REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of the national Roma strategic frameworks in light of the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation and the Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation
Date: 2024-09-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, Roma, access to education, equal treatment, ethnic discrimination, health policy, housing, job access, marginalisation, poverty, rights of minorities, social integration

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 25.9.2024  COM(2024) 422 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of the national Roma strategic frameworks in light of the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation and the Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation  
 
 
Contents 

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 

1.  PROGRESS MADE .................................................................................................................... 3 

1.1 NATIONAL ROMA CONTACT POINTS ................................................................................... 3 

1.2 COMBATING ANTIGYPSYISM ................................................................................................ 4 

1.3 EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH AND HOUSING ................................................... 6 

1.4 MONITORING, TARGETS, AND INDICATORS.................................................................... 10 

1.5 MAINSTREAMING ................................................................................................................... 12 

1.6 PARTICIPATION ....................................................................................................................... 13 

1.7 FUNDING ................................................................................................................................... 14 

IN 
2.  PROMOTING  ROMA  EQUALITY, 
ENLARGEMENT COUNTRIES ...................................................................................................... 15 

INCLUSION  AND  PARTICIPATION 

3.  EU ACTION .............................................................................................................................. 17 

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 

The Commission has put equality at the heart of its agenda, striving to build a Union of Equality 
where all people can live free from discrimination. To achieve this goal, the Commission has 
been implementing dedicated equality strategies1.  

As part of this endeavour, the Commission has strengthened its commitment to Roma living in 
the EU and beyond2 by  adopting in  October 2020 a new  EU Roma  strategic framework for 
equality, inclusion and participation3 (EU Roma strategic framework).  

The  framework  builds  upon  the  core  values  of  equality  and  non-discrimination  as  well  as 
respect  for  human  dignity  and  human  rights,  including  the  rights  of  persons  belonging  to 
minorities, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. It also reflects lessons learnt 
from  the  evaluation  of  the  previous  EU  framework4.  Advancing  the  situation  of  Roma  is  a 
matter of fundamental rights, fairness and cohesion. It also benefits the economy, by helping 
people who are underrepresented or excluded from the labour market into jobs, thus addressing 
labour and skills shortages. 

Europe still has a long journey ahead to achieve true equality for the Roma, its largest ethnic 
minority5. Marginalisation remains widespread, and many Roma continue to endure significant 
discrimination, antigypsyism, and socio-economic exclusion in their daily lives. That is why a 
key novelty of the EU Roma strategic framework is its comprehensive three-pillar approach to 
promote:  (i)  equality;  (ii)  social  and  economic  inclusion;  and  (iii)  participation  of  Roma  in 
political,  social,  economic  and  cultural  life.  This  framework  is  complemented  by  a  Council 
Recommendation  on  Roma  equality,  inclusion  and  participation  adopted  unanimously  on 
12 March 20216,  through which  Member  States  committed  to  adopt  and  implement  national 
Roma strategic frameworks. 

The EU framework sets out EU-level objectives7 and – for the first time – quantitative targets 
to be met by 2030. Member States were encouraged to translate these into their national Roma 
frameworks to be developed by 2021. In line with a common but differentiated approach, the 
Commission invited all Member States to include a series of common features and minimum 
commitments. At the same time, Member States with significant Roma population (i.e. well 

1 Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025; EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-2025; EU Roma strategic framework;  
LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025; Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. 
2 The reference to ‘Roma’, as an umbrella term, encompasses a wide range of different people of Romani origin 
such as Roma, Sinti, Kale, Romanichels and Boyash/Rudari; and groups such as Ashkali, Egyptians, Yenish, Dom, 
Lom, Rom and Abdal, as well as traveller populations, including ethnic Travellers or those designated under the 
administrative term ‘gens du voyage’ and people who identify as Gypsies, Tsiganes or Tziganes, without denying 
their specificities. 
3 EU Roma strategic framework. 
4 EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020.  
5 Congress of Local and Regional Authorities: Roma and Travellers. 
6 Council Recommendation of 12 March 2021 on Roma equality, inclusion and participation (2021/C 93/01). 
7  EU  Roma  strategic  framework  objectives:  1.  Fight  and  prevent  antigypsyism  and  discrimination;  2.  Reduce 
poverty  and  social  exclusion  to  close  the  socio-economic  gap  between  Roma  and  the  general  population;  3. 
Promote participation through empowerment, cooperation and trust; 4. Increase effective equal access to quality 
inclusive  mainstream  education;  5.  Increase  effective  equal  access  to  quality  and  sustainable  employment;  6. 
Improve  Roma health and increase  effective  equal access to quality healthcare and social services; 7. Increase 
effective equal access to adequate desegregated housing and essential services. 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
above 1%)8 were invited to include more ambitious commitments. In order to measure progress 
towards  achieving  the  EU-level  targets,  the  Commission  made  available  a  portfolio  of 
indicators9, from which Member States can choose, as appropriate for their national context. 

In  January  2023,  the  Commission,  in  its  stock-taking  report10,  assessed  the  national  Roma 
frameworks against the commitments made by Member States in the Council Recommendation, 
and provided guidance for areas that required improvement. These areas are: 

the functioning of the national Roma contact points (NRCPs)11; 
fighting and preventing antigypsyism; 

• 
• 
•  eliminating segregation in education and housing; 
•  setting targets and indicators; 
•  mainstreaming Roma inclusion; and 
•  enhancing the participation of Roma. 

The Commission invited Member States to use this guidance12 to renew or update their national 
Roma  frameworks  and/or  related  action  plans  to  make  them  more  ambitious,  including  by 
allocating the necessary resources from national budgets and/or EU funds.  

As planned in the EU Roma strategic framework and the Council Recommendation, Member 
States should report to the Commission every two years on progress achieved, starting from 
2023.  These  reports  serve  as  a  basis  for  the  biennial  Commission’s  reports  to  the  European 
Parliament and the Council.  

The present Commission’s report assesses the implementation of national Roma frameworks 
and  their  suitability  for  achieving  progress  towards  the  2030  targets.  It  is  based  on  reports 
submitted  by  the  Member  States,  and  covers  the  period  between  the  adoption  of  the  new 
national  Roma  frameworks  in  2021/2022  and  June  202313.  The  report  focuses  on  the  areas 
identified  in  the  Commission’s  initial  stock-taking  as  requiring  further  improvement  and 
monitoring, while also briefly addressing other sectoral areas and the use of funds. It reflects 
the situation until June 2023, including all improvements of – and amendments to – the national 
Roma frameworks. Future reports will capture progress on implementation of the whole scope 
of the EU Roma strategic framework and the Council Recommendation. 

In  addition  to  the  reports  submitted  by  Member  State,  this  Commission’s  report  includes 
contributions gathered through the 16th European Platform for Roma Inclusion14 organised in 

8 These countries are BG, CZ, EL, HU, RO, SK and ES. Four Member States have large Roma populations (BG: 
9.94%, RO: 9.02%, SK: 8.63%, HU: 7.49%) and three Member States have smaller Roma population (CZ:1.90%, 
EL:1.63% and ES: 1.55%). See Council of Europe 2012 estimates. 
9 Portfolio of  indicators, developed by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in cooperation with the 
national Roma contact points (NRCPs), national statistical offices and the Commission. 
10 Assessment report of the Member States’ national Roma strategic frameworks (COM/2023/7 final). 
11 National representatives appointed to act as contact points for the national Roma strategy with the authority to 
coordinate its development and implementation at national level. 
12 This guidance was presented and discussed with the NRCPs in March and December 2023. 
13 Following the adoption of their new national Roma strategic frameworks, Member States shared them with the 
Commission between May 2021 and June 2022. 
14  The  16th  European  Platform  for  Roma  Inclusion  (EPRI)  brought  together  national  governments,  the  EU, 
international organisations, and Roma civil society. It provided a forum to discuss progress in the implementation 
of the national Roma frameworks, with a particular focus on desegregation in housing and optimal use of EU funds 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Madrid on 30 November 2023, the meeting of the Roma Civil Society Organisations’ (CSO) 
Consultation Group15 organised on 12 December 2023, and a public call for evidence16. 

1.  PROGRESS MADE 
This section assesses the actions  undertaken by  Member States17 since the adoption of their 
national  Roma  frameworks  in  the  areas  identified  by  the  Commission  in  2023  as  requiring 
improvement.  It  also  briefly  addresses  other  sectoral  areas  and  the  use  of  funds.  It  includes 
examples  of  promising  developments  in  Member  States18,  and  guidance  for  further 
improvement in line with the EU Roma strategic framework and the Council Recommendation, 
taking into consideration the common but differentiated approach across Member States. 

1.1 NATIONAL ROMA CONTACT POINTS 

NRCPs are appointed in all Member States to coordinate Roma strategies at national level. As 
a minimum commitment, the EU Roma strategic framework invited Member States to give their 
NRCP a clear mandate and sufficient resources/staff to fulfil their mandate, including outreach 
at  local  level.  Additionally,  Member  States,  in  particular  those  with  significant  Roma 
populations,  were  asked  to  ensure  that  their  NRCPs  are  involved  in  the  design  of  social-
inclusion policies and universal services, including, where relevant, in decision-making on the 
programming and monitoring of EU funds. In its 2023 assessment, the Commission highlighted 
that,  overall,  Member  States  had  not  strengthened  their  NRCPs  sufficiently  in  the  areas  of 
funding and staffing. 

Over the reporting period, 15 Member States (CY, CZ, DE, EL, ES, FI, IE, NL, FR, LV, PT, 
RO,  SE,  HR,  SK)  strengthened  the  role  of  their  NRCPs,  e.g.  by  expanding  their  staffing  or 
increasing  the  allocated  budget.  Other  measures  taken  by  Member  States  include:  (i) 
reconfiguring  their  institutional  set-up;  (ii)  establishing  the  role  of  Commissioner  for  Roma 
affairs;  (iii)  creating  a  monitoring  committee  for  strategic  framework  implementation;  (iv) 
developing links with  Roma communities and  fostering  dialogue  with  Roma CSOs;  and (v) 
contracting technical support for implementation and monitoring. In 12 Member States (BG, 
CZ, DE, EL, ES, FI, HR, HU, IT, PT, SI, SK)19, the NRCPs  participate as full members  in 
monitoring committees for EU co-funded programmes. 

To be able to carry out their roles effectively, the NRCPs of 10 Member States (BE, CZ, EE, 
ES, HR, HU, IT, LT, PL, SI) indicated that they require additional support or resources from 
the national level. Generally, most respondents in the call for evidence reported that the NRCPs 
had  insufficient  resources  and  limited  capacities  in  decision-making  processes  and 
implementation of EU-funded programmes. 

for this purpose. Civil society organisations have been consulted on the content of the European Platform for Roma 
Inclusion. 
15 The CSO consultation group is a forum for the regular exchange of information between the Roma and pro-
Roma CSOs and the Commission services on important developments affecting Roma at national and EU level. 
16 Call for evidence.  
17 MT, which declared that it has no Roma population, is not included in the assessment. 
18 AT, IE, LV, PT are in the process of renewing their national Roma frameworks. 
19 In the case of RO, the National Agency for Roma, which has the role of monitoring, evaluating and reporting 
on the implementation of the national Roma framework, is part of the EU funding-monitoring committees. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Examples of promising developments 
•  Czechia has appointed a Roma woman as Government Commissioner for Roma Minority 
Affairs to promote Roma inclusion and strengthen policy implementation and cooperation 
with the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs.  

•  Croatia’s  NRCP  has  been  allocated  increased  budget  and  staff.  It  has  strengthened 
cooperation with the regional and local levels and provides anti-discrimination training to 
public service providers involved in implementing EU funds.  

•  The  Office  of  the  Plenipotentiary  of  the  Government  of  the  Slovak  Republic  for  Roma 
Communities  was  designated  as  an  intermediary  body  for  the  Programme  Slovakia20  to 
supervise the design and implementation of projects for Roma inclusion. The NRCP has 
been allocated increased resources, resulting in a workforce of 112 individuals21. 

•  Greece has set up a Government Commission for Roma Social Inclusion to enable strategic 
planning, systematic monitoring and evaluation of the 2021-2030 Roma national strategy, 
and  the  effective  coordination  of  all  involved  ministries  and  bodies  of  the  central 
government for implementing measures to promote social inclusion of Roma. 

Guidance for further improvement 

In  line  with  the  EU  Roma  strategic  framework,  Member  States,  in  particular  those  with 
significant Roma populations, should: 

•  ensure an appropriate institutional mandate – and sufficient staff and financial resources – 
for their NRCPs and strengthen NRCPs’ capacities for: (i) cross-sectoral coordination; (ii) 
mainstreaming and monitoring; and (iii) engagement with regional and local authorities and 
stakeholders; 
further strengthen the NRCPs’ role in decision-making, the design of calls for proposals 
and the implementation of EU-funded programmes. 

• 

1.2 COMBATING ANTIGYPSYISM 

Antigypsyism is the root cause of Roma exclusion, and it manifests itself in various forms such 
as  anti-Roma  racism,  discrimination,  prejudice,  stereotypes,  stigmatisation,  hate  speech  and 
hate crimes.22 The EU Roma strategic framework identifies the fight against both discrimination 
and antigypsyism as a key objective and cross-cutting priority in each policy area. Following 
the  Council  Recommendation,  Member  States  should  consolidate  efforts  to  adopt  and 
implement  measures  to  fight  antigypsyism.  According  to  the  2023  Eurobarometer  on 
Discrimination in the EU23, 65% of EU citizens consider that discrimination against Roma is 
widespread in their countries, compared with 61% in 201924. 

20  Ministry  of  Interior  of  the  Slovak  Republic,  Programme  Slovakia:  for  support  from  the  European  Regional 
Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Social Fund Plus and the Just Transition Fund under the 
‘Investment for jobs and growth’ goal in Slovakia. 
21 Following the October 2023 coalition deal in Slovakia and the forming of the  new government, the previous 
Plenipotentiary  for  Roma  Communities  was  replaced,  and  a  new  Plenipotentiary  of  Roma  background  was 
appointed. The role of the Plenipotentiary’s office as an intermediary body for the Slovakia operational programme 
remained unchanged. 
22 Reference Paper - Stop Antigypsyism! And Council Conclusions on measures to ensure equal access for Roma 
to  adequate  and  desegregated  housing,  and  to  address  segregated  settlements,  adopted  on  9  October  2023  by 
EPSCO. 
23 2023 Eurobarometer. 
24 2019 Eurobarometer. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
In 2023, the Commission found that a number of Member States had not yet set out plans to 
fight and prevent  antigypsyism,  and strongly encouraged them to do so  as soon as possible. 
Member States were also asked to review their objectives and measures to fight antigypsyism 
and to adjust their level of ambition in order to match the scale of the problem. 

Most Member States (AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, DE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LV, NL, PT, 
RO, SE, SI, SK) reported that they had developed specific measures to tackle antigypsyism. 
Altogether, 13 Member States (AT, BG, CZ, DE, ES, FR, IE, IT, LU, PT, RO, SI, SK) include 
antigypsyism and anti-Roma discrimination as a separate category in their anti-discrimination 
reports or surveys. Most Member States also explicitly recognise antigypsyism in their legal 
frameworks  and/or  policies  (BE,  BG,  CZ,  DE,  ES,  FR,  HR,  IE,  LV,  PT,  RO,  SE,  SI,  SK). 
Equality bodies in 21 Member States (AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, IT, 
LT,  LV,  PL,  PT,  RO,  SE,  SI,  SK)  record  cases  of  antigypsyism  and/or  anti-Roma 
discrimination. 

Member States reported  on implementing  a range of initiatives, such as: (i) training for law 
enforcement, judges, prosecutors, civil servants, service providers, and school institutions; and 
(ii) the organisation of dialogue platforms with Roma civil society. However, the scope of these 
measures is limited. CSOs responding to the call for evidence encouraged Member States to 
step up their efforts to fight against antigypsyism, stressing that antigypsyism was a root cause 
preventing access of Roma to many areas of life. They also stressed the necessity of preventing 
discriminatory practices in law enforcement.  

There  are  positive  developments  in  this  area.  However,  more  work  is  needed  to  recognise 
antigypsyism and its negative impact on Roma people’s lives, as well as to implement effective 
measures to prevent and eliminate it in the long term. 

Examples of promising developments 
•  France is conducting training for civil servants (police officers, magistrates, teachers) on 

antigypsyism and monitoring online hate speech against Roma. 

•  Germany has appointed its first Federal Government Commissioner against Antigypsyism 
and for the Life of Sinti and Roma. It has strengthened efforts to tackle antigypsyism at 
regional  level  through  federal  state  treaties  and  framework  agreements  between  public 
authorities and Sinti and Roma civil society25. 

•  Through a parliamentary resolution, Slovakia has recognised anti-Roma racism as a specific 
form  of  racism,  in  line  with  the  working  definition  of  the  International  Holocaust 
Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)26. 

Guidance for further improvement  
Given the fact that antigypsyism continues to manifest itself in many Member States27, those 
Member States that have not yet done so should: 

•  draw up solid targets and indicators to maximise the effect of policies in this area; 
• 

fully implement the cross-cutting measures tackling antigypsyism in sectoral policies; 

25  See  for  example:  Central  Council  welcomes  appointment  of  federal-state  commission  on  antigypsyism  as  a 
historic step. 
26 For example: IHRA, Slovakia adopts the working definition of antigypsyism/anti-Roma discrimination - IHRA. 
27 See for instance: Truth and Reconciliation Process to Address Antigypsyism in Europe - Stop Antigypsyism!. 
5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  proactively  ensure  training  opportunities  for  law-enforcement  authorities  focused  on  the 

protection of fundamental rights, and make use of training provided by CEPOL28. 

1.3 EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH AND HOUSING 

In line with the Council Recommendation and the EU Roma strategic framework’s objectives 
and  targets,  Member  States  should:  (i)  promote  effective  equal  access  for  Roma  to  quality 
education, employment, housing, and healthcare; and (ii) combat discrimination in these areas, 
in line with the applicable EU legal framework. 

In its 2023 assessment, the Commission noted that the measures planned by Member States are 
most extensive in the area of education; however, measures in the areas of employment, health 
and  housing  are  not  always  sufficient  to  match  the  scale  and  complexity  of  the  challenges 
encountered  by  Roma.  The  Commission  therefore  strongly  encouraged  Member  States  with 
significant Roma populations to increase their level of ambition.  

Over the reporting period, 14 Member States (AT, BG, DE, EL, ES, FR, HR, HU, IE, IT, PT, 
RO, SE, SK) have either strengthened existing measures in education, employment, and health 
or adopted additional measures which can benefit Roma. These measures include approaching 
Roma  inclusion  in  an  integrated  manner,  combining  activities  to  tackle  discrimination  and 
antigypsyism  with  (i)  measures  promoting  better  access  to  services  and  rights;  and  (ii) 
investments in the professional development of Roma through active labour market policies, 
including for women and young people. Member States also reported progress in: (i) preventing 
and addressing the problem of Roma dropping out of school; (ii) facilitating access to healthcare 
services; and (iii) addressing intersectional discrimination affecting vulnerable groups.  

Although Member States have included various measures tackling socio-economic inclusion of 
Roma in sectoral areas, progress is slow, and more efforts are needed. Measures remain often 
limited to projects rather than systemic changes.  

In the feedback to the call for evidence, some stakeholders stressed the need for Member States 
to  address  ongoing  barriers  which  prevent  many  Roma  from  accessing  healthcare  such  as 
extreme poverty, discrimination, lack of education and spatial segregation. These barriers have 
serious impact on their health status and life expectancy. Stakeholders further invited Member 
States to: (i) commit to develop health indicators; (ii) include Roma health mediators in their 
strategies;  (iii)  monitor  housing  through  a  health  impact  assessment;  and  (iv)  integrate 
consideration of environmental justice in their policies and measures.  

Examples of promising developments 
•  Bulgaria  has  devised  a  housing  strategy  with  a  focused  programme  to  aid  vulnerable 
individuals  directly,  offering  affordable  housing  and  renovations.  Previous  initiatives 
include  the  amended  2007  Health  Ministry  Ordinance  to  provide  obstetric  care  and 
examinations  for  uninsured  women  and  conduct  examinations  outside  the  scope  of 
compulsory health insurance for children and pregnant women. 

•  The Hungarian programme for disadvantaged children “Sure-Start Children Centres”29 is 
focused on early childhood development and the care of children under the age of 3. Centres 

28 CEPOL is an agency of the European Union dedicated to developing, implementing, and coordinating training 

for law-enforcement officials. 

29 European Social Fund Plus: Hungarian project promotes well-being of pre-school children. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
are started with the support of EU funds, and sustained financing is provided via the national 
budget. Another EU-funded initiative called “Growing Opportunities”30 provides training 
in social care and healthcare to mainly Roma women. By the end of 2021, more than 1,000 
participants had obtained national qualifications and over 80 percent of them have achieved 
sustainable, meaningful employment in social welfare or other sectors. 
Italy  is  implementing  the  Acceder-e  project,  inspired  by  the  Spanish  Acceder  initiative, 
helping disadvantaged people to find work. Additionally, a national project, funded by the 
ESF and ESF+, “Educational Inclusion of Roma and Sinti Minors”, conducts information 
and awareness-raising campaigns in schools, training centres, academic institutions, and the 
media to combat anti-Roma sentiment and prejudices. 

• 

•  Romania is using funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility for a variety of actions 
benefiting disadvantaged groups in rural areas, such as mobile medical units for breast and 
cervical  cancer  screening,  integrated  community  centres  with  medical  services,  and  a 
network of day care centres for children at risk of being separated from their families. 
•  Spain is continuing to implement the Acceder31 programme, backed by the ESF, to help 
young Roma in accessing the labour market through job placement and training. Spain’s 
ESF-funded Calí32 initiative promotes equal opportunities and social and labour inclusion 
for  Roma  women,  thus  combatting  multiple  discrimination.  Additionally,  the  ESF+ 
supported Kumpania33 programme provides tailored socio-educational services for Roma 
young  people  and  families,  promoting  enrolment  in  education,  and  encouraging  young 
Roma to remain in education, including post-compulsory education. 
In  Ireland,  the  Supporting  Travellers  and  Roma  (STAR)  pilot  projects  contribute  to 
improving  education  outcomes,  creating  an  inclusive  school  community,  as  well  as 
promoting a culture of respect and protection for the identity of Travellers and Roma34. 

• 

Guidance for further improvement 

The  Commission  calls  upon  the  Member  States,  especially  those  with  significant  Roma 
population, to:  

• 

• 

increase access and participation of Roma children in quality inclusive and desegregated 
education;  and reduce  early school  leaving and  underachievement in  basic skills,  in line 
with the Council recommendation on Pathways to School Success35; 
increase the level of ambition in relation to the integration of Roma in the labour market, 
fully implement initiatives to activate underrepresented groups and persons in vulnerable 
situations, including Roma; 

•  ensure access to housing and essential services – such as tap water, safe and clean drinking 
water,  adequate  sanitation,  waste  collection  and  management  services,  environmental 
services, electricity, gas, transport, financial services and digital communications including 
physical infrastructure; 
focus on Roma’s health literacy/awareness and immunisation, in particular for children and 
adolescents;  introduce  or  extend  the  role  of  health  mediators  and  integrate  it  into  the 
healthcare system; and increase knowledge and sensitivity among medical and social staff 

• 

30 European Social Fund Plus: Hungarian unemployed find work and self-esteem. 
31 Acceder Programme. 
32 Cali Programme. 
33 Kumpania Programme. 
34 See for instance: Minister Foley announces tender process for the independent pilot project, aimed at tackling 
education disadvantage in Traveller and Roma communities. 
35 Council recommendation on Pathways to School Success. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
on anti-discrimination  for Roma and other  communities with  a minority  racial or ethnic 
background. 

Segregation in education and housing 
Segregation36 is one of the most extreme forms of racism and exclusion and is prohibited by 
EU law.37 With the EU Roma strategic framework and the Council Recommendation, Member 
States with significant Roma populations were invited to include in their national frameworks 
a plan or set of measures to eliminate segregation in education and housing.  

In its 2023 assessment, the Commission noted that the Member States’ desegregation plans in 
education and housing were not sufficient to successfully address the full scale of the problem. 
Therefore, it called on the Member States to step up their efforts in these areas, and notably to 
address the issue of misdiagnosis, leading to the inappropriate placement of Roma children in 
special-needs education.  

In tackling these problems, the Commission strongly encouraged Member States to  fully use 
available  EU  funding.  EU  funds  provide  significant  support  to  Member  states  to  tackle 
segregation. Under cohesion policy, prevention of any discrimination based on, inter alia, racial 
or  ethnic  origin,  and  the  respect  for  fundamental  rights  and  compliance  with  the  Charter  of 
Fundamental Rights of the European Union are horizontal principles for the preparation and 
implementation  of  programmes.  Member  States  are  also  required  to  put  in  place  relevant 
strategic frameworks, including measures to prevent and combat segregation, as a precondition 
for investments.38  

Over  the  reporting  period,  the  Member  States  with  a  significant  Roma  population  indicated 
their awareness of the need to address both spatial and educational segregation, including the 
interlinkages between these two issues. Overall, 14 Member States have reported that they face 
the phenomenon of segregation, with two (EL, FI) facing spatial segregation, and 12 Member 
States (BE, BG, CZ, ES, HR, HU, IT, NL, PT, RO, SI, SK) facing both spatial and educational 
segregation39. However, progress is limited and generally slow. Judging by the data provided 
by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s (FRA) Roma Survey 202140, the situation remains of 
serious concern. As raised during the 16th European Platform for Roma Inclusion, a lack of 
political will and capacity at local level is one of the main obstacles in tackling educational and 
spatial segregation. 

36 On different forms of segregation, see: 2014-2020 Guidance for Member States on the use of European Structural 
and Investment Funds in tackling educational and spatial segregation.  
37 Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons 
irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22–26. 
38 See, for instance, the thematic enabling conditions on education, on social inclusion and poverty reduction and 
on Roma inclusion strategic policy frameworks, CPR, Annex IV. 
39 The Member States most affected by these phenomena are home to a large share of the total Roma in the EU 
(over 80%). 
40 EU FRA Roma Survey 2021: Roma in 10 European Countries: 48% of Roma live in severe material deprivation, 
and 80% of Roma are at risk of poverty. In 2021, 52% of Roma children aged 6-15 faced segregation in education. 
The problem of segregation was particularly pronounced in SK, BG, HR and RO, with almost two thirds of Roma 
children in BG and SK attending a school where all or most of the other children are Roma. The data  show a 
worsening of segregation, as in 2016 44% of Roma children aged 6-15 faced segregation in education. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Educational segregation continues to be a major challenge for several Member States, showing 
a worsening of the situation, with minimal to no progress41. Only three Member States (CZ, ES, 
HU) reported that they put in place regional or local programmes or plans for desegregation in 
education. Five Member States (CZ, ES, HR, HU, SK) undertook to make an estimate of the 
scale of this issue. Improving the data on educational segregation in all Member States is of 
great importance, especially in those with large Roma populations and in which the segregation 
of Roma children in education has been reported. 

On the basis of the EU Racial Equality Directive, the Commission opened three infringement 
cases – against CZ (2014), SK (2015), HU (2016) – for discrimination against Roma children 
in education. In 2023, the Commission referred Slovakia to the Court of Justice of the European 
Union for failing to effectively tackle this issue42. The Commission is closely monitoring the 
situation of Roma children in educational systems in the concerned Member States. 

To tackle spatial segregation, 14 Member States (BE, BG, CZ, EL, ES, FI, HR, HU, IT, NL, 
PT, RO, SI, SK) have developed specific measures. Of these 14 Member States, nine use EU 
funds (BG, CZ, EL, ES, HU, IT, PT, RO, SK) for this purpose. Several Member States with 
significant  Roma  populations  (BG,  CZ,  RO,  SK)  are  (i)  implementing  social  housing  and 
relocation  programmes;  (ii)  improving  infrastructure  in  localities  populated  by  Roma; 
(iii) eradicating shantytowns; and (iv) monitoring the presence of Roma in segregated localities.  

Eight Member States (BG, CZ, EL, ES, HR, IT, RO, SK) indicated that they had an estimate of 
the scale of spatial segregation. However, up-to-date details about the number of Roma living 
in segregated housing are generally not available, and this makes it difficult to properly measure 
progress. The main challenges faced by Member States in this area include: (i) a shortage of 
affordable housing and caravan pitches (BE, CZ, ES, FI, HR, NL, PT, RO); (ii) access to utilities 
and  other  infrastructure  (BE,  BG,  EL,  HU,  SI,  SK);  (iii)  poverty  (CZ,  FI,  HU,  RO,  SK); 
(iv) illegal/informal  housing  and  (the  risk  of)  evictions  (BE,  BG,  RO,  SI,  SK);  and 
(v) antigypsyism (CZ, ES, SK). 

Attention  to  this  issue  is  demonstrated  by  recent  Council  conclusions43  recommending  that 
Member States make the best use of available financial tools and ensure the complementarity 
of  these  tools  with  EU  funds44  to  improve  the  housing  situation  of  Roma  and  end  housing 
segregation. This was also the theme of the 16th European Platform for Roma Inclusion45 in 
November  2023.  Participants  underlined  the  urgency  of  improving  economic  and  living 
conditions in the excluded and segregated settlements or shanty towns in which many Roma 
live, through an integrated approach with the long-term goal of residential desegregation. This 
urgency was also voiced by most respondents to the call for evidence. The CSO Consultation 
Group stressed the need for a holistic approach in this area, that can extend beyond building or 

41 FRA Roma Survey 2021: The survey results show that segregation in education was particularly pronounced in 
Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania in 2021. There, more than half or (in Bulgaria and Slovakia) almost two 
thirds of these children attend a school where all or most of the other children are Roma. Overall, the trend shows 
that the share of children in segregated education has increased by 8 percentage points on average. 
42 See: The European Commission decided to refer Slovakia to the Court of Justice of the European Union for 
failing to effectively tackle the issue of segregation of Roma children in education (19 April 2023). 
43 Council Conclusions on measures to ensure equal access for Roma to adequate and desegregated housing, and 
to address segregated settlements, adopted on 9 October 2023 by EPSCO. 
44 ESF+, ERDF and rural development programmes at the national and regional levels, as well as instruments and 
initiatives under NextGenerationEU and InvestEU. 
45 16th European Platform for Roma Inclusion: Ensuring equal access to adequate desegregated housing through 
better use of EU and national funds. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
renovating  homes,  to  also  promote  desegregation  and  foster  diversity  and  inclusion  in  the 
receiving neighbourhoods. 

Examples of promising developments 
•  Bulgaria  launched  comprehensive  programmes  at  municipal  level  for  desegregation  of 
schools,  prevention  of  secondary  segregation  and  anti-discrimination,  funded  by  ESF+, 
targeting more than 17.800 children and pupils from vulnerable groups, providing training 
to more than 3.500 staff and involving 345 schools in desegregation activities. 

•  Spain provides subsidies to local authorities to improve degraded residential areas, build 

and renovate housing, and end the problem of shantytowns.  

•  Finland  implemented  a  joint  project  of  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  Culture  and  the 

Ministry of the Environment to prevent school segregation46. 

•  Croatia’s 2023-2025 action plan includes measures to reduce the share of Roma children 
attending  segregated  primary  school  education.  A  programme  for  desegregation  in 
education at regional and local levels for 2023-2025 was adopted in October 2023. 

•  Between July 2022 and November 2023, Romania benefitted from the Technical Support 
Instrument (TSI)47 to plan and develop integrated interventions to support people living in 
informal settlements, including Roma. The project resulted in recommendations to improve 
the  existing  methodology  used  to  identify  informal  settlements  in  most  urgent  need  for 
intervention,  and  capacity  building  for  Romanian  authorities  to  plan  and  carry  out 
interventions at central and local level.  

Guidance for further improvement 

The Commission calls on Members States with a significant Roma population to: 

•  ensure that estimates of educational and housing segregation are established as soon as 
possible  and  used  in  developing  integrated  desegregation  programmes;  and  strengthen 
their efforts in preventing and eradicating segregation in education and housing; 

•  encourage local and regional authorities to put in place and implement action plans and 
establish proper mechanisms of coordination and co-operation to prevent and eradicate 
educational and spatial segregation; 
identify EU, national, regional and local resources to support the eradication of housing 
segregation affecting Roma. 

• 

1.4 MONITORING, TARGETS, AND INDICATORS 

The EU Roma strategic framework introduced for the first time EU headline targets for each of 
its policy objectives. Member States were invited to set out national baselines and quantitative 
and/or qualitative targets towards these EU targets, and to use the portfolio of indicators drawn 
up by the FRA. Available options for the collection of equality data can include either ethnically 
disaggregated data or relevant socio-demographic proxy data, or a combination of both. 

46 Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland, Right to Learn development programmes: Quality and Equality in 
Early Childhood and Comprehensive School Education Programme. 
47 Technical Support Instrument (TSI). 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In its 2023 assessment, the Commission encouraged all Member States to review and amend 
their national Roma frameworks, as necessary, to develop specific quantitative targets that will 
help the EU to collectively achieve the EU-level headline targets by 2030. 

During the reporting period, about half of Member States developed specific quantitative and/or 
qualitative targets for one or more of the objectives set out in their national strategies. It is a 
positive development that 10 Member States (AT, BE, CY, EL, ES, FR, HR, IT, PT, RO) have 
committed to request technical assistance from FRA to further develop targets and indicators. 

The Commission recognises the efforts undertaken by Member States, in particular those with 
significant Roma populations, to set targets in all or most areas covered by the objectives of the 
EU Roma strategic framework.  However, these targets  do not  always  correspond  to  the  EU 
headline targets48. Altogether, 15 Member States (BE, BG, CY, CZ, EL, ES, FR, HR, HU, IT, 
LV, PL, PT, RO, SK), including those with a significant Roma population, have quantitative 
targets  for  at  least  some  of  the  EU-level  objectives,  mainly  in  the  area  of  education, 
antigypsyism and discrimination, and employment.  

This may still not be sufficient to adequately measure whether the EU will collectively achieve 
by  2030  the  minimum  progress  set  by  the  EU-level  targets.  This  concern  was  shared  by 
stakeholders  in  the  call  for  evidence.  Challenges  reported  by  Member  States  in  drawing  up 
indicators,  baselines  and  targets  include:  (i)  a  lack  of  data  on  individuals’  ethnicity49; 
(ii) difficulties related to defining who is Roma/Traveller (AT, BG, CZ, FI, HU, IT, RO); (iii) 
the  reluctance  of  concerned  communities  to  engage  on  this  topic;  and  (iv)  a  complex 
administrative structure implementing measures for Roma inclusion. 

Examples of promising developments 
•  France’s  monitoring  system  for  the  national  Roma  framework  has  set  quantitative  and 
qualitative targets and indicators. It also adopted a territorial rather than ethnic approach to 
address  the  situation  of  vulnerable  EU  citizens  living  in  slums  and  ‘gens  du  voyage’ 
(Travellers). France also monitors online hate speech and discriminatory comments towards 
Travellers and Roma communities.  

•  Hungary and Slovakia have set quantitative targets and indicators in line with the EU-level 

headline targets for most of the objectives of the EU Roma strategic framework. 

•  Italy set up a monitoring and evaluation unit to coordinate data collection and analysis from 

administrative bodies and existing sources, focusing on areas of their Roma strategy. 

Guidance for further improvement 

The achievement of the minimum progress by 2030 set by the EU targets requires a significant, 
sustained and aligned collective effort. The Commission calls upon Member States to: 

• 

revise their targets to align them more closely with the EU-level targets, in particular in 
Member States with a significant Roma population; 

48 Some Member States set national targets that cover issues other than those addressed by the EU level targets for 
a given objective of the EU Roma Strategic Framework. 
49 Collecting data on ethnicity is sometimes prevented by national data-protection legislation, for instance in BE, 
DE, EL, ES, FR, HR, NL, PT, RO, SE, SI. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  make better use of both the EU Roma strategic framework’s portfolio of indicators and the 
examples  of  proxy  data  based  on  socio-economic  data50  (both  of  which  can  be  used  to 
overcome the difficulties related to collecting data on ethnicity).  

1.5 MAINSTREAMING 

The EU Roma strategic framework invited Member States to include in their national Roma 
frameworks  a  combination  of  targeted  and  mainstream  measures.  These  should  take  into 
account specific and local challenges and explicitly address the barriers that deprive Roma of 
equal  access  to  mainstream  policies.  The  Council  Recommendation  asks  Member  States  to 
mainstream Roma equality, inclusion and participation in EU and national policy initiatives.  

The 2023 Commission assessment highlighted that measures described in the national Roma 
frameworks which relate to mainstream social-inclusion policies often lack detail about how 
Roma will benefit from them. It therefore invited Member States to set safeguards to: (i) prevent 
omissions or the superficial inclusion of Roma issues in mainstream policies; and (ii) enable 
NRCPs to assume a cross-sectoral mainstreaming and coordination role in this process. 

Altogether, 11 Member States (BG, CZ, EL, ES, FR, HR, HU, IE, RO, SI, SK), including all 
those  with  a  significant  Roma  population,  are  actively  pursuing  efforts  to  make  their 
mainstream equality and inclusion measures more accessible for Roma. These efforts include 
introducing explicit safeguards and criteria for inclusiveness, such as: (i) ethnic-group targeting 
(BG, ES, HR, HU, IE, RO); (ii) social-group targeting (CZ, SK); (iii) territorial targeting (CZ, 
ES, HR, HU); and (iv) specialised institutional setups such as Roma mediators (BG, EL, ES, 
RO) or local pacts for solidarity (FR).51  

One of the main roles performed by the NRCPs is cross-sectoral coordination in mainstreaming 
Roma issues through all equality and inclusion policies, services, and related programmes of 
direct relevance for Roma. This role is systematically performed at national level in 23 Member 
States52, and also at regional and local levels in 20 Member States53, in direct cooperation with 
relevant authorities. This highlights a clear trend towards integrating Roma issues into broader 
equality  and  inclusion  policies.  However,  feedback  shared  by  the  CSO  Consultation  Group 
indicates  that  mainstream  policies  often  do  not  sufficiently  reach  local  Roma  communities. 
Areas  for  improvement  include  the  need  for  wider  adoption  of  inclusive  safeguards  and 
ensuring the effective implementation of these safeguards at regional and local levels. 

Examples of promising developments 
•  Since 2016, the Polish Ministry of Justice has been funding a programme implemented by 
local  and  regional  authorities  to  provide  free  legal  aid,  free  civic  counselling,  and  legal 
education for disadvantaged groups54. 
In the Netherlands, the Knowledge Institute Inclusive Society55 collects and shares expertise 
with policy makers and social workers on how to improve the living situation of Roma and 
Sinti. Subsidies have been provided for 111 new  caravan pitches,  alongside a legislative 

• 

50 EU Roma strategic framework – Portfolio of indicators. 
51 See for example: Pacte des solidarités (18 September 2023). 
52 All Member States except for DK, LT, LU. 
53 All Member States except for DK, IE, LU, LV, NL, SE. 
54 See: Free legal aid - Unpaid help. 
55 Knowledge Institute Inclusive Society. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
proposal on public housing requiring municipalities to map the housing needs of specific 
groups, including caravan dwellers.  

•  The Czech NRCP successfully submitted a proposal in the inter-ministerial procedure for a 
draft law on housing56 to make the draft law more inclusive and ensure that the needs of 
Roma are taken into account in this key legislation. 

Guidance for further improvement  

The Commission encourages Member States which have so far not done so to:  

•  address and remove the specific barriers that prevent Roma from benefiting from mainstream 

policies and measures; 

•  ensure effective coordination of mainstreaming efforts at national, regional and local levels, 

and across sectors, to generate a positive impact in the lives of Roma communities. 

1.6 PARTICIPATION 

Promoting the participation of Roma through empowerment, cooperation and trust is one of the 
key objectives of the EU Roma strategic framework and a proposed  common feature for all 
national  frameworks.  The  Council  Recommendation  echoes  this  objective.  The  2023 
Commission  assessment  called  on  Member  States  to  strengthen  national  Roma  platforms  or 
their equivalent consultative and participatory processes. 

The  importance  of  Roma  participation  is  reflected  in  the  actions  of  most  Member  States. 
Altogether,  20  Member  States57  reported  that  Roma  NGOs  participate  in  the  design, 
development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of measures to tackle antigypsyism. 
Roma NGOs in eight Member States participate in measures to fight spatial segregation (BG, 
CZ, EL, ES, HU, RO, SI, SK) and educational segregation (BG, CZ, ES, HR, HU, PT, RO, 
SK). A number of Member States (BG, EL, ES, HR, HU, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK) also developed 
measures  to  strengthen  the  participation  of  a  broad  spectrum  of  Roma  civil  society  in  the 
implementation, monitoring and reporting of their national Roma frameworks. Currently, 10 
Member States (BG, EL, ES, FI, HR, HU, IT, RO, SI, SK), including almost all of those with 
a  significant  Roma  population,  have  Roma  and/or  pro-Roma  NGOs  participating  as  full 
members in the monitoring committees of their EU-funded programmes.  

The NRCPs play a vital role in facilitating dialogue, consultation and cooperation with Roma 
CSOs  through  various  platforms.  Setting  up  and  strengthening  national  Roma  platforms  is 
crucial for improving the contribution of Roma NGOs to policy implementation. There are now 
18 Member States that have put in place such structures and processes at national level, such as 
national Roma platforms (AT, BE, BG, EE, EL, ES, HU, IT, LT, PT, SI), an equivalent process 
(HR, FI, FR, PL, SE, SK), a combination of both (LV, RO), and one (DE) planning to set up a 
national Roma platform.  

Participation  and  representation  of  Roma  is  also  ensured  through  the  position  of  elected 
councillors, with 10 Member States (BG, EL, ES, HR, HU, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK ) having Roma 
elected at either municipal or regional council level. The appointment of Roma to high-profile 
political and leading positions within government structures is another illustration of ways to 

56 The bill on housing support was approved by the Czech government on 12 June 2024 and is pending adoption 
by the Czech Parliament. 
57 All Member States except for AT, DK, ET, LT, LU, PL. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
increase Roma participation  in  policy and decision-making processes. Examples include the 
Czech government’s Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs and the Slovak government’s 
Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities. 

The input received through the call for evidence highlighted some positive developments (BG, 
CZ, ES, IE). Roma NGOs seem to be more involved in consultative mechanisms than in the 
past. However, more work is needed to: (i) promote active citizenship among Roma; (ii) support 
capacity building and leadership in Roma NGOs; (iii) raise awareness of human rights; and (iv) 
provide resources for greater involvement of young Roma in decision-making processes.  

Examples of promising developments 
•  Finland is actively involving the regional advisory boards on Romani affairs and local Roma 

working groups in the implementation of its national Roma framework.  

•  Slovenia  continues  to  co-fund  its  radio  and  television  programmes  for  the  Roma 

community.  

•  Latvia has hired a Roma representative as a full-time assistant in its national Roma platform, 

supported by the ‘Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme’ (CERV)58. 

Guidance for further improvement 

To promote greater representation and participation of Roma, the Commission: 

•  calls on all Member States to: (i) maximise the active involvement of Roma in every aspect 
of implementing their national Roma frameworks (including through the national Roma 
platforms, as well as in relevant EU-funded programmes); and (ii) further build the capacity 
of Roma civil society so it can cooperate meaningfully with the NRCPs and authorities to 
that effect; 

•  strongly encourages all Member States affected by spatial and educational segregation to 
closely  involve  Roma  NGOs  in  tackling  these  challenges,  including  through  the 
development  and 
integrated  and  comprehensive  EU-funded 
desegregation programmes.  

implementation  of 

1.7 FUNDING  

The EU Roma strategic framework and the Council Recommendation invite Member States to: 
(i) make more ambitious and concrete commitments for the use of national and EU funding for 
Roma equality; and (ii) make full use of the funding available under the EU’s 2021-2027 multi-
annual financial framework and NextGenerationEU.  

Ensuring  the  complementarity  of  different  funds,  Member  States  with  significant  Roma 
populations  (BG,  CZ,  EL,  ES,  HU,  RO,  SK)  have  allocated  or  earmarked  a  combination  of 
funds to implement their national Roma frameworks.  

At the same time, as reported in replies to the call for evidence, CSOs still face many challenges 
in  accessing  and  implementing  EU  funds.  Some  stakeholders  pointed  out  that  funding 
allocations are  not sufficient for  the scale of interventions needed.  An integrated  and  multi-
dimensional  approach  combining  investments  in  employment,  education,  healthcare,  and 
housing is necessary. 

58 Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In February 2023, Vice-President Jourová and Commissioner Dalli organised exchanges with 
Roma and pro-Roma NGOs from BG, CZ, HU, RO, and SK to identify challenges in making 
effective use of EU funds. Participants mentioned the need to:  (i)  simplify requirements  for 
accessing EU funds; and (ii) promote capacity building for grassroots CSOs, municipalities, 
and  other  local  stakeholders.  As  a  follow-up  to  these  exchanges,  the  Commission  services 
compiled a list of promising practices59.  

• 

Examples of promising developments  
•  Germany is funding, from its national and federal state budget, several projects and research 
on  fighting  antigypsyism  and  discrimination  as  well  as  on  fostering  resilience  and 
remembrance among Sinti and Roma.  
In 2023, the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society allocated EUR 1.2 million from 
its  national  budget  to  support  initiatives  to  combat  and  prevent  racism  and  intolerance, 
including antigypsyism.  
In  Spain,  the  Government  of  Galicia  funded  the  Fundación  Secretariado  Gitano  to 
implement  the  ‘Employment  Boost’  programme  in  six  cities  between  2021-2022.  The 
programme promoted employment-integration pathways for recipients of social inclusion 
and minimum income, including Roma. 

• 

Guidance for further improvement 

The Commission encourages Member States to: 

•  make  effective  use  of  available  EU  funds  through  a  multi-dimensional  integrated 
approach, particularly via ESF+ allocations in Member States to support socio-economic 
integration of marginalised Roma, ERDF as well as the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 
This  should  combine  investments  in  employment,  healthcare,  desegregated  quality 
education and housing, together with efforts to reinforce administrative capacity at the 
local level, including capacity building for local authorities and grassroots civil society 
organisations. The opportunity of the mid-term review of cohesion policy funds should 
be leveraged for this purpose, where applicable; 

•  make use of existing technical support through TSI, including as part of the TSI 2025 
call, to further strengthen the capacity of central and local authorities, address challenges 
and  priority  areas  identified  in  the  EU  and  national  strategic  frameworks,  and  bridge 
existing implementation gaps;   
identify,  implement  and  share  promising  practices,  including  those  identified  by  the 
Commission services, for potential replication as appropriate for national, regional and 
local contexts and facilitate more direct ways to provide assistance and capacity building 
to grassroot CSOs, municipalities and other local stakeholders. 

• 

2.  PROMOTING  ROMA  EQUALITY,  INCLUSION  AND  PARTICIPATION  IN 

ENLARGEMENT COUNTRIES 

All Western Balkans countries and Türkiye adopted new national Roma frameworks to align 
with  the  EU  Roma  strategic  framework  and  the  Poznań  commitments  for  the  Western 

59 EU funding for Roma equality, inclusion and participation - European Commission (europa.eu) 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balkans60, as a clear sign of commitment as part of the accession process. The newly adopted 
strategies embed the fight against antigypsyism and recognise the role of NRCPs.  

Nevertheless,  there  is  still  room  to  improve  these  strategies.  Further  alignment  with  the  EU 
Roma  strategic  framework  would  include  strengthening  the  capacities  of  NRCPs  and  their 
funding. With the exception of Serbia, which already complies with the requirement, there is 
an urgent need to ensure NRCPs are involved in the national committees that monitor the use 
of EU funds. 

Although the implementation of strategies is uneven, there is a clear drive to either strengthen 
existing monitoring mechanisms or set up new ones, by using a combination of qualitative and 
quantitative targets. However, a number of these targets are rather general, which will make it 
difficult to properly measure progress. Western Balkan countries expressed interest in obtaining 
technical assistance from FRA to further develop their monitoring systems. 

Antigypsyism  is  for  the  first  time  included  in  the  national  Roma  frameworks,  although  the 
frameworks only set out a limited number of measures to address it. In the Western Balkans, 
most equality bodies deal with cases of discrimination against Roma, but antigypsyism is not 
yet included as a distinct category in anti-discrimination reports and surveys in these countries. 
There  has  been  considerable  progress  in  the  recognition  of  segregation  in  the  areas  of  both 
education  and  housing  in  the  national  Roma  frameworks  compared  to  previous  ones. 
Nevertheless, in practice, measures on desegregation are limited in scope, with no EU funds 
being invested in tackling this problem.  

On mainstreaming, only some of the existing education and employment policies in the Western 
Balkans  and  Türkiye  include  Roma  specifically,  and  these  policies  are  still  not  ambitious 
enough  to  generate  visible  impact.  On  encouraging  the  participation  of  Roma  in  formal 
employment and  on  civil  society, most  national Roma frameworks  do not  include sufficient 
measures to promote: (i) capacity building; (ii) the empowerment of Roma civil society; and 
(iii) the involvement of Roma women and young people in decision-making processes.  

On  funding,  the  strategies  drawn  up  by  countries  in  the  Western  Balkans  underline  the 
importance of using the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)61, national funding as 
well as funding from other donors. Nevertheless, the amounts allocated at national level in these 
countries  remain  too  small  to  adequately  address  the  scale  of  the  challenges  and  to  ensure 
sustainability.  The  potential  of  IPA,  the  Neighbourhood  Development  and  International 
Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), the Western Balkans Investment  Framework, and the new 
Growth Plan and Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans should be fully explored 
to ensure improved funding for supporting the implementation of the national Roma strategies. 

Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia are candidate countries, which formally began 
their  accession  negotiations.  They  both  have  a  national  Roma  framework,  while  in  Georgia 
Roma  issues  are  addressed  under  broad  strategies  dealing  with  national  minorities62.  In  this 
context, the EU Roma strategic framework was presented by the Commission services as part 

60 Declaration of Western Balkans Partners on Roma Integration within the EU Enlargement Process. 
61 Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). 
62 Ukraine: 2021-2030 Roma Strategy (action p), responsible body: State Service for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom 
of  Conscience,  under  the  Ministry  of  Culture;  Moldova:  ‘2022-2025  programme  for  supporting  the  Roma 
population’, responsible body: Agency for Interethnic Relations. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of the reference EU acquis. In the bilateral screening, all three candidate countries will explain: 
(i) the state of their work to align with the EU acquis; (ii) future challenges that they anticipate; 
and (iii) next steps they intend to take. 

Guidance for further improvement 
The Commission calls upon the enlargement countries to: 

• 

•  guarantee adequate institutional mandate, staff and financial resources for the NRCPs and 
strengthen  their  role  in  the  decision-making  and  implementation  of  EU  funded 
programmes; 
revise national targets to fully align them with the EU level targets and guarantee regular 
and public monitoring; 
increase the mainstream of Roma policies in the areas of direct relevance, ensure the use 
of  EU  Funds  to  improve  the  implementation  of  Roma  inclusion  policies  as  well  as 
enhance fighting and prevention of antigypsyism for instance through training for law 
enforcement authorities. 

• 

3.  EU ACTION  

Making progress on Roma equality, inclusion and participation is a joint endeavour. Member 
States hold the main responsibility for making progress in the areas covered by the EU Roma 
strategic  framework  and  the  Council  Recommendation,  while  the  Commission  has  been 
supporting this process by mobilising a wide range of tools and resources.  

Enforcing EU legislation 
During  the  reporting  period,  the  Commission  continued  its  monitoring  of  enforcement  and 
application of: (i) the Racial Equality Directive; (ii) the Victims’ Rights Directive; and (iii) the 
Council  Framework  Decision  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia.  Where  necessary,  it 
launched infringement cases to prompt changes in national legislation and practice.  

The adoption in 2024 of two new EU directives strengthening national equality bodies63 is a 
major step to help to enforce non-discrimination rules (including on the grounds of racial or 
ethnic origin) and better help victims to access justice. The Directives require Member States 
to:  (i)  guarantee  the  independence  of  equality  bodies;  (ii)  secure  for  these  bodies  the  staff, 
financial  and  technical  resources  needed  to  fulfil  their  mission;  and  (iii)  provide  them  with 
powers to prevent discrimination, promote equality, and better assist victims of discrimination 
at  no  cost,  including  in  rural  and  remote  areas.  When  raising  awareness  about  the  rights 
protected by the Racial Equality Directive and the existence and services of equality bodies, 
Member States and equality bodies will have to focus on groups whose access to information 
could be hindered. For example, some groups may not have access to information due to their 
precarious economic status, their level of literacy or their lack of access to online tools, all of 
which may be issues for part of the Roma population. Member States will have to transpose the 
new rules by June 2026. 

63 Council Directive (EU) 2024/1499 of 7 May 2024 on standards for equality bodies in the field of equal treatment. 
Directive (EU) 2024/1500 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on standards for equality 
bodies in the field of equal treatment and equal opportunities between women and men. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mainstreaming Roma equality in EU policy initiatives and mobilising EU funds for Roma 
Over  the  reporting  period,  the  Commission  has  continued  to  mainstream  Roma  equality, 
inclusion  and  participation  in  relevant  EU  policies,  legislation  and  funding  programmes, 
including through its internal Task Force on Equality.  

For  example,  in  the  area  of  employment,  the  EU  action  plan  to  address  labour  and  skills 
shortages64 presents new actions for Commission, Member States and social partners to support 
underrepresented  groups,  including  Roma,  to  find  work  or  training.  The  Commission’s 
approach to harnessing talent in Europe’s regions65 underlines the importance of encouraging 
underrepresented groups into formal employment. The ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve)66 
initiative is designed to empower disadvantaged young people aged 18 to 29, including Roma, 
not in employment, education or training (NEETs). 

In  the  area  of  education,  the  proposal  to  enhance  the  Quality  Framework  for  Traineeships67 
seeks to improve pathways for young people to gain professional experience and boost their 
skills and their access to the labour market, with attention to persons in vulnerable situations, 
including Roma. In addition, the Council recommendation on improving the provision of digital 
skills in education and training68 highlights the need to close digital skills gaps among some 
population groups, such as Roma. 

In  the  area  of  health,  the  Commission  urged  Member  States  to  ensure  equal  access  without 
barriers  to  quality  and  affordable  healthcare  and  social  services,  especially  for  those  groups 
most at risk or those living in marginalised or remote localities including Roma69. In addition, 
two EU4Health funded projects specifically address the health of Roma.70  

In the area of housing, a toolkit provides an overview of funding opportunities at the EU level 
to invest in social housing and associated services71, and examples of projects to develop an 
integrated approach on desegregation and social inclusion of Roma communities. 

Making  the best  use of  EU funds is  necessary to achieve sustainable impact  on the lives of 
marginalised Roma communities. The Commission stepped up its internal coordination72 and 
continued  to  facilitate  engagement  and  cooperation  among  governmental  administrations  by 
bringing together the NRCPs, the EU funds’ managing authorities and intermediary bodies to 
improve the use of EU funds to support Roma equality and inclusion, also through the EURoma 
Network73.  

64 COM(2024) 131 final of 20 March 2024. 
65 COM(2023) 32 final of 17 January 2023. 
66 See: ALMA: an active inclusion initiative for young people. 
67 COM(2024) 132 final of 20 March 2024 and COM(2024)133 final. 
68  Council  Recommendation  on  improving  the  provision  of  digital  skills  and  competences  in  education  and 
training. 
69 COM(2023) 298 final of 7 June 2023. 
70 ShowUp4Health (building trust in Roma communities and internally displaced people for NCD Prevention) and 
MENTBOX (identifying and customising promising mental health interventions). 
71 European Commission, Social housing and beyond – Operational toolkit on the use of EU funds for investments 
in social housing and associated services (2024). 
72  For  example,  a  new  Subgroup  dedicated  to  EU  funding  for  Roma  equality,  inclusion  and  participation  was 
established under the Roma Inter-service group. 
73 EURoma. European Network on Roma equality under EU funds. 

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Under the ESF+, 15 Member States have programmed resources to support Roma inclusion, 
reaching  a  total  EU  contribution  of  EUR  1.574  billion  (2.246  billion  total  contribution)  to 
support  measures  in  areas  of  employment,  social  inclusion,  education  and  skills,  access  to 
services including healthcare and housing, non-discrimination and capacity building. 

For the 2021-2027 period, approximately EUR 19.6 billion of ERDF were allocated to inclusive 
growth areas, comprising measures that should address Roma inclusion in the relevant Member 
States.  These  include  support  for  infrastructure  development,  equipment,  and  access  to 
mainstream quality services and non-segregated housing, together with investments in inclusive 
education, employment, health, social and childcare. 

Member States have also received, under the TSI, support to strengthen the capacity of their 
public  administrations  at  central,  regional,  and  local  level  to  tackle  challenges  confronting 
marginalised Roma populations. The TSI has notably helped Romania develop a monitoring 
and evaluation framework to implement its national Roma strategy. 

Several Member States include measures in this direction under their national Recovery and 
Resilience  plans.  For  instance,  Bulgaria  envisages  the  construction  of  20  centres  for  young 
people  from  vulnerable  groups,  including  Roma,  for  their  upskilling  in  digital  and  financial 
areas to boost their employability and social inclusion. 

The  European  Semester  continues  to  monitor  the  situation  of  Roma  and  to  guide  Member 
States’  reforms  and  investments  to  tackle  persistent  challenges.  In  the  context  of  the  2024 
European  Semester  cycle,  country-specific  analysis  highlights  challenges  faced  by  Roma 
communities in certain Member States (BG, CZ, EL, HU, RO and SK). In this context, the 2025 
mid-term review of cohesion-policy funding74 provides an opportunity for Member States to 
assess  and  better  target  their  programmes  to  address  challenges  related  to  Roma  inclusion, 
notably those mentioned in the 2024 country-specific recommendations.75  

EU action and support to promote Roma participation 
The Commission has continued its cooperation with the Member States holding the rotating 
Presidency of the Council of the EU and with the European Parliament to ensure that Roma 
equality,  inclusion  and  participation  remain  high  on  the  political  agenda.  Cooperation  with 
stakeholders includes the Roma Civil Monitoring initiative76, the CSO Consultation Group, the 
European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet)77 and the EURoma Network. The Commission 
has also supported the European networks of Roma organisations and provided them with the 
opportunity to implement schemes to support local Roma CSOs. In addition, the Commission 
has cooperated with the European Parliament and with Roma civil society to jointly mark days 
of significance for Roma, such as International Roma Day (8 April)78, the EU’s Roma Week79, 

74  Regulation  (EU)  2021/1060  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24  June  2021  laying  down 
common provisions: The Member State shall submit an assessment for each programme on the outcome of the 
mid-term  review,  including  a  proposal  for  the  definitive  allocation  of  the  flexibility  amount  referred  to  in  the 
second subparagraph of Article 86(1), to the Commission by 31 March 2025. 
75  2024  European  Semester:  Country  Reports  -  European  Commission  (europa.eu),  Country  Specific 
Recommendations / Commission Recommendations - European Commission (europa.eu). 
76 Roma Civil Monitor 2021-2025. 
77 Equinet – European Network of Equality Bodies (equineteurope.org). 
78 International Roma Day. 
79 EU Roma Week. 

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and the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day (2 August)80. The Commission has secured 
a  strong  partnership  with  the  CSO  Consultation  Group  for  the  organisation  of  the  annual 
European Roma Platform for Roma Inclusion, so as to ensure meaningful exchanges with all 
stakeholders concerned81. 

Through  the  CERV  programme,  the  Commission  continued  to  assist  NRCPs  to  set  up  or 
strengthen  the  national  Roma  platforms  and  ensure  Roma  participation  in  decision-making 
processes, in particular by Roma women and youth. The 2024 call for proposals for NRCPs has 
been reformed to allow for applications by NRCPs in partnership with Roma and pro-Roma 
CSOs. 

EU action and support to promote equality and fight antigypsyism  
The Commission continued to promote positive narratives and Roma role-models, and the fight 
against antigypsyism, stereotyping, anti-Roma rhetoric and hate speech. It did this through both 
the High-Level Group on Combating Hate Speech and Hate Crime82 and the High-Level Group 
on Non-Discrimination, Equality and Diversity83.  

The  Commission  continued  its  joint  work  with  the  Council  of  Europe,  through  the  ongoing 
EQUIROM programme to promote – among others - unbiased and ethical media reporting on 
Roma84. A new joint programme entitled ‘Roma Memory’85 was also launched in June 2024 to 
promote awareness and remembrance of the Roma Holocaust.  

The follow up on the Communication No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred 86 will 
explore  how  to  maximise  the  potential  of  data  collection  and  analysis  by  FRA  on  Roma 
equality, inclusion and participation to contribute to EU efforts in the fight against hatred.  

Through  the  CERV  programme,  the  Commission  continues  to  fund  projects  which  combat 
racism, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination, including manifestations of antigypsyism. 
Additionally,  the  Erasmus+  programme  funds  projects  which  promote  Roma  inclusion  in 
education, culture, sport, and health. As part of the efforts to achieve the European Education 
Area  (EEA)  by  2025,  the  EEA  Working  Group  on  Equality  and  Values  in  Education  and 
Training published an issue paper on tackling different forms of discrimination in and through 
education and training, including on discrimination against Roma.87 

Other  EU  initiatives  to  promote  Roma  equality  include:  (i)  HERO88,  on  housing  and 
employment for vulnerable Roma families; (ii) the joint EU and Council of Europe programmes 
INSCHOOL89  on  education  and  (iii)  ROMACT90  for  local  stakeholders  and  authorities  to 

80 European Parliament Resolution on the occasion of International Roma Day - Anti-Gypsyism in Europe and EU 

recognition of the memorial day of the Roma genocide during World War II. 

81 European Roma Platform & Roma Summits. 
82 High-Level Group on combating hate speech and hate crime. 
83 High-Level Group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity. 
84 Journalism Excellence Awards 2024. 
85 Roma Holocaust Remembrance and Education (RomaMemory). 
86  No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred, JOIN(2023) 51 final. 
87 Issue Paper: Tackling different forms of discrimination in and through education and training. 
88 HERO Project: Housing and Empowerment for Roma (hero-project.org). 
89 Inschool Project - Inclusive schools Making a difference for Roma children (coe.int). 
90 ROMACT - BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ROMA INCLUSION AT LOCAL LEVEL (coe-romact.org). 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
properly use EU funds to improve the living conditions of the most marginalised, including the 
Roma. 

CONCLUSION 

Member States and enlargement countries have started to put in place the necessary structures 
and processes for the effective implementation of their national Roma frameworks. They have 
developed and started  implementing new programmes  and actions  in  line with  the guidance 
provided by the Commission in its 2023 stock-taking. Several Member States have strengthened 
the  role  of  their  NRCPs  by  allocating  more  resources  and  reinforcing  cross-sectoral 
coordination. There are some positive developments in fighting and preventing antigypsyism 
at the national level. In addition, a number of Member States are prioritising inclusive education 
and Roma participation. 

However, based on the information provided by Member States in this first round of reporting, 
the current level of ambition is still insufficient to guarantee the achievement of the minimum 
progress  set  by  the  EU  2030  targets.  Altogether,  12  Member  States  and  the  enlargement 
countries still lack clear targets associated with realistic indicators to measure the progress and 
impact  of  measures,  including  at  regional  and  local  levels.  Moreover,  some  NRCPs  lack 
institutional capacity to mobilise other governmental departments, local authorities, and CSOs 
in the implementation of the national Roma frameworks, EU cohesion policy programmes, and 
the Recovery and Resilience Plans. 

Preventing and combating antigypsyism and discrimination against Roma is a prerequisite for 
sustainable  progress  in  all  other  areas.  Member  States  and  enlargement  countries  should 
proceed rapidly and decisively with the implementation of their programmes and measures in 
this  respect.  Member  States  affected  by  widespread  and  persistent  spatial  and  educational 
segregation, in particular those with large Roma populations, should tackle these issues more 
vigorously by setting clear targets and devising integrated interventions that match the scale of 
the problem. They should make optimal use of available EU funding for this purpose.  

To achieve the positive change envisaged by the EU Roma strategic framework, more efforts 
are needed. The upcoming FRA Roma survey, to be released in 2025, will be instrumental in 
measuring progress and will feed into the 2026 Commission report on progress in implementing 
the EU and national Roma frameworks.  

The  Commission,  following  this  assessment  and  its  initial  guidance  from  2023,  invites  the 
Member States to use these findings in the implementation of their national Roma frameworks 
and their next reporting, which is due in 2025.  

The Commission is firmly committed to support Member States in building together a Union 
where equality, inclusion and participation are a reality for Roma people. 

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