EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 5.4.2011
COM(2011) 173 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
An EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 EN 2 EN
1. IMPROVING THE SITUATION OF ROMA: A SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE FOR THE UNION AND ITS MEMBER STATES
Many of the estimated 10-12 million
1
Roma in Europe face prejudice, intolerance,
discrimination and social exclusion in their daily lives. They are marginalised and live in very
poor socio-economic conditions. This is not acceptable in the European Union (EU) at the
beginning of the 21
st
century.
The EU's Europe 2020 strategy for a new growth path – smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth – leaves no room for the persistent economic and social marginalisation of what
constitutes Europe's largest minority. Determined action, in active dialogue with the Roma, is
needed both at national and EU level. While primary responsibility for that action rests with
public authorities, it remains a challenge given that the social and economic integration of
Roma is a two-way process which requires a change of mindsets of the majority of the people
as well as of members of the Roma communities
2
.
First of all, Member States need to ensure that Roma are not discriminated against but treated
like any other EU citizens with equal access to all fundamental rights as enshrined in the EU
Charter of Fundamental Rights. In addition, action is needed to break the vicious cycle of
poverty moving from one generation to the next. In many Member States, Roma represent a
significant and growing proportion of the school age population and therefore the future
workforce. The Roma population is young: 35.7% are under 15 compared to 15.7% of the EU
population overall. The average age is 25 among Roma, compared with 40 across the EU
3
.
The vast majority of working-age Roma lack the education needed to find good jobs. It is
therefore of crucial importance to invest in the education of Roma children to allow them later
on to successfully enter the labour market. In Member States with significant Roma
populations, this already has an economic impact. According to estimates, in Bulgaria, about
23% of new labour entrants are Roma, in Romania, about 21%
4
.
A significant number of Roma living in the EU are legally residing third-country nationals.
They share the same severe living conditions as many Roma holding EU citizenship, whilst
facing also challenges of migrants coming from outside the EU. These challenges are
addressed in the context of EU policies to stimulate integration of third-country nationals,
while taking into account the needs of especially vulnerable groups
5
.
Integrating the Roma people will not only bring social benefits, but will also economically
benefit both Roma people as well as the communities they are part of. According to a recent
1
The term “Roma” is used – similarly to other political documents of the European Parliament and the
European Council – as an umbrella which includes groups of people who have more or less similar
cultural characteristics, such as Sinti, Travellers, Kalé, Gens du voyage, etc. whether sedentary or not;
around 80% of Roma are estimated to be sedentary (SEC(2010)400).
2
COM(2010) 133, p.5.
3
Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Health and the Roma community, analysis of the situation in Europe,
2009. The study looks at Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
4
World Bank, Roma Inclusion: An Economic Opportunity for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania
and Serbia, September 2010.
5
A Communication on a European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals is foreseen in
2011. EN 3 EN
research by the World Bank
6
, for instance, full Roma integration in the labour market could
bring economic benefits estimated to be around € 0.5 billion annually for some countries.
Greater participation of Roma in the labour market would improve economic productivity,
reduce government payments for social assistance and increase revenue from income taxes.
According to the same World Bank study, the tax benefits of Roma integration in the labour
market are estimated to be around € 175 million annually per country. All of these important
economic and financial consequences of Roma integration could in turn foster a climate of
greater openness to the Roma people with the general public and thereby contribute to their
smooth integration in the communities of which they are part of.
Economic integration of the Roma will also contribute to social cohesion and improve respect
for fundamental rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, and help
eliminating discrimination based on someone’s race, colour, ethnic, social origin or
membership of a minority
7
.
The EU has made several proposals for Member States to promote the social and economic
integration of Roma, most recently in its Communication of April 2010
8
. Member States are
already under an obligation to give Roma (like other EU citizens) non-discriminatory access
to education, employment, vocational training, healthcare, social protection and housing
through Directive 2000/43/EC. The rigorous monitoring of the implementation of this
Directive can be a useful instrument for measuring the integration of Roma
9
.
In spite of some progress achieved both in the Member States and at EU level
10
over the past
years, little has changed in the day-to-day situation of most of the Roma. According to the
Commission's Roma Task Force findings
11
, strong and proportionate measures are still not yet
in place to tackle the social and economic problems of a large part of the EU's Roma
population.
To address this challenge, and since non-discrimination alone is not sufficient to combat the
social exclusion of Roma, the Commission asks the EU institutions to endorse this EU
Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. It is a means to complement and
reinforce the EU's equality legislation and policies by addressing, at national, regional and
local level, but also through dialogue with and participation of the Roma, the specific needs of
Roma regarding equal access to employment, education, housing and healthcare.
This EU Framework seeks to make a tangible difference to Roma people's lives. It is the
EU's response to the current situation and does not replace Member States' primary
responsibility in this regard. With this EU Framework, the European Commission
encourages Member States, in proportion to the size of the Roma population living in
6
World Bank, Roma Inclusion: An Economic Opportunity for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania
and Serbia, September 2010.
7
Treaty on the European Union, Article 2 and Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
Article 21.
8
COM(2010) 133, The social and economic integration of the Roma in Europe.
9
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, 19.7.2009).
10
COM(2010) 133, section 2.
11
The Commission Roma Task Force was created on 7 September 2010 to streamline, assess and
benchmark the use (including the effectiveness) of EU funds by all Member States for Roma integration
and identify underpinning deficiencies in the use of funds. EN 4 EN
their territories
12
and taking into account their different starting points, to adopt or to
develop further a comprehensive approach to Roma integration and endorse the
following goals.
2. A NEED FOR A TARGETED APPROACH: AN EU FRAMEWORK FOR NATIONAL ROMA
INTEGRATION STRATEGIES
To achieve significant progress towards Roma integration, it is now crucial to step up a gear
and ensure that national, regional and local integration policies focus on Roma in a clear and
specific way, and address the needs of Roma with explicit measures to prevent and
compensate for disadvantages they face. A targeted approach, within the broader strategy to
fight against poverty and exclusion – which does not exclude other vulnerable and deprived
group from support – is compatible with the principle of non-discrimination both at EU and
national level. The principle of equal treatment does not prevent Member States from
maintaining or adopting specific measures to prevent or compensate for disadvantages linked
to racial or ethnic origin
13
. Some Member States have already successfully used positive
action in favour of Roma, considering that classical social inclusion measures were not
sufficient to meet Roma specific needs
14
.
To ensure that effective policies are in place in the Member States, the Commission proposes
that national Roma integration strategies are designed or, where they already exist, are
adapted to meet EU Roma integration goals, with targeted actions and sufficient funding
(national, EU and other) to deliver them. It proposes solutions to address the current barriers
to a more effective use of EU funds and lays the foundations of a robust monitoring
mechanism to ensure concrete results for Roma.
3. EXPRESSING THE EU AMBITION: SETTING ROMA INTEGRATION GOALS
The European Commission's Annual Growth Survey
15
showed that much needs to be done by
Member States and the EU to implement the Europe 2020 strategy and to achieve its headline
targets, supported by flagship initiatives
16
. For a number of Member States, addressing the
situation of Roma in terms of employment, poverty and education will contribute to progress
towards Europe 2020 employment, social inclusion and education targets.
EU Roma integration goals should cover, in proportion to the size of the Roma population,
four crucial areas: access to education, employment, healthcare and housing. These
minimum standards should be based on common, comparable and reliable indicators. The
achievement of these goals is important to help Member States reaching the overall targets of
the Europe 2020 strategy.
12
See the estimates of the Council of Europe at http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/default_EN.asp,
which are included in the Annex to this Communication.
13
Council Directive 2000/43/EC (OJ L 180 19.7.2000).
14
For example, the United Kingdom's local Traveller Education Support Services (TESS) is a tailored
service to achieve equal access to education and equal educational outcomes for Traveller and Roma
children. Another example is the JOBS for Roma project in Bulgaria which offers assistance for
unemployed Roma and support for entrepreneurs. Other examples can be found in the Commission's
report "Improving the tools for the social inclusion and non-discrimination of Roma in the EU", 2010.
See also European Commission, "International perspectives on positive action measures", 2009.
15
COM(2011) 11, Annual Growth Survey: advancing the EU's comprehensive response to the crisis.
16
Out of seven flagship initiatives, the most relevant in this context are the European Platform against
Poverty and Social Exclusion, An Agenda for New Skills and Jobs and the Innovation Union. EN 5 EN
• Access to education: Ensure that all Roma children complete at least primary school
Educational achievement within the Roma population is much lower than the rest of the
population, although the situation differs among Member States
17
.
While primary school attendance is compulsory in all Member States, Member States have a
duty to ensure that primary education is available to all children at the compulsory ages.
According to the best available evidence from the Labour Force Survey 2009
18
, an average of
97.5% of children completes primary education across the EU.
Surveys suggest that in some Member States, only a limited number of Roma children
complete primary school
19
. Roma children tend to be over-represented in special education
and segregated schools. There is a need to strengthen links with communities through
cultural/school mediators, churches, religious associations or communities and through active
participation of the parents of Roma, to improve the intercultural competences of teachers, to
reduce segregation and to ensure compliance with the duty to primary school attendance. The
Commission plans a joint action with the Council of Europe to train about 1000 mediators
over two years. Mediators can inform and advise parents on the workings of the local
education system, and help to ensure that children make the transition between each stage of
their school career.
It is well known that children who miss out on, enter late into the school system, or leave too
early will subsequently experience significant difficulties, ranging from illiteracy and
language problems to feelings of exclusion and inadequacy. As a result, they will have a
harder time getting into further education, university or a good job. Therefore, initiatives of
second chance programmes for drop-out young adults are encouraged, including programmes
with an explicit focus on Roma children. Support should also be given to reform teachers'
training curricula and to elaborate innovative teaching methods. Attendance of multiply
disadvantaged children requires a cross-sectoral cooperation and appropriate support
programmes. The High Level Group on Literacy and the Literacy Campaign the Commission
is launching as a contribution to the Europe 2020 flagship "New Skills and Jobs" will stress
the importance of combating illiteracy among Roma children and adults.
The Commission adopted a Communication on Early Childhood Education and Care
20
which
highlighted that participation rates of Roma children are significantly lower, although their
needs for support are greater. Increased access to high quality non-segregated early childhood
education can play a key role in overcoming the educational disadvantage faced by Roma
children, as highlighted by pilot actions on Roma integration currently underway in some
Member States with contributions from the EU budget
21
.
This is why Member States should ensure that all Roma children have access to quality
education and are not subject to discrimination or segregation, regardless of whether
they are sedentary or not. Member States should, as a minimum, ensure primary school
17
As regards secondary education, the Roma attendance is about 10% as estimated on the basis of the
Open Society Institute (OSI) Survey 2008 (data available for seven Member States).
18
Labour Force Survey, 2009 - http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/microdata/lfs
19
Open Society Institute, International Comparative Data Set on Roma Education, 2008. Data on primary
education is available for 6 Member States: Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and
Slovakia. 42% is the weighted average for these Member States.
20
COM(2011) 66.
21
Pilot project: "A Good Start: scaling-up access to quality services for young Roma children". EN 6 EN
completion. They should also widen access to quality early childhood education and care
and reduce the number of early school leavers from secondary education pursuant to the
Europe 2020 strategy. Roma youngsters should be strongly encouraged to participate
also in secondary and tertiary education
22
.
• Access to employment: Cut the employment gap between Roma and the rest of the
population
The Europe 2020 strategy sets a headline target of 75% of the population aged 20-64 to be
employed (on average, the employment rate in the EU amounts to 68.8%
23
). The 2011 Annual
Growth Survey outlined how Member States are setting national employment targets in
national reform programmes against which progress can be measured. Empirical evidence and
research on the socio-economic situation of Roma show that there is a significant gap between
the employment rate for Roma and the rest of the population.
The World Bank found that Roma employment rates (especially for women) fall well behind
those of the non-Roma majority
24
. A survey by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights
in seven Member States also highlights important gaps and indicates that Roma consider
themselves to be highly discriminated against in the field of employment
25
.
This is why Member States should grant Roma people full access in a nondiscriminatory way to vocational training, to the job market and to self-employment
tools and initiatives. Access to micro-credit should be encouraged. In the public sector,
due attention should be given to employment of qualified Roma civil servants. Public
Employment Services can reach out to the Roma by providing personalised services and
mediation. This can help attract Roma to the labour market and thus increase the
employment rate.
• Access to healthcare: Reduce the gap in health status between the Roma and the rest of
the population
Life expectancy at birth in the EU is 76 for men and 82 for women
26
. For Roma, it is
estimated to be 10 years less
27
. In addition, while the infant mortality rate in the EU is 4.3 per
thousand live births
28
, there is evidence that the rate is much higher among Roma
communities. A United Nations Development Programme report on five countries noted that
Roma child mortality rates are 2 to 6 times higher than those for the general population,
22
In this context, the potential use of innovative approaches such as ICT-based access to learning and skill
acquisition should be actively explored.
23
COM(2011) 11, Annex 3, Draft Joint Employment Report. See also Labour Force Survey, 2009: for
2009 the employment rate was 62.5% for women, 75.8% for men -
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=t2020
_10
24
World Bank, op.cit.
25
Fundamental Rights Agency, European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey, Main Results
Report, 2009.
26
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/product_details/dataset?p_product_code=TSDPH100
27
COM(2009) 567, Solidarity in Health: Reducing Health Inequalities in the EU. See also Fundación
Secretariado Gitano, op cit. and Sepkowitz K, "Health of the World's Roma population", 2006, based on
the situation in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
28
Ratio of the number of deaths of children under one year of age during the year, to the number of live
births in that year. Eurostat Data, 2009 -
http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=demo_minfind&lang=en EN 7 EN
depending on the country. High levels of infant mortality among the Roma community are
reported in other countries
29
.
This disparity reflects the overall gap in health between Roma and non-Roma. This difference
is linked to their poor living situations, lack of targeted information campaign, limited access
to quality healthcare and exposure to higher health risks. In the Fundamental Rights Agency
survey, discrimination by healthcare personnel also emerged as a particular problem for the
Roma
30
: 17% indicated they had experienced discrimination in this area in the previous 12
months. Use of prevention services among the Roma population is low and, according to
some studies, over 25% of Roma children are not fully vaccinated
31
.
This is why Member States should provide access to quality healthcare especially for
children and women as well as preventive care and social services at a similar level and
under the same conditions to the Roma as to the rest of the population. Where possible,
qualified Roma should be involved in healthcare programmes targeting their
communities.
• Access to housing and essential services: Close the gap between the share of Roma with
access to housing and to public utilities (such as water, electricity and gas) and that of
the rest of the population
Between 72% and 100% of households across the EU are connected to a public water
supply
32
. Yet the situation for Roma is much worse. Their often poor housing conditions
include an inadequate access to public utilities such as water, electricity or gas and nonsedentary Roma often have difficulty finding sites with access to water
33
. This has a negative
impact on their health and overall integration in society.
This is why Member States should promote non-discriminatory access to housing,
including social housing. Action on housing needs to be part of an integrated approach
including, in particular, education, health, social affairs, employment and security, and
desegregation measures. Member States should also address the particular needs of nonsedentary Roma (e.g. provide access to suitable halting sites for non-sedentary Roma).
They should actively intervene with targeted programmes involving regional and local
authorities.
29
UNDP, The Roma in Central and Eastern Europe, Avoiding the Dependency Trap, 2003. Bulgaria,
Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Equality and Human Rights Commission,
Inequalities Experienced by Gypsy and Traveller Communities: A review, 2009.
30
Fundamental Rights Agency, European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey, Main Results
Report, 2009.
31
Fundación Secretariado Gitano, op.cit. See also University of Sheffield, The Health Status of Gypsies
and Travellers in England, 2004.
32
Eurostat data, 2002 - http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/8-21032006-AP/EN/8-
21032006-AP-EN.PDF
33
Fundamental Rights Agency, Housing conditions of Roma and Travellers in the European Union,
Comparative Report, 2009. EN 8 EN
4. NATIONAL ROMA INTEGRATION STRATEGIES: A CLEAR POLICY COMMITMENT
FROM MEMBER STATES
Building on the experience of the Member States including these participating in the Roma
Decade
34
, the Commission calls on Member States to align their national Roma integration
strategies to the targeted approach set out above and extend their planning period up to 2020.
Member States that do not have national Roma strategies in place yet are called upon to set
similar goals, in proportion to the size of the Roma population living in their territories
35
and
taking into account their different starting points as well as the specificities of such
populations.
Member States' national strategies should pursue a targeted approach which will, in line with
the Common Basic Principles on Roma Inclusion
36
, actively contribute to the social
integration of Roma in mainstream society and to eliminating segregation where it exists.
They should fit into and contribute to the broader framework of the Europe 2020 strategy and
should therefore be consistent with national reform programmes.
When developing national Roma integration strategies, Member States should bear in mind
the following approaches:
• Set achievable national goals for Roma integration to bridge the gap with the
general population. These targets should address, as a minimum, the four EU
Roma integration goals relating to access to education, employment, healthcare
and housing.
• Identify where relevant those disadvantaged micro-regions or segregated
neighbourhoods, where communities are most deprived, using already available
socio-economic and territorial indicators (i.e. very low educational level, longterm unemployment, etc…).
• Allocate a sufficient funding from national budgets, which will be
complemented, where appropriate, by international and EU funding.
• Include strong monitoring methods to evaluate the impact of Roma integration
actions and a review mechanism for the adaptation of the strategy.
34
The Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005–2015 is an international initiative that brings together
governments, international partner organisations and civil society, to accelerate progress towards Roma
inclusion and review such progress in a transparent and quantifiable way. The twelve countries
currently taking part in the Decade are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia,
Spain as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro and Serbia. Slovenia
has observer status. The international partner organisations of the Decade are the World Bank, OSI,
UNDP, Council of Europe, Council of Europe Development Bank, OSCE, ERIO, ERTF, ERRC, UNHABITAT, UNHCR, and UNICEF.
35
See the estimates of the Council of Europe at http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/default_EN.asp,
which are included in the Annex to this Communication.
36
The 10 Common Basic Principles on Roma Inclusion were presented at the first Platform meeting on 24
April 2009. They were annexed to the Council conclusions of 8 June 2009. They comprise: 1)
constructive, pragmatic and non-discriminatory policies 2) explicit but not exclusive targeting 3) intercultural approach 4) aiming for the mainstream 5) awareness of the gender dimension 6) transfer of
evidence-based policies 7) use of EU instruments 8) involvement of regional and local authorities 9)
involvement of civil society 10) active participation of Roma.EN 9 EN
• Be designed, implemented and monitored in close cooperation and continuous
dialogue with Roma civil society, regional and local authorities.
• Appoint a national contact point for the national Roma integration strategy
with the authority to coordinate the development and implementation of the
strategy or, where relevant, rely on suitable existing administrative structures.
Member States are requested to prepare or revise their national Roma integration
strategies and present them to the Commission by the end of December 2011. In spring
2012, ahead of the annual Roma Platform meeting, the Commission will assess these
national strategies and report to the European Parliament and to the Council about
progress.
5. ACHIEVING CONCRETE RESULTS FOR ROMA PEOPLE
The implementation and success of national Roma integration strategies will very much
depend on an effective and sufficient allocation of national resources. EU funding alone can
certainly not solve the situation of Roma, but the Commission recalls that up to € 26.5 billion
of EU funding is currently programmed to support Member States' efforts in the field of
social inclusion, including to support efforts to help the Roma
37
.
In April 2010, the Commission
38
called on the Member States to ensure that existing EU
financial instruments, and especially the Structural Funds and the European Agricultural Fund
for Rural Development, were accessible to Roma. This approach was endorsed by the Council
in June 2010
39
. However, most Member States currently do not make yet sufficient use of
available EU funds to address the needs of the Roma.
Making progress under the present programming period (2007-2013)…
• In order to overcome the weaknesses in the development of appropriate strategies
and effective measures to implement them where they exist, Members States are
invited to amend their operational programmes co-financed by Structural Funds
and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in order to better
support Roma targeted projects, and to align them with their national Roma
integration strategies.
• The Commission will examine with Member States changes to their operational
programmes in order to address new needs, simplify delivery and speed up the
implementation of priorities, including the use of the housing-related integrated
approach foreseen in the European Regional Development Fund modified
Regulation
40
. The Commission will swiftly examine requests for programme
modifications that are in relation to the national Roma integration strategies.
37
For the European Social Fund, € 9.6 billion have been allocated in the period 2007-2013 for measures
targeting socio-economic inclusion of disadvantaged people – among them marginalised Roma – and
€ 172 million have been explicitly allocated for actions aiming at integrating the Roma. In the case of
the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), more than € 16.8 billion are planned for social
infrastructure.
38
COM(2010) 133.
39
Council Conclusions of 7 June 2010, 10058/10+COR 1.
40
European Parliament and Council Regulation No 437/2010 (OJ L 132, 29.5.2010). On 9 February 2011,
the Commission issued a guidance note on the implementation of integrated housing interventions in EN 10 EN
• There are significant amounts of EU technical assistance at Member States'
disposal (4% of all Structural Funds), out of which Member States on average had
only used 31% of their planned allocations until late 2009. These amounts would
be lost if not used. When designing their national Roma integration strategies,
Member States should therefore make a greater use of EU technical assistance
41
to
improve their management, monitoring and evaluation capacities also with regard
to Roma-targeted projects. This instrument could also potentially be used by
Member States to obtain the expertise of regional, national and international
organisations in preparing, implementing and monitoring interventions.
• To surmount capacity issues, such as lack of know-how and administrative
capacity of managing authorities and the difficulties of combining funds to
support integrated projects, the Commission invites Member States to consider
entrusting the management and implementation of some parts of their
programmes to intermediary bodies such as international organisations, regional
development bodies, churches and religious organisations or communities as well
as non-governmental organisations with proven experience in Roma integration
and knowledge of actors on the ground
42
. In this respect, the network of the
European Economic and Social Committee could be a useful tool
43
.
• Member States should also consider using the European Progress Microfinance
Facility,
44
for which a total of € 100 million of EU funding is available for the
period 2010-2013. The Commission estimates that this amount can be leveraged
to more than € 500 million in microcredit over the coming eight years. Roma
communities are one of the target groups of the instrument
45
. Giving Roma
communities the opportunity to start autonomous productive activities could
motivate people to actively participate in regular work, reduce benefit dependency
and inspire future generations.
• When designing and implementing their national Roma integration strategies,
Member States are encouraged to use the European Initiative on Social
Innovation, which the Commission intends to launch in 2011 as set out in the
Flagship Initiative "European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion".
This innovation-based approach can contribute to improving the effectiveness of
social inclusion policies.
…and beyond 2013
favour of marginalised communities under the ERDF, approved by the Committee of Coordination of
the Funds.
41
COM(2010) 110, Cohesion policy: Strategic Report 2010 on the implementation of the programme
2007-2013 and SEC(2010) 360, reported that Member States used on average only 31% of their
allocations in support of preparation, implementation and monitoring of cohesion policy.
42
In accordance with Council Regulation No 1083/2006, Articles 42 and 43 relating to global grants (OJ
L 210, 31.7.2006).
43
The European Economic and Social Committee has a network of national contact points in the
organised civil society through national Economic and Social committees and similar organisations.
44
European Parliament and Council Decision No 283/2010/EU of 25 March 2010.
45
The Commission already supports, for example, the Kiútprogram, a small scale pilot project targeting
the Roma community in Hungary, which provides relatively small microloans. EN 11 EN
As the national Roma integration strategies should cover the period 2011-2020, making best
use of the funding that will be made available under the new Multi-annual Financial
Framework (MFF) is important. The MFF will set out the way in which the future EU budget
will support the objectives of Europe 2020.
From its inception, Europe 2020 strategy takes into account the situation of the Roma
population
46
. Actions to support the integration of the Roma will be part of the relevant EU
financial instruments, in particular cohesion policy funds. When preparing its proposals for
the future cohesion policy regulatory framework, based on the orientations put forward in the
Budget Review
47
and in the conclusions of the fifth Cohesion Report, the Commission will
strive to address the current potential barriers to an effective use of cohesion policy funds to
support Roma integration.
It will be important to ensure that the investment priorities of the various funds that can be
used in the area of social inclusion and fight against poverty underpin the implementation of
the national reform programmes and the national Roma integration strategies. They should
also set out the necessary pre-conditions for an effective and result-oriented support, including
through better evaluation. In addition, the possibility to use positive incentives to redress
inequalities will be explored. At the same time, simplifying procedures for the benefit of the
programme users will be one of the main elements the Commission will take into account
when preparing the future proposals. This is of particular importance for projects addressing
Roma needs.
6. PROMOTING ROMA INTEGRATION BEYOND THE EU: THE PARTICULAR SITUATION
OF ENLARGEMENT COUNTRIES
The Commission’s Enlargement Strategy
48
highlighted the precarious situation of many Roma
in the Western Balkans and in Turkey. Their number is estimated at 3.8 million by the
Council of Europe.
Roma in enlargement countries face similar or even more serious problems than in many EU
Member States: social exclusion, segregation and marginalisation leading to lack of
education, chronic unemployment, limited access to healthcare, housing and essential services
as well as widespread poverty. In addition, due to the wars in the Balkan region, many Roma
families had to move as displaced persons to other countries in the region or to Western
Europe. In Turkey, Roma groups are diverse, but a large proportion suffers from multidimensional social exclusion.
Lessons learned from past accessions suggest that promoting Roma integration requires an
enhanced political commitment to Roma inclusion, the allocation of appropriate resources
under the national budgets, better coordination with all relevant donors and a systematic
evaluation and reinforced monitoring. The EU Roma integration goals are equally relevant to
these countries. Their national Roma integration strategies and Action Plans (developed in
46
The Integrated Guidelines for economic and employment policies (no 10) contain an explicit reference
to Roma. Furthermore, the "Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion" flagship initiative outlines
how to address the integration of Roma within the overall policy to fight poverty and social exclusion.
Other Guidelines for the employment policies promote employability in a way which helps the socioeconomic integration of Roma people.
47
COM(2010) 700, The EU Budget Review.
48
COM(2010) 660, Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2010-2011. EN 12 EN
most cases in the framework of the 2005-2015 Decade of Roma Inclusion) should be
reviewed in line with these goals. Turkey has yet to adopt a national framework to address
Roma inclusion.
The Commission is committed to help, at regional and national level, the efforts of these
countries to improve the social and economic inclusion of Roma through:
• improving the delivery of support under the Instrument on Pre-Accession
Assistance towards a strategic and results oriented national and multi-beneficiary
programming with a focus on a sector-wide approach for social development. The
Commission is currently implementing or planning projects with a total value of
more than €50 million which could also exclusively or partly benefit the Roma
communities.
• strengthening the involvement of civil society by encouraging institutionalised
dialogues with Roma representatives to become involved and take responsibility
for policy formulation, implementation and monitoring on regional, national and
local level.
• close monitoring of the progress made by each country regarding the economic
and social situation of Roma and annual presentation of its conclusions in the
enlargement Progress Reports.
7. EMPOWERING CIVIL SOCIETY: A STRONGER ROLE FOR THE EUROPEAN PLATFORM
FOR ROMA INCLUSION
The European Platform for Roma Inclusion
49
is a useful forum for debate and concerted
actions of all relevant stakeholders: EU institutions, national governments, international
organisations, academia and Roma civil society representatives. The Platform has
significantly contributed to making both European and national policies more sensitive to
Roma needs.
The Commission is committed to playing a stronger role in the Platform and to reinforcing the
Platform's role, building on past experience and by linking its work with the four priority
areas of national Roma integration strategies.
Through the Platform, concerned stakeholders, especially representatives of the Roma
communities, should have the possibility to play a role in the European Framework for
National Roma Integration Strategies. The strengthened Platform can support Member States
to find the relevant policy responses through the exchange of good practices and the
discussion of approaches from international organisations with experience in promoting Roma
inclusion. It will also provide the Commission with feedback on the results of national efforts
on the ground through the voice of Roma civil society.
49
The first meeting of the Platform took place in 2009, following the General Affairs Council conclusions
of 8 December 2008, which called upon the Commission to organise an exchange of good practices and
experiences between Member States in the sphere of inclusion of the Roma, provide analytical support
and stimulate cooperation between all parties concerned by Roma issues, including the organisations
representing Roma, in the context of an integrated European platform. General Affairs Council
Conclusions 15976/1/08 REV 1. EN 13 EN
8. MEASURING PROGRESS: PUTTING IN PLACE A ROBUST MONITORING SYSTEM
At present, it is difficult to obtain accurate, detailed and complete data on the situation of
Roma in the Member States and to identify concrete measures put in place to tackle Roma
exclusion and discrimination. It is not possible to assess whether such measures have given
the expected results. It is therefore important to collect reliable data.
This is why it is necessary to put in place a robust monitoring mechanism with clear
benchmarks which will ensure that tangible results are measured, that money directed to
Roma integration has reached its final beneficiaries, that there is progress towards the
achievement of the EU Roma integration goals and that national Roma integration strategies
have been implemented.
The Commission will report annually to the European Parliament and to the Council on
progress on the integration of the Roma population in Member States and on the achievement
of the goals.
The Commission will do so by building on the Roma household survey pilot project carried
out by the United Nations Development Programme in cooperation particularly with the
World Bank and the Fundamental Rights Agency
50
. The Commission requests the
Fundamental Rights Agency to expand this survey on Roma to all Member States and to run it
regularly to measure progress on the ground. The Fundamental Rights Agency, working
together with other relevant bodies, such as the European Foundation for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions, will collect data on the situation of Roma with respect to
access to employment, education, healthcare and housing. Data collection will also be drawn
from specific research funded by Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities Programme of the
7
th
Framework Programme. Throughout this process, the Commission, the Fundamental
Rights Agency and other Union bodies will, in line with Article 4(2)TEU, respect the national
identities of the Member States, inherent to their fundamental structures, political and
constitutional, inclusive to their regional and self-government.
The Commission will also take into account ongoing work within the Open Method of
Coordination in the field of social policies and other Member States contributions based on
their own monitoring systems of Roma integration. The in-depth monitoring by Member
States and stakeholders of the implementation of national Roma integration strategies is a
sound method for enhancing transparency and accountability in order to ensure the most
effective impacts of Roma integration.
National reform programmes together with the monitoring and peer review process of the
Europe 2020 strategy should be an additional source of information for assessing progress and
giving guidance to Member States.
In order to get useful data in the long term, the Commission will also foster cooperation
between national statistical offices and Eurostat so as to be able to identify methods to map
the EU's least developed micro-regions, where the most marginalised groups live, and in
particular Roma, as a first step. This territorial approach to data collection has a direct
relevance to tackling Roma poverty and exclusion. In addition, the Fundamental Rights
50
UNDP Survey, co-financed by DG REGIO and developed in cooperation with DG REGIO, the FRA,
the World Bank and OSI (Spring 2011-Results in the Autumn): 11 Member States covered (Bulgaria,
the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal). EN 14 EN
Agency should work with Member States to develop monitoring methods which can provide a
comparative analysis of the situation of Roma across Europe.
9. CONCLUSION: 10 YEARS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies provides the opportunity for
joining forces at all levels (EU, national, regional) and with all stakeholders, including the
Roma, to address one of the most serious social challenges in Europe: putting an end to the
exclusion of Roma. It is complementary to the existing EU legislation and policies in the
areas of non-discrimination, fundamental rights, the free movement of persons, and the rights
of the child
51
. The framework spells out EU level goals for Roma integration to be achieved at
national, regional and local level. Those ambitious goals will only be reached if there is a
clear commitment from Member States and national, regional and local authorities coupled
with involvement of Roma civil society organisations.
The Commission invites the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the
Committee of the Regions and the European Social an Economic Committee to endorse the
EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. For over a decade, the EU
institutions have been regularly calling on Member States and candidate countries to improve
the social and economic integration of Roma. Now is the time to change good intentions into
more concrete actions.
51
COM(2011) 60, An EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child. EN 15 EN
Annex — Table elaborated on the basis of Council of Europe's data (http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/default_en.asp)
Figures taken from a document prepared by the Council of Europe Roma and Travellers Division
European countries Official number Updated
(EU Member States)
Total country
population
(July 2009) (last census)
Minimum
estimate
Maximum estimate Average estimate % of total
population (from
averages)
Austria 8.205.533 No data available 20.000 30.000 25.000 0,30% 14/09/2010
Belgium 10.414.336 No data available 20.000 40.000 30.000 0,29% 14/09/2010
Bulgaria 7.262.675 370 908 (2001) 700.000 800.000 750.000 10,33% 14/09/2010
Cyprus 792.604 560 (1960) 1.000 1.500 1.250 0,16% 3/08/2009
Czech Republic 10.220.911 11 718 (2001) 150.000 250.000 200.000 1,96% 14/09/2010
Denmark 5.484.723 No data available 1.000 10.000 5.500 0,10% 3/08/2009
Estonia 1.307.605 584 (2009) 1.000 1.500 1.250 0,10% 3/08/2009
Finland 5.244.749 No data available 10.000 12.000 11.000 0,21% 3/08/2009
France 64.057.790 No data available 300.000 500.000 400.000 0,62% 14/09/2010
Germany 82.400.996 No data available 70.000 140.000 105.000 0,13% 14/09/2010
Greece 10.722.816 No data available 180.000 350.000 265.000 2,47% 14/09/2010
Hungary 9.930.915 190 046 (2001) 400.000 1.000.000 700.000 7,05% 14/09/2010
Ireland 4.156.119 22 435 (2006) 32.000 43.000 37.500 0,90% 14/09/2010
Italy 59.619.290 No data available 110.000 170.000 140.000 0,23% 14/09/2010 EN 16 EN
Latvia 2.245.423 8 205 (2000) 13.000 16.000 14.500 0,65% 3/08/2009
Lithuania 3.565.205 2 571 (2001) 2.000 4.000 3.000 0,08% 3/08/2009
Luxembourg 486.006 No data available 100 500 300 0,06% 3/08/2009
Malta 403.532 No data available 0 0 0 0,00% 3/08/2009
the Netherlands 16.645.313 No data available 32.000 48.000 40.000 0,24% 14/09/2010
Poland 38.500.696 12 731(2002) 15.000 60.000 37.500 0,10% 14/09/2010
Portugal 10.676.910 No data available 40.000 70.000 55.000 0,52% 14/09/2010
Romania 22.246.862 535 140 (2002) 1.200.000 2.500.000 1.850.000 8,32% 14/09/2010
Slovak Republic 5.455.407 89 920 (2001) 400.000 600.000 500.000 9,17% 14/09/2010
Slovenia 2.007.711 3 246 (2002) 7.000 10.000 8.500 0,42% 3/08/2009
Spain 46.157.822 No data available 650.000 800.000 725.000 1,57% 14/09/2010
Sweden 9.276.509 No data available 35.000 50.000 42.500 0,46% 14/09/2010
United Kingdom 60.943.912 No data available 150.000 300.000 225.000 0,37% 14/09/2010
Total in the EU 6.172.800 1,73%
(Non-EU Member
States)
Albania 3.619.778 1261 (2001) 80.000 150.000 115.000 3,18% 14/09/2010 EN 17 EN
Andorra 72.413 No data available 0 0 0 0,00% 3/08/2009
Armenia 2.968.586 No data available 2.000 2.000 2.000 0,07% 3/08/2009
Azerbaijan 8.177.717 No data available 2.000 2.000 2.000 0,02% 3/08/2009
Belarus 9.685.768 No data available 10.000 70.000 40.000 0,41% 14/09/2010
Bosnia and
Herzegovina 4.590.310
8 864 (1991) 40.000 60.000
50.000 1,09%
14/09/2010
Croatia 4.491.543 9 463 (2001) 30.000 40.000 35.000 0,78% 14/09/2010
Georgia 4.630.841 1 744 (1989) 2.000 2.500 2.250 0,05% 3/08/2009
Iceland 304.367 No data available 0 0 0 0,00% 3/08/2009
Kosovo* 2.542.711 45 745 (1991) 25.000 50.000 37.500 1,47% 14/09/2010
Liechtenstein 34.498 No data available 0 0 0 0,00% 3/08/2009
“The former Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia”
2.061.315 53 879 (2002) 135.500 260.000 197.750 9,59%
14/09/2010
Moldova 4.324.450 12 280 (2004) 15.000 200.000 107.500 2,49% 14/09/2010
Monaco 32.796 No data available 0 0 0 0,00% 3/08/2009
Montenegro 678.177 2 826 (2003) 15.000 25.000 20.000 2,95% 14/09/2010
Norway 4.644.457 No data available 4.500 15.700 10.100 0,22% 3/08/2009
Russian Federation 140.702.094 182 617 (2002) 450.000 1.200.000 825.000 0,59% 14/09/2010
San Marino 29.973 No data available 0 0 0 0,00% 3/08/2009 EN 18 EN
Serbia (excl. Kosovo) 7.334.935 108 193 (2002) 400.000 800.000 600.000 8,18% 14/09/2010
Switzerland 7.581.520 No data available 25.000 35.000 30.000 0,40% 14/09/2010
Turkey 71.892.807 4 656 (1945) 500.000 5.000.000 2.750.000 3,83% 14/09/2010
Ukraine 45.994.287 47 917 (2001) 120.000 400.000 260.000 0,57% 14/09/2010
Total Non-EU 5.084.100 1,63%
Total in Europe 11.256.900
*under UNSCR 1244/99
