 
supported stakeholder dialogue through the European platform for Roma inclusion, the NRCP 
network and regular consultation meetings with EU umbrella Roma and pro-Roma NGOs and 
international  organisations.  Over  the  years,  the  participatory  approach  and  cooperation  with 
international organisations have been reinforced. 

2.6.   Promoting  awareness-raising,  Roma  participation  and  capacity-building  for  civil 

society and local authorities 

The Commission has  stepped up its efforts to  promote awareness-raising, Roma participation 
and empowerment, and capacity-building for civil society and local authorities. Its ‘For Roma, 
with Roma’ campaign supported targeted communications activities to combat prejudices and 
discrimination against local Roma populations. 

The Commission has launched joint programmes with the Council of Europe: 

JUSTROM gives Roma and traveller women greater access to justice 

 
  ROMED promotes inclusion by training intercultural mediators 
  ROMACT builds local authorities’ capacity to develop and implement inclusion measures 
  ROMACTED  promotes  good  governance  and  Roma  empowerment  at  local  level  in 

Western Balkans and Turkey 

The  Commission  has  launched  a  pilot  programme  to  build  capacity  among  local  civil 
society actors in order to strengthen their involvement in the monitoring of NRISs. 

In  2016,  the  Commission  and  the  Slovak  Presidency  organised  a  high-level  event  on  Roma 
youth empowerment, which confirmed the urgent need to empower young Roma and actively 
involve them in Roma inclusion policy.  

3.   ASSESSING EFFORTS AND RESULTS IN THE MEMBER STATES  

The  political  commitment  of  Member  States,  translated  into  national  strategies,  was  a 
significant first step towards improving the livelihoods of Roma. National approaches to Roma 
inclusion  vary  across  Member  States  according  to  the  size  and  socio-economic  situation  of 
local  populations.  In  its  annual  reports,  the  Commission  has  identified  the  priorities  to  be 
addressed by Member States in order to secure effective implementation. These include setting 
quantifiable  targets,  indicators  and  budget  allocations,  monitoring  the  impact  of  mainstream 
measures on Roma, cooperation with local authorities and civil society, and the involvement of 
Roma  in  all  phases  of  the  policy  process.  Member  States  have  addressed  some  of  these 
challenges,  in  particular  with  respect  to  their  institutional  arrangements,  stakeholder 
cooperation, monitoring and funding. However, the impact of their measures on the situation of 
Roma in education, employment, healthcare and housing remains limited. 

3.1.   Substantive policy areas  

The EU framework sets goals to improve Roma  access to education, employment,  healthcare 
and housing, and to fight discrimination in these areas. Changes in the situation of Roma (from 

7 

 
 
2011  to  2016)18 are  reviewed  below  on  the  basis  of  Member  States’  reports  on  integration 
measures, main successes and implementation challenges. 

Measures reported by Member States in the key policy areas and antidiscrimination 

Targeted

Mainstream

Education

163 

115 

Employment

58 

88 

Healthcare

36 

57 

Housing

31 

44 

Antidiscrimination

72 

66 

3.1.1.   Education 

Education  is  the  main  area  in  which  the  situation  of  Roma  improved.  It  is  also  the  most 
prominent area in Member States’ policy mix for Roma inclusion. There is clear progress in the 
fight against early school-leaving, with declining rates among Roma in all surveyed Member 
States  (most  significant  improvements  in  ES,  SK,  BG,  CZ  and  RO).  This  is  in  line  with 
Member States’ policy focus: a majority of Member States implemented early school-leaving 
strategies and several met their Europe 2020 target in this area as a result. However, despite the 
improvements Roma continue to be strongly over-represented among early school-leavers, with 
rates up to 24 times higher than in the population as a whole.  

The  other  clear  improvement  is  in  early  childhood  education  and  care,  where  the 
participation of Roma children grew in  most  Member States (significant progress in BG, EL, 
ES, SK and HU, but deterioration in PT and RO). The greater recognition of the importance of 
early  education  is  reflected  in  the  high  number  of  measures  and  increased  investment  in  this 
area, supported by legislative changes such as introducing compulsory kindergarten years (BG, 
CZ,  FI,  HU  and  LT).  However,  dedicated  financial  support  is  required  to  help  the  most 
deprived  families  with  the  indirect  costs  of  early  childhood  education  (fees,  food,  clothing, 
transport, etc.). Small improvements have been registered in compulsory education, with more 
than 9 in 10 Roma children covered by compulsory schooling provisions attending education in 
most Member States (not EL and RO). 

While  education  is  the  area  in  which  the  most  progress  has  been  made,  important  systemic 
challenges  remain.  Eliminating  segregation  in  education  and  putting  an  end  to  the 
inappropriate placement of Roma in special needs schools have been highlighted as priorities 
under  the  EU  framework,  the  2013  Council  Recommendation,  the  Racial  Equality  Directive 

18   Based on the FRA’s 2011 Roma pilot survey and the EU-MIDIS II survey in 2016, see SWD in annex. 

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and  the  European  Semester.  There  are  still  trends  of  persisting,  sometimes  even  growing, 
segregation,  with  one  to  two  thirds  of  Roma  children  attending  schools  where  most  or  all 
children are Roma (SK, HU, BG: 60 % or above; EL, HR, ES, CZ, RO: 29-48 %).19 This can 
be  explained  only  partially  by  residential  segregation.  Despite  the  increasing  number  of 
Member  States  investing  in  measures  promoting  inclusive  teaching  and  learning  methods, 
active  desegregation  measures  are  lacking  in  several  of  the  countries  most  concerned  and  in 
some  cases  EU  funds  have  even  been  used  for  segregated  facilities.  Evidence  that  integrated 
school settings and mixed classes are mutually beneficial for Roma and non-Roma is still not 
widely acknowledged. Too little attention is given to other key areas that are indispensable for 
improving employability, such as second-chance education and skills development in line with 
labour market needs. 

Among successes in the area of education, NRCPs mention: 

 
 
 

legislative reform 
inclusive structures 
increasing participation by Roma (especially in early, but also compulsory and vocational, 
education) 
improved multicultural competences 

 
  support for Roma students and teachers, and  
 

reaching out to parents  

Among remaining challenges, they cite: 

still-high, though declining, early school-leaving rates 

 
  difficulty  of  promoting  effective  transition  for  Roma  to  upper  secondary  and  tertiary 

education 
language deficiencies, and  

 
  discrimination  

3.1.2.   Employment 

Improvements in education have not yet been effectively translated into employment. Although 
Roma employment levels have risen in some Member States (PT and HU), changes elsewhere 
are smaller or even negative. The NEET rate among young Roma remains alarmingly high and 
has  actually  risen  in  several  Member  States  (51-77 %  in  ES,  HR,  BG,  SK,  RO,  CZ  and  HU, 
with  only  PT  showing  a  clear  decline).  One  reason  for  the  lack  of  progress  could  be  that 
measures  focus  on  the  supply  side,  i.e. employability  (through  vocational  training,  lifelong 
learning,  etc.)  and  do  not  proportionately  address  barriers  on  the  demand  side,  e.g. by 
monitoring and fighting discrimination. Mainstream measures could also target Roma better. 
The strong employment gap between Roma women and men (widest in EL, RO, PT and HU)20 
is  not  sufficiently  addressed.  Avenues  to  mobilise  the  private  sector  and  incentivise 
employers to recruit Roma, who in several Member States represent a significant and growing 
proportion of the working-age population, should be further explored, e.g. through the explicit 
targeting of Roma under the youth guarantee and social considerations in public procurement.  

Recently, national employment levels have started to rise in several of the Member States most 
concerned. Revived economic growth offers a long-awaited opportunity for Roma to (re-)enter 
the open labour market, provided Member States apply smart policies with effective incentives. 

19   EU-MIDIS II (selected findings). 
20   Ibid. 

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Where entry-level  wages are  extremely low, social  benefits not  linked to activation  measures 
can constitute an unemployment trap. 

According to the NRCPs, the single most important success factor is: 

 

targeting  Roma  through  mainstream  employment  services,  e.g. via  individual  support  or 
reaching out through Roma fieldworkers/labour officers 

Among challenges, the NRCPs refer to: 

lack of skills and competences 

 
  discrimination 
 

to 

impress  on  employers 

 need 
anti-discrimination, and  
  better targeting Roma women  

the 

importance  of  diversity  management  and 

3.1.3.   Health 

In  the  field  of  health,  basic  social  security  coverage  remains  a  challenge,  without  significant 
improvement in the countries most concerned, where around half of the Roma population are 
still  without  basic  medical  insurance  coverage  (BG  and  RO,  but  an  improvement  of  over 
30 percentage  points  in  EL).  This  is  in  spite  of  measures  focusing  on  removing  barriers  that 
prevent  Roma  from  accessing  the  healthcare  system,  which  often  include  a  lack  of  civil 
documentation.  The  self-perceived  health  status  of  Roma  has  generally  improved  (with  the 
biggest increases in RO, BG, HU, PT and EL), which points to some success from other health 
measures,  such  as  those  promoting  health  awareness,  access  to  vaccinations,  medical 
check-ups, pre- and post-natal care and family planning. Improved perceptions of health could 
also be linked to the declining rate of Roma suffering from hunger on a regular basis in most 
countries. The civil delivery of services and targeting of Roma women are strongest in the field 
of health, but health reforms generally fail to target Roma needs explicitly.  

These findings are confirmed by NRCPs, who mention among successes: 

focus on prevention 

  health awareness  
  promotion of a healthy lifestyle 
 
  health literacy 
  Roma health mediators 
  civil participation, and  
  cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder cooperation  

Challenges raised include: 

lack of health coverage and general practitioners in Roma-populated areas 

 
  under-use of health services 
  mental and physical health problems 
 
  need for more Roma health professionals 

teenage pregnancies, and  

10 

 
 
3.1.4.   Housing 

In the field of housing, small improvements regarding Roma access to basic amenities can be 
observed,  with  the  rate  of  Roma  living  in  households  without  tap  water,  toilet,  shower  or 
bathroom  decreasing  in  several  Member  States  (especially  BG,  RO,  SK  and  CZ).  Access  to 
electricity supply is also improving slightly, with rates above 90 % in most Member States (not 
PT  and  EL).  However,  in  several  Member  States  (CZ,  ES,  IT  and  PT),  Roma  increasingly 
experience  discrimination  when  it  comes  to  access  to  housing.  In  the  NRISs,  Member  States 
focused  on  promoting  non-discriminatory  access  to  social  housing,  with  some  also  adopting 
desegregation  measures.  However,  some  of  the  countries  most  concerned  do  not  report 
measures fighting segregation, while others do not address non-discriminatory access to social 
housing  at  all.  Both  areas  are  of  utmost  importance  for  further  robust  action,  potentially 
financed  from  EU  funds  in  line  with  the  Commission’s  guidance  on  desegregation.  This  is 
especially important in the context of frequent evictions in several Member States.  

Successes mentioned by NRCPs (which tend to be pre-conditions for future change) include: 

  housing  allocations  for  marginalised  communities  under  the  2014-2020  ESIF  operational 

programmes 

  surveys on the housing situation, and 
  new action plans or strategic documents on housing  
Among challenges, they refer to: 

the limited availability and low quality of social housing 

 
  discrimination in the housing market, and 
 

segregation and ghettoisation 

Priorities to be addressed by Member States: 

  Promote  effective  equal  access  for  Roma  to  quality  inclusive  mainstream  education 
through legislation, inclusive reforms of public education, sustainable funding and explicit 
desegregation measures combined with inclusive teaching and learning methods 

  Monitor  and  fight  discrimination  in  the  labour  market  as  a  pre-requisite  for  improving 
Roma employment levels. Develop a comprehensive package of mainstream and targeted 
measures addressing both the supply and the demand side of the labour market. Tackle the 
gender gap in employment by explicit measures targeting Roma women 

  Ensure minimum basic social security coverage as an urgent priority, including by solving 
civil documentation issues, and improve access to other quality healthcare services. Exploit 
results  in  Roma  participation  in  early  childhood  education  and  care  by  improving  health 
services and providing free vaccination and medical check-ups for Roma children and their 
families 

  Address spatial segregation with a complex integrated long-term approach. Prevent forced 
evictions  on  ethnic  grounds  and  offer  alternative  housing  to  evicted  families  (including 
through ESIF investments) to avoid homelessness and greater exclusion, and 

 

Introduce  safeguards  to  ensure  effective  equal  access  for  Roma  to  mainstream  measures 
and  quality  services  in  education,  employment,  health  and  housing.  Target  the  specific 
needs of Roma in the context of public policy reforms 

11 

 
 
3.2.   Use of EU funds 

In  2014-2020,  Member  States  allocated  a  total  of  €42.3 billion  in  ESIF  funding  to  promote 
social  inclusion  and  fight  poverty  and  discrimination,  enabling  actions  targeting  the  socially 
disadvantaged (including, but not limited to Roma):  
 

€21.2 billion from the ESF, i.e. 25.6 % of the total ESF budget – well above the minimum 
20 % required under the Regulation  
€11.9 billion from the ERDF, and  
€9.2 billion from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) 

 
 
12 Member States allocated €1.5 billion (i.e. 3.5 % of the total allocation for social inclusion) 
to  the  priority  explicitly  targeting  Roma.  In  addition,  11 Member  States  allocated  a  total  of 
€447 million to combating discrimination.  

Investment priority (IP) 

Member 
selected the IP 

States 

that 

Financial allocation 

Socio-economic 
integration 
of marginalised communities 
such as Roma 

AT,  BE,  BG,  CZ,  ES,  FR, 
EL, HU, IT, PL, RO, SK 

€1.5 billion  

funding 
The  majority  of 
(€1.2 billion)  is  concentrated 
in BG, CZ, HU and RO. 

forms  of 
Combating  all 
discrimination 
and 
promoting equal opportunity 

BE,  CY,  CZ,  DE,  ES,  FR, 
EL, IE, PL, PT, SK 

€447 million 

Other relevant social inclusion priorities are active inclusion, access to affordable, sustainable 
and  high-quality  services,  and  health  and  social  infrastructure.  Roma  can  also  be  supported 
under  the  ‘education’  objective  (e.g.  early  childhood  education  and  primary  schools)  and  the 
‘employment’  objective  (where  relevant  priorities  include  access  to  employment,  and  social 
entrepreneurship).  Several  Member  States  predominantly  rely  on  EU  funds  to  implement 
integration measures, without national investments or adequate monitoring and reporting of the 
impact of ESIF-financed interventions.  

Priorities to be addressed by Member States: 

  Ensure sustainable national funding of integration measures 

  Measure  and  report  the  impact  of  integration  measures  on  Roma  school  attainment, 
employment levels, desegregation, access to health, housing and quality services, and 

  Use 2014-2020 funds to upscale, extend and multiply smaller-scale initiatives that proved 

successful in 2007-2013 

3.3.   Fighting discrimination 

Member States have put in place legal frameworks prohibiting discrimination, hate speech and 
hate  crime,  but  the  enforcement  of  EU  legislation  with  regard  to  Roma  remains  a  serious 
challenge.  Overall,  the  situation  has  not  improved  over  the  years.  Discrimination  and  racism 
affecting  Roma  is  still  present  and  widespread  in  all  key  areas.  Hate  speech  and  hate  crime 
continue significantly to affect the Roma community. 

The lack of progress can be explained by several persisting challenges, including: 

12 

 
 
 

lack of political will at national, regional and local levels to ensure non-discrimination and 
equal treatment 

  administrative practices that can result in discriminatory practices or segregation 
 
lack of data 
  under-reporting 
 
scarcity of case-law, and  
 
inadequate protection for Roma victims of discrimination and hate crime 
Despite the lack of progress, some positive developments should be recognised: 

 

 

the adoption of new legislation and/or essential legislative amendments that have a direct 
impact on Roma, in particular in the area of education (HR, CZ, EL, HU, RO and SK) 
increased  cooperation  and  networking  between  key  actors,  such  as  NRCPs,  equality 
bodies,  legal  practitioners,  civil  servants,  police,  service  providers  (including  teachers), 
municipalities and members of Roma communities 

  efforts by national equality bodies to support Roma victims 
  prevention,  awareness-raising,  promotion  of  anti-discrimination  standards  and  activities 
sensitising  people  to  the  situation  of  the  Roma,  including  possible  vulnerability  to 
become  victims  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  , promoting best practices in countering 
hate crime, hate speech and negative stereotypes, and 

  enforcement  of  national  case-law  on  discrimination  (Although  in  many  Member  States, 
court rulings and decisions recognising anti-Roma discrimination are not properly followed 
up.) 

The  Commission  supports  Member  States’  efforts  in  a  number  of  ways,  including  work  to 
enhance the role of national equality bodies and promote equality data collection. 

Priorities to be addressed by Member States: 

  Fully transpose and enforce anti-discrimination and anti-racism legislation and safeguards, 

e.g. by guidance targeting the regional and local levels 

  Support the development and operation of effective and independent equality bodies, and 

  Fight antigypsyism by specific measures, addressed to majority society and stakeholders, 
to counter negative stereotyping and stigmatisation of the Roma community, and support 
civil society  

3.4.   Involving all stakeholders at national level  

Following  the  Commission’s  guidance,  Member  States  started  to  put  in  place  the  structural 
pre-conditions for the successful implementation of their strategies, including cooperation and 
coordination with relevant stakeholders. They began investing in internal policy coordination, 
strategic  planning  and  stakeholder  dialogue.  Within  their  respective  administrative  structures, 
they  designated  NRCPs  to  coordinate  Roma-related  policies.  The  NRCPs  have  become 
increasingly involved in coordination and contribute to policy-making and the use of national 
and EU funds. Strengthening their human and financial resources would allow them to perform 
their tasks more effectively.  

Most  Member  States  established  mechanisms  to  coordinate  Roma  inclusion  efforts.  Dialogue 
structures have improved considerably thanks to EU financial support for the development of 
national  platforms  for  Roma  inclusion.  In  all,  15  Member  States  have  taken  an  advantage  of 
this to date and developed national consultation processes convened and managed by NRCPs. 

13 

 
 
However,  important  obstacles  persist,  such  as  a  lack  of  capacity  and  sustainable  funding, 
insufficiently  transparent  and  inclusive  involvement  of  civil  society,  and  local  authorities’ 
limited administrative capacity to implement sustainable integrated measures.  

Roma youth could be further encouraged to play an active role in shaping policies that directly 
impact them. Although the situation of Roma children and women is addressed by mainstream 
policies in the majority of the Member States, targeted interventions are also needed. 

Priorities to be addressed by Member States: 

  Strengthen NRCPs’ human and financial resources, and enhance their coordination role 

  Promote  capacity-building,  sustainable  funding  and  the  transparent  and  inclusive 

involvement of Roma, civil society and local authorities, and 

  Empower Roma youth, children and women as active players in the inclusion process 

4.  

STAKEHOLDER ASSESSMENT OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES  

The Commission invited European and national NGOs, international organisations, experts and 
NRCPs to provide their assessment of the key strengths and weaknesses of the EU framework, 
ways  to  improve  it  and  priorities  for  action.  Analysis  of  their  contributions  reveals  a  strong 
consensus  on  the  achievements,  challenges  and  priorities  at  European  and  national  levels, 
suggesting  that  stakeholders  appreciate  the  steps  taken  so  far,  but  would  like  to  see  further 
reforms/improvements in addressing the challenges.  

4.1.   Achievements  

There is broad consensus that the biggest achievement of the EU framework is  putting Roma 
inclusion high on the European and national political agendas, creating political commitment 
to  concrete,  large-scale,  long-term  integrated  action.  Stakeholders  widely  believe  that  annual 
monitoring and reporting from the Commission, targeted policy guidance for Member States, 
data  collection  and  the  more  recent  reporting  obligation  of  Member  States  are  all  crucial  to 
keeping  the  issue  on  the  policy  agenda  and  improving  knowledge  and  evidence-based 
policy-making. 

The mobilisation of mainstream European legal, policy and funding instruments is another 
recognised  result.  Stakeholders  attach  great  importance  to  the  Commission’s  commitment  to 
enforcing the prohibition of discrimination and its drive for inclusive reform of mainstream 
policies  (through  CSRs  under  the  European  Semester).  Aligning  EU  funding  with  policy 
priorities in 2014-2020 is considered even more important. The new Roma-specific investment 
priority, the associated ex ante conditionality and the partnership principle under the European 
code of conduct receive most recognition. 

The development of European and national coordination structures, creating spaces for Roma 
participation and cooperation between stakeholders are recognised. The designation of NRCPs 
to  coordinate  the  development,  cross-sectoral  implementation  and  monitoring  of  NRISs,  and 
their  increasing  involvement  in  planning  the  use  of  the  ESIFs  and  mainstream  policies,  are 
appreciated. The creation of the European platform for Roma inclusion in 2009 and the national 
platforms in 2015, and the role of equality bodies in the fight against discrimination are other 
strong points mentioned.  

Finally, there is recognition of the fact that the EU framework has adapted over time to address 
emerging priorities and gaps. In particular, the growing EU-level recognition of antigypsyism 
and the Council Recommendation extending the framework to new areas stand out. 

14 

 
 
As  regards  the  specific  achievements  of  the  NRISs,  NRCPs  emphasise  progress  on  the 
horizontal and structural pre-requisites of implementation:  

revising Roma integration strategies 

local authorities becoming more active 

 
  mainstreaming Roma inclusion in other areas 
  drawing up local action plans 
 
  knowledge development (surveys, guidance, training) 
 
  developing coordination structures 
  Roma participation, and  
 
legislative reform  
Concrete progress in the situation of Roma is referred to much less frequently. 

recognition of the Roma minority, language, culture and history 

4.2.   Challenges and priorities 

The  most  important  overarching  challenge  and  priority  is  the  still-limited  impact  of  the  EU 
framework in improving the situation of Roma. This is often linked to external factors, such as 
the  economic  crisis  or  the  alarming  rise  of  xenophobia  and  nationalistic,  populist  political 
movements.  Other  factors  highlighted  include  the  lack  of  local  commitment  and  capacity  to 
implement integration measures and access funding.  

The  perceived  challenges  underline  the  enduring  importance  of  the  key  policy  areas.  Most 
stakeholders  emphasise  education  (in  particular,  early  education  and  desegregation)  and 
housing  (in  particular,  forced  evictions  and  spatial  segregation).  However,  translating 
improvements  in  employability  into  real  employment  and  ensuring  access  to  basic  health 
services  are  also  mentioned.  Many  civil  stakeholders  believe  that  the  EU  framework  would 
benefit from a greater focus on anti-discrimination, in particular the fight against antigypsyism 
as a root cause of Roma exclusion. 

Other  challenges  and  priorities  largely  overlap  with  the  achievements.  Stakeholders  refer  to 
declining levels of political commitment, with emerging priorities, such as the refugee crisis, 
shifting Member States’ attention away from Roma inclusion. As regards reporting by Member 
States,  they  call  for  more  transparency,  further  development  and  closer  involvement  of  civil 
society in monitoring, which should also facilitate peer learning. They call for more attention 
to  fighting  discrimination,  e.g.  by  launching  more  infringement  proceedings  and  imposing 
sanctions  on  non-compliant  Member  States.  Regret  is  expressed  at  the  fact  that  the 
Commission’s  Roma-targeted  and  mainstream  policy  guidance  under  the  EU  framework  and 
Europe 2020  is  not  enforceable.  There  are  calls  to  target  Roma  more  explicitly  under 
European and national programmes, such as the youth guarantee and Erasmus+. Many point to 
possible further improvements in the use of the ESIFs and call for NGOs and local authorities 
to be given direct access to funds, for better enforcement of ex ante conditionalities, sanctions 
for failure to uphold the partnership principle, better monitoring (through an increased role for 
the  Commission  and  Roma  themselves)  and  action  to  prevent  the  ineffective  use  of  funds 
(e.g. training programmes not leading to employment) or their misuse (e.g. ESIF interventions 
financing segregated settings), including through a transparent complaint mechanism.  

As  regards  coordination  structures,  challenges  include  NRCPs’  evolving  but  still-insufficient 
mandate, capacity and resources, insufficient Roma participation and the need to ensure more 
transparent  and  inclusive  involvement,  capacity-building  and  access  to  funding  for  civil 
society. Various stakeholders call  for  continued  and more  flexible support for national Roma 

15 

 
 
platforms,  extending  to  more  Member  States  and  allowing  transnational  cooperation.  There 
could  also  be  greater  coordination  between  the  national  and  European  Roma  platforms.  As 
regards the targeting of the EU framework and NRISs, some criticise the focus on marginalised 
Roma and recommend increasing investment in, and empowerment of,  Roma  youth,  women 
and children, and paying more attention to the intra-EU mobility of Roma. 

5.   ROMA INCLUSION IN THE ENLARGEMENT PROCESS 

The EU framework states that Roma integration goals apply equally to enlargement countries. 
The Commission included Roma integration as a key priority in its enlargement strategy.  

Although Roma inclusion has been prioritised in the political agenda in the enlargement region 
since  2011,  there  has  been  limited  progress  on  the  ground.  Most  Roma  still  suffer  from 
multi-dimensional social exclusion, notably in education, employment, health and housing. The 
integration difficulties faced by internally displaced Roma following the Balkan wars have not 
been  fully  addressed  and  are  now  exacerbated  in  some  countries  by  the  need  to  cope  with 
returnees. In most countries, the lack of civil documentation still gives rise to real problems for 
some Roma. 

The  Commission’s  policy  of  promoting  Roma  integration  in  the  enlargement  region  has 
involved: 
 

supporting all countries in  developing a Roma  integration  strategy and action  plan, and 
monitoring its implementation 

  working  with  each  Western  Balkan  government  to  organise  a  biennial  Roma  integration 
seminar  with  public  authorities,  civil  society  and  international  organisations.  The 
implementation of seminar conclusions is monitored annually in the respective Association 
Agreement subcommittees  
putting  Roma  integration  at  the  heart  of  the  enlargement  process  by  identifying  concrete 
Roma-related  targets  in  key  policies  such  as  the  visa  liberalisation  roadmap  and  the 
chapter 23 negotiations (judiciary and fundamental rights), and 

 

  mobilising  EU  funding  for  Roma  inclusion  (Under  the  2007-2013  instrument  for 
pre-accession (IPA I), the Commission allocated substantial funds for Roma inclusion and 
commissioned  an  independent  evaluation  to  identify  possible  improvements  for  future 
financing.  Under  IPA II  (2014-2020),  it  intends  to  enhance  and  better  target  Roma 
inclusion funding, with improved cooperation with international organisations.) 

Since 2016, all enlargement countries have NRIS and action plans, and put in place NRCP and 
national Roma Platform structures. The Commission is fully committed to maintaining support 
for  Roma  inclusion  stakeholders,  with  a  particular  emphasis  on  the  involvement  of  civil 
society, cooperation with other donors and improved monitoring tools. 

6.   CONCLUSIONS 

This review has confirmed the added value of the EU framework, the relevance of EU Roma 
integration  goals  and  the  continued  need  for  a  combination  of  targeted  and  mainstream 
approaches, whereby targeted measures can help to eliminate barriers to effective equal access 
for  Roma  to  rights  and  services  in  mainstream  public  policies.  The  consultations  with 
stakeholders  confirmed  their  recognition  of,  and  continued  demand  for,  a  European 
commitment  based  on  an  enhanced  EU  framework.  This  is  equally  valid  for  the  enlargement 
countries. 

16 

 
 
In response to the Council’s call to propose a post-2020 European strategic approach to Roma 
inclusion, the Commission will go beyond this review and launch a full in-depth evaluation of 
the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance and added value of the EU Framework for 
NRIS, covering all key elements of the European and national approaches to Roma integration, 
including the policy, legal and funding instruments that have been aligned and mobilised since 
the 2011 launch of the EU framework. The evaluation will further explore ways to develop the 
EU  framework  and  feed  into  the  planning  for  targeted  and  mainstream  EU  policy,  legal  and 
funding instruments post-2020. 

The  results  of  this  stocktaking  highlight  the  following  conclusions  as  priorities  for 
strengthening the implementation of the EU framework: 

HORIZONTAL AREAS 

  Reinforce and distinguish the anti-discrimination and antigypsyism focus both under 

the EU Framework and NRIS  

  Promote Roma participation and empower Roma children, youth and women 

Antigypsyism goes beyond the legal notion of discrimination. It can be addressed as a separate 
thematic  area  with  specific  measures,  such  as  awareness-raising,  informing  about  the  mutual 
benefits of Roma inclusion and inter-ethnic community-building. Fighting antigypsyism should 
include  measures  to  prevent  and  counter  bias-motivated  hate  crime  and  hate  speech  targeting 
Roma. At the same time, it can also be considered a horizontal priority to be addressed through 
indicators  or  by  promoting  Roma  participation  in  all  key  policy  areas.  The  civil  society 
monitoring project  and Commission-facilitated peer learning  between Member  States  and  key 
stakeholders  have  the  potential  further  to  operationalise  action  in  this  area.  Fighting 
antigypsyism and stereotypes  by  targeting  majority  society is  a  pre-condition for generating 
political will and for the success of any Roma inclusion intervention.  

In  order  to  ensure  close  interaction  of  anti-discrimination  and  social  inclusion  approaches, 
reporting under international human rights mechanisms could more systematically complement 
the  monitoring  of  discrimination  and  antigypsyism  under  the  EU  framework,  through  closer 
cooperation  with  organisations  such  as  the  Council  of  Europe,  the  United  Nations  and  the 
Organisation  for  Security  and  Cooperation  in  Europe.  Further  work  by  the  EU’s  Agency  for 
Fundamental  Rights  (FRA)  on  integrating  rights-based  indicators  under  the  reporting 
framework and more in-depth analysis of the fight against discrimination and antigypsyism in 
each area of the framework are welcomed. 

To  promote  Roma  participation,  specific  groups  that  have  an  active  role  in  driving  Roma 
integration should be empowered further. This includes taking an integrated lifecycle approach 
in  policy  interventions  targeting  Roma  youth,  women  and  children,  and  improving  their 
participation in all stages of the policy process and decisions affecting them. 

STRUCTURAL AREAS 

  Reinforce partnership and support more inclusive coordination structures 

  Consolidate a transparent system of reporting and monitoring to feed policy learning 

  Support independent civil society 

Fora for cooperation at both European and national levels should be maintained and become 
more transparent and inclusive. More Member States should set up national Roma platforms, 
with more flexible support and closer links to the European platform. Concrete follow-up to the 
work  of  the  EU  high-level  group  on  combating  racism,  xenophobia  and  other  forms  of 

17 

 
 
intolerance  could  contribute  to  better  national-level  responses  to  hate  speech  and  hate  crime 
targeting Roma. 

More  transparent  national  reporting,  greater  involvement  of  civil  society  in  reporting  and 
monitoring,  and  the  development  of  a  Roma  integration  policy  learning  tool  to  provide 
evidence-based policy guidance and support peer learning could enhance political commitment 
and accountability on Roma integration.  

Direct  EU  funding,  including  under  the  rights,  equality  and  citizenship  programme,  could  be 
used  more  to  support  local  civil  society  empowerment  and  capacity-building,  improving 
access to funds, quality of implementation and independent monitoring. 

KEY  POLICY  AREAS  AND  THE  USE  OF  POLICY,  LEGAL  AND  FUNDING 
INSTRUMENTS  

  Focus  on  a  limited  number  of  key  areas  to  be  addressed  by  the  coordinated  use  of 

policy, legal and funding tools for visible results 

  Ensure more effective use of and better access to EU funds 

While EU Roma integration goals in the key policy fields of education, employment, health and 
housing  remain  relevant,  in  order  to  accelerate  the  improvement  of  the  situation  of  Roma 
communities, efforts should focus on a limited number of critical areas and targets, allowing 
for  the  combined  use  and  aligned  monitoring  of  targeted  and  mainstream  policy,  legal  and 
funding tools. Setting a limited number of specific national quantitative targets with indicators 
for selected inclusive reforms and  major targeted interventions under each  area  could  help to 
focus action and achieve a greater impact.  

A  closer  alignment  of  inclusive  reforms  of  the  mainstream  policies  with  Roma  integration 
priorities  under  NRIS  and  access  to  ESIF  in  specific  areas,  combined  with  reinforced 
conditionalities and partnership principle could focus attention and bring visible results. 

18