Towards an European Policy for Roma Inclusion

1
Towards an European Policy for Roma Inclusion

• An European focused approach to integration of
  Roma

2
Introduction

• The abysmal situation of Roma is largely
  acknowledged by NGOs, the European Union, Member
  States and International Inter-Governmental
  Organizations
• Roma is considered the most complex issue
  related to social inclusion still the European
  Union lacks a policy on Roma
• There is an acknowledged failure of the EU
  mainstreaming approach to Roma integration (
  lack of results, increasing anti-Gypsyism)
• In the last year four Prime Ministers have called
  for a European Roma Policy (Hungary, Bulgaria,
  Romania and Italy) complementing similar calls
  from Finland, Slovakia and Greece.
• 5 Decade Countries are EU Member States, in this
  context the Decade of Roma Inclusion can provide
  the framework for advancing proposals for an EU
  Roma Policy (Enhanced Cooperation)

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Advancement of an EU Roma policy is in the
interest of Decade Countries,Potential effects

• New Member States and Candidate Countries could
  play a visible role in promoting EU values and
  ensure their own political niche at the EU
  level.
• Providing much needed support for a mechanism
  able to overcome the existing double standards
  among old and new Member States (balancing
  the discrepancies among states monitored for
  respecting the Copenhagen criteria and EU member
  states)
• An EU Roma policy could be a result of the Decade
  of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, and initiative
  perceived as one of the most promising political
  projects in Central and Eastern Europe

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Advancement of an EU Roma policy is in the
interest of Decade Countries. II.

• An EU Roma Policy could
• Increase the absorption and amounts of Structural
  Funds targeting Social Inclusion
• Increase the efficiency and impact of funded
  projects through targeting
• An EU Roma policy would accelerate integration,
  and
• Help defuse social and inter-ethnic tensions and
  curb the existing rampant and widely accepted
  anti-Gypsyism
• Provide solutions for economic migration and
  address its main reasons poverty, insecurity,
  denial of access to basic rights and widespread
  discrimination
• An EU Roma policy could be a pilot project for
  developing much needed efficient EU policies
  related to minorities

5
European Roma Policy in practice,The Elements

• An EU Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion
  (EFSRI)
• modelled on existing ones EFS on Gender
  Mainstreaming, EFS on people with disabilities
  (DG Social Affairs) and EFS integration of
  migrants (DG Justice), to set objectives, provide
  guidelines and set benchmarks,
• Roma unit in a relevant European Commission
  Structure (DG Employment and Social Affairs),
• To support the already existing inter-service
  group on Roma, to provide support and expertise,
  to watch over implementation of the strategy and
  to and asses its impact,
• Inter-Governmental high-level group on Roma
  inclusion,
• To provide a forum for efficient debates which to
  facilitate synergies among Member State
  interventions and approaches,

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An EU Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion
(EFSRI)Definitions

• A policy umbrella capable to use all existing
  relevant Community policies and ensure an
  efficient mainstreaming of Roma issues at the
  Community level
• The EFRSI will should ensure coherence and
  complementarily in policy making and
  implementation
• The strategy should improve/create mechanisms for
  impact assessment by making use of benchmarks
  (set indicators and address the absence of data)
• The EFSRI is a soft instrument meant to induce
  change, its role is to provide guidance and
  coordination in the design and implementation of
  national policies, a roadmap for Roma inclusion

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An EU Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion
(EFSRI). II.Objectives

• Prioritise and promote the inclusion of Roma, in
  economic life, by promoting equal access of Roma
  to economical, social rights, within relevant EU
  policy,
• in particular access to the right to employment,
  right to education, right to health care and
  right to housing,
• To promote through specific action equal
  participation and representation of Roma,
• Ensure that Roma are involved in all processes
  aimed at improving the situation of the Romani
  communities, including EU level processes,
• To increase efforts aimed at combating
  Anti-Gypsysm, and to ensure respect for
  fundamental rights of Roma citizens,
• To improve/create mechanisms necessary to assess
  the impact of programmes/policies relevant for
  Roma inclusion,

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Roma Unit

• The Roma Unit should be seen as an addition
  meant to strengthen the existing European
  Commission structures relevant for Roma, such as
  the Inter-Service Group
• One important role could be to assist and prepare
  the development of the EFSRI
• The Unit should work in full complementarily
  with other Commission structures and ensure the
  mainstreaming of Roma issues within different
  relevant DGs
• The unit should also be responsible of the impact
  assessment process
• The unit would have a strategic role in
  addressing the acute lack of Roma human resources
  by attracting and promoting Roma experts within
  the European Commission

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Inter-Governmental high-level group on Roma
inclusion,

• Various models are already in place, i.e. High
  Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming
• Should be comprised of high level officials from
  Member States, ideally at the ministerial level
• Would constitute an important forum for
  discussions and information exchange facilitating
  synergies among National and EU policies and
  interventions
• The International Steering Committee of the
  Decade, could provide the basis of such a
  development

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State of play

• To date, concrete proposals for an EU Roma policy
  are coming only from NGOs
• Besides several calls made by national leaders,
  no concrete steps aiming at initiating an EU
  level discussion on a Roma Policy are made
• Opportunities are arising with the European
  Commission being increasingly under pressure, due
  to recent increase of inter-ethnic tension and
  economic migration
• In spite of a repeated calls of Civil Society
  actors, progress in this area will not be made
  without active participation of Member States,
  particularly the Decade Countries

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Recommendations and steps forward,

• Advancement of an EU Roma Policy should become a
  clear priority within the Decade of Roma
  Inclusion and future ISC meetings
• EU level decisions are taken within the European
  Council, therefore
• Decade Countries should approach the EU
  Presidencies and advance concrete proposals in
  coordination with Roma NGOs
• The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and their
  delegations (Permanent Representatives to the EU)
  are the main channels of communication, national
  Decade Coordinators should establish links and
  forward proposals towards MFAs,
• Successful promotion of a EU Roma Policy depends
  on support of EU Member Sates, Decade Countries
  need to enlarge the pool of supporters of a Roma
  Policy beyond the participants to the Decade,
  (possible partners are Italy, Slovenia, Spain,
  Finland, Holland, Sweden, Portugal)
• Member States have the main responsibility to
  ensure that all the elements of the EU Roma
  Policy are consistent with Decade Goals

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Steps for the near future,

• The Slovene/French/Czech/Swedish EU Presidencies
  need to be engaged with a request to place the
  Roma EU Policy on their agenda
• We recommend that a meeting of the Ambassadors to
  the EU be organized in Brussels
• During the meeting the Ambassadors of EU- Decade
  countries should kick-start the discussion on the
  EU Roma Policy
• Commissioners from the Group for Fundamental
  Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Equal
  Opportunities should be involved in the
  discussions
• The National Coordinators of the Decade should
  act as the engine of all related initiatives