Annexes to COM(2023)7 - Assessment report of the Member States’ national Roma strategic frameworks - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2023)7 - Assessment report of the Member States’ national Roma strategic frameworks. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2023)7  |
| date | January 9, 2023 |
Sixteen Member States intend to earmark funds under the ESF+ for marginalised communities, such as the Roma (BG, CZ, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HU, HR, IT, LU, PL, PT, RO, SK and SI), accounting for over EUR 1.8 billion 28 .
In line with the Regulation establishing the Recovery and Resiliency Facility (RRF) 29 , reforms and investments included in the national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) are expected to contribute to effectively addressing all or a significant number of the challenges identified in the European Semester country specific recommendations (CSRs) addressed to the Member States in the context of the European Semester from 2019 onwards 30 . In the Semester framework, BG, CZ 31 , HU, RO and SK have regularly received CSRs in relation to the inclusion of the Roma population throughout 2012-2019. In 2019, the Council addressed CSRs to BG, HU, RO and SK, primarily covering the need for inclusive and quality education for Roma pupils.
Other investments and reforms concern the creation of youth centres targeting the personal development of young people from vulnerable groups, such as Roma, and the provision of energy-efficient social housing for vulnerable groups. Overall, the plans include a significant number of reforms and investments to support social objectives. Overall, Member States have dedicated around 28% of their RRF funds to supporting social objectives spread across four categories: employment and skills, education and childcare, health and long-term care, and social policies. 33
Member States are invited to make optimal use of this funding to devise and implement measures to improve the access of marginalised groups such as the Roma to mainstream non-segregated education, housing, health, long-term care and employment, to promote their social inclusion, and to support civil society organisations working with marginalised Roma communities.
6.ENLARGEMENT COUNTRIES: EU CANDIDATES AND POTENTIAL CANDIDATES 34
Demonstrating their strong commitment to Roma inclusion, the Western Balkans leaders, within the Poznań process 35 , agreed to bring their NRSFs /action plans in line with the EU Roma Strategic Framework and are therefore covered in this assessment.
The objective of fighting antigypsyism is included across the Western Balkans region. The new NRSFs were prepared with the participation of civil society. All Western Balkans partners’ NRSFs have national indicators and monitoring tools in place. However, regular data collection, public reporting, and evaluation should be strengthened to ensure a reliable assessment of progress, using the outcome of the Western Balkans surveys as baseline for the region.
Even though the poverty and social exclusion of Roma people are widespread in the region, the measures targeting this problem do not sufficiently cover multiple and structural discrimination (women, older people, children, LGBTIQ people and stateless Roma). The need to strengthen the mandate and administrative capacity of the national Roma contact points and to ensure their direct involvement in the programming and monitoring of EU funds, as underlined by the framework, is not sufficiently addressed.
On funding, the NRSFs and Action Plans pay increased attention to identifying funding needs and refer to allocations from national budgets. Nevertheless, there is a high level of dependency on donor funding. The significant financial support from the Commission through the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA) funds, already helps governments and local authorities to improve their capacity, and supports education, entrepreneurship, settlements legalisation and Roma CSO networks. This financial support will continue both at national and regional level, covering new priority areas such as the digital area.
On the EU Roma Strategic Framework’s sectoral objectives, increasing access to quality education, employment and health is a strategic goal in all NRSFs, albeit addressed with varying levels of detail. Employment of Roma women and young people and the acquisition of digital skills receive insufficient attention. Health measures for children, vulnerable people and victims of gender-based violence are only partially covered, while the improvement of health mediation is not sufficiently addressed. On housing, the countries of the Western Balkans have already completed a mapping of illegal/informal settlements. NRSFs include references to access to social housing, however they only partially cover issues such as legalising and improving the infrastructure in settlements, eradicating the practice of forced eviction, and measures to address Roma homelessness. Overall progress is going in the right direction, but further efforts will be required throughout the decade.
Equality, inclusion, and participation of Roma, and progressive alignment with the EU Roma Strategic Framework will need to be properly addressed in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova 36 , the two new EU candidate countries, as well as in Georgia, as a potential candidate. The priorities defined in the European Commission Opinions 37 already include the need for the three countries to strengthen the rights and legal framework of their national minorities and vulnerable groups.
The Commission will closely monitor progress and continue to financially support Roma inclusion in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Türkiye, as part of Chapter 23 of the enlargement negotiations, ‘Judiciary and fundamental rights’.
7.GUIDANCE TO MEMBER STATES
Member States with a significant Roma population are strongly encouraged to increase their level of ambition in addressing the challenges confronting Roma in the four sectoral areas, while ensuring a proper cross-cutting application of the horizontal objectives to fight antigypsyism, discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes, fight poverty, and ensure the meaningful participation of Roma in society. The implementation of NRSFs and action plans should be based on solid baselines, including the FRA Roma Survey 2020-2021 for the surveyed countries, and sufficiently ambitious targets, closely connected to the EU Roma Strategic Framework’s level targets. It is important for these Member States to take a combined approach that both targets and mainstreams Roma equality and inclusion.
The Commission invites Member States that have a set of policy measures for inclusion to make sure that mainstream social inclusion policies and programmes effectively reach the Roma population and to develop targeted measures that foster access for Roma to mainstream non-segregated infrastructure and services as necessary.
The Commission encourages all the Member States that are in the process of developing or implementing other national strategies aimed at reducing inequality or tackling discrimination, such as anti-racism action plans or action plans under the European Child Guarantee, to ensure adequate mainstreaming of Roma issues, as well as full complementarity and alignment with the measures committed to in the NRSFs.
The Member States all agreed to the EU-headline targets on employment, skills and poverty proposed in the 2021 European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan 38 . They have developed national targets in these areas which should be used to their fullest extent to ensure that no one is left behind.
National Roma Contact Points
The role and effectiveness of NRCPs are an essential element in the successful implementation of the national Roma strategic frameworks. While most Member States have equipped their NRCPs with suitable mandates and coordination roles with ministries and other responsible authorities, most NRCPs have not been sufficiently strengthened in terms of additional financial and staff resources, which limits their capacity to thoroughly carry out their coordination and monitoring role. They should also be involved, as relevant, in the programming, implementation and monitoring (including in Monitoring Committees) of ERDF and ESF+ programmes, as well as of the RRPs, and any other Union fund which can support Roma equality and inclusion. The Commission reiterates the importance of Member States further empowering the NRCPs so that they can fulfil their key role effectively.
Antigypsyism
Fighting and preventing antigypsyism is a key objective and guiding principle of the EU Roma Strategic Framework and the Council Recommendation. Many NRSFs acknowledge the importance of addressing its various forms of expression and manifestation, including anti-Roma racism, discrimination, prejudice, stereotypes and stigmatisation, as well as hate speech and hate crimes.
Many Member States refer to antigypsyism in their descriptions of national contexts and challenges. Most of the Member States with larger Roma populations have set out objectives and measures to fight this phenomenon, although to varying degrees and with different levels of ambition, which do not sufficiently match the scale of the problem. The Commission calls on the Member States to strengthen their efforts in this area and encourages those Member States which have not set out plans to address this problem to do so now.
Segregation in education and housing
Targets and indicators
Setting national accurately quantified targets, connected to indicators and baselines, is instrumental to monitoring progress towards achieving the EU Roma Strategic Framework’s targets. The FRA Roma Survey 2020-2021 provides a baseline for the surveyed countries. It is important for these Member States to take a combined approach that both targets and mainstreams Roma equality and inclusion.
The Commission further encourages all Member States to review and amend their NRSFs, as necessary, to develop specific quantitative targets that will help the EU to collectively achieve the targets in the EU Roma Strategic Framework by 2030.
Mainstreaming
Many NRSFs describe measures that are connected to mainstream social inclusion policies and programmes. However, those measures often lack detail about how and to what extent Roma can benefit from them. While efforts to address Roma inclusion through mainstream policies and programmes are necessary, Member States should set safeguards to prevent omissions or the superficial inclusion of Roma issues. NRCPs should be involved and enabled to assume a cross-sectoral coordination role in this process.
Participation
Member States should ensure and demonstrate the genuine and meaningful participation of Roma throughout all the stages of implementation of NRSFs and of EU funds programmes at national, regional and local levels, as well as in NRSF monitoring and reporting. Cooperation in this regard can be achieved by strengthening the involvement of the National Roma Platforms or equivalent consultative and participatory processes.
8.SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
1)Enforcing EU legislation
The Commission will continue to monitor the enforcement and application of the Racial Equality Directive 39 , the Victims’ Rights Directive, 40 and the Council Framework Decision on combatting racism and xenophobia and will, if necessary, proceed with infringement cases, to prompt changes in national legislation and policy. The Commission will strengthen the institutional framework for combatting discrimination by putting forward a legislative proposal on standards for equality bodies.
2)Mainstreaming Roma equality in EU policy initiatives and mobilising EU funds for Roma
The Commission will ensure that the fight against racial or ethnic discrimination is mainstreamed into EU policies, legislation, and funding programmes that promote cohesion, inclusion and participation. The Commission will monitor the implementation of policies relevant for Roma equality, inclusion and participation, also in the context of the European Semester.
Support will be provided to Member States to further develop and implement their national Roma frameworks, through financial support and coordination measures. Further support will also be provided in the form of assistance from the Technical Support Instrument 41 . Capacity-building will be offered, in particular via the FRA, for the development of solid monitoring and evaluation systems, and collection of equality data for policymaking and implementation of the national Roma frameworks. NRCPs will be helped to further their knowledge and capacity to monitor and report on the implementation of national Roma frameworks, and to develop tailored indicators.
The Commission will make the best use of the NRCP meetings to follow up on the findings of this Communication.
The Commission will support the implementation of various programmes and projects, such as the EU Pilot HERO 42 which enables pilot projects that improve access to housing and employment for vulnerable Roma families, and the EU Preparatory Action 2021-2025 Roma Civil Monitoring initiative on capacity-building of Roma civil society organisations to monitor the implementation of NRSFs. Other projects focus on access to education, or capacity building for policymaking, such as the joint EU and Council of Europe programmes INSCHOOL and ROMACT 43 .
National Roma Contact Points and National Roma Platforms will receive support through the Commission’s dedicated calls under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) 44 . The CERV programme also supports projects fighting racism, antigypsyism and discrimination, and projects commemorating the Holocaust through its European Remembrance calls 45 .
The Commission will facilitate co-operation between Member States to promote equal access to quality education for all through the European Education Area (EEA) and the digital education action plan 46 , as well as the ESF+. The Commission will continue to facilitate mutual learning on fighting discrimination in and through education under its EEA strategic framework working group on equality and values.
The Commission will further mainstream Roma issues in all relevant activities under the strategies implementing the Union of Equality 47 , the Erasmus+ 48 and European Solidarity Corps 49 programmes. The Commission will mobilise resources under the EU4Health Programme 50 to help prevent diseases and facilitate vaccination, and to help develop mechanisms to better deal with health-related crises, including among the Roma population. Through the Climate and Infrastructure Funds 51 , projects will promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities and persons at risk of poverty and social exclusion, including Roma people, and promote affordable social housing.
When implementing EU funds, including European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) programmes, the Commission will work with the Member States to ensure that the needs of Roma people are addressed through a combined approach of mainstream and targeted measures, and will foster the exchange of best practices and guidance for Member States on desegregation in education and housing.
3)EU action and support to promote Roma participation, inclusion and diversity
Building on its established practice, the Commission will work with the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU to keep the issues of Roma equality, inclusion and participation high on the political agenda.
The Commission will advance its work on fostering transnational partnerships, mutual learning and exchange of know-how and promising practices by supporting: (i) the network of National Roma Contact Points (ii) the organisation of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion (iii) the implementation of the Roma Civil Monitoring project (iv) cooperation with the European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet) and the EURoma network.
The Commission will also continue its co-operation and partnership with the European Parliament and with Roma civil society, to celebrate the International Roma Day.
The Commission will promote diversity and inclusiveness through the Creative Europe Programme 52 , as well as workplace inclusion of Roma through the EU Platform of Diversity Charters 53 . The Commission’s new Human Resources Strategy 54 will help increase the diversity of its staff, and seek to have more trainees and staff from under-represented groups and ethnic minorities. Through its Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy 55 , the Commission also offers insights into developing inclusive citizen engagement exercises that can help foster inclusive political and local participation of Roma in Europe.
4)EU action and support to promote equality and fight antigypsyism
Following up on its commitment to promote positive narratives and Roma role-models, and to combat antigypsyism, stereotyping, anti-Roma rhetoric and hate speech, the Commission will continue its work through the High Level Group on combatting hate speech and hate crime, and cooperation and joint work with the Council of Europe through the forthcoming project EQUIROM 56 .
9. CONCLUSION
The main objectives, targets and measures included in the EU Roma Strategic Framework and the Council Recommendation are reflected to varying degrees in the National Roma Strategic Frameworks (NRSFs). For NRSFs to bring about the desired changes by 2030, strong partnerships have to be developed and maintained between all relevant stakeholders, to respond effectively to country-specific challenges, thoroughly monitor progress and adjust and update the NRSFs as necessary. The Commission will continue to work at EU level to ensure full support for this work.
The Commission invites the Member States to make the best use of the Commission’s assessment, findings and guidance for improvement, and to report on their progress by June 2023, in accordance with the Council Recommendation. The next Communication of the Commission will assess the first reports of Member States on the implementation of their national Roma strategic frameworks and the progress they have made towards the 2030 targets.
The FRA has committed to conduct a new Roma Survey in 2024. Its findings, together with the biennial reporting of Member States, will enhance the capacity of Member States, as well as of the Commission, to measure progress towards the EU Roma Strategic Framework’s 2030 targets. The Commission will work closely with the FRA in measuring this progress.
(1)
COM(2020) 620 - EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation.
(2)
Report on the evaluation of the EU framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020, COM(2018) 785 final.
(3)
Council Recommendation of 12 March 2021 on Roma equality, inclusion and participation 2021/C 93/01 Council Recommendation of 12 March 2021 on Roma equality, inclusion and participation 2021/C 93/01 .
(4)
Developed by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in cooperation with the national Roma contact points (NRCPs), national statistical offices and the Commission.
(5)
A national Roma strategic framework refers to national Roma strategies and/or integrated sets of policy measures within a broader socio-economic context, which are relevant for Roma equality, inclusion and participation.
(6)
Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.
(7)
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo (this designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence), which agreed, within the Poznań process, to bring their national Roma strategic frameworks/action plans into NRSFs /Action Plans in line with the EU Roma framework.
(8)
Preparatory Action 2021-2025 – Roma Civil Monitoring: Strengthening capacity and involvement of Roma and pro-Roma civil society in policy monitoring and review . Participation and involvement of civil society is an important part of the EU Roma framework. Roma and pro-Roma organisations were already involved in previous implementation assessments.
(9)
See the Annex, which contains a table that provides an overview of submissions.
(10)
Generic mainstream social inclusion and anti-discrimination measures.
(11)
Malta did not adopt a National Roma Strategic Framework as there is no known Roma population on its territory.
(12)
The detailed assessment is to be found in the Appendix of the first part of the SWD.
(13)
An overview of the situation of targets per Member States for all objectives is to be found as an appendix of the first part of the SWD.
(14)
Law 2 /2021 regarding measures to prevent and combat antigypsyism.
(15)
According to the official census of 2001, Ukrainian Roma number 47,917 people. Other estimates, such as of the Council of Europe (CoE), put their number much higher.
(16)
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine ― The broad fundamental rights impact in the EU (europa.eu) .
(17)
European Child Guarantee .
(18)
European Social Fund Plus – ESF+ in partnership.
(19)
European Regional Development Fund .
(20)
Just Transition Fund .
(21)
European Pillar of Social Rights .
(22)
France’s plan to achieve full slum clearance by 2030 .
(23)
https://romodrom.cz/en/our-activities/housing/housing-first/ .
(24)
EU FRA 2020-2021 Survey: Roma in 10 European countries – Main results .
(25)
Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain.
(26)
North Macedonia and Serbia.
(27)
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy.
(28)
This amount is treated as an estimate only. It corresponds to the information officially submitted by the Member States as of 21 November 2022. Final figures will only be available once all programmes have been adopted.
(29)
Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility .
(30)
National RRPs are required to address CSRs addressed from 2019 onwards, which for most Member States meant the 2019 and 2020 CSRs, as most plans were adopted in 2021. The 2022 Semester cycle took a parsimonious approach and the CSRs only addressed outstanding and newly emerging priorities that had not been addressed in adopted RRPs. As a result, in 2022, only HU (whose RRP was adopted on 15 December 2022) received a CSR on Roma. In 2019 the Council addressed CSRs to BG, HU, RO and SK primarily covering the need for inclusive and quality education for Roma pupils.
(31)
CZ received specific CSRs in relation to the inclusion of Roma population until 2016.
(32)
Outcome of written procedure on Hungary’s recovery plan - Consilium (europa.eu)
(33)
Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard (europa.eu) .
(34)
Türkiye is not covered by the present assessment because it does not have a National Roma Strategy. In June 2022, following European Commission Opinions, the European Council gave Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia a European perspective, while Ukraine and Moldova were also granted candidate status. Due to the recent nature of these decisions none of the three are included in the assessment even if Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have National Roma Strategies.
(35)
Outcome of the Sofia Summit on 6 November 2020 Sofia Summit, Poznań Declaration of Western Balkans partners on Roma integration within the EU Enlargement Process.
(36)
The Commission opinion of June 2022 on Moldova included recommendations on Roma .
(37)
European Commission Opinions on the EU Membership applications .
(38)
European Pillar of Social Rights targets by 2030 .
(39)
Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin .
(40)
Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing. minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA .
(41)
Technical Support Instrument .
(42)
HERO pilot project
(43)
Joint EU and Council of Europe programmes: access to education INSCHOOL , and capacity building for policy-making ROMACT ; a project of REDI Economic Development S.A supports entrepreneurship of Roma in four countries, with support by the European Investment Fund (EIF).
(44)
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme .
(45)
Call for proposals on European remembrance
(46)
European Education Area , focus topics: Improving quality and equity in education and training and digital education action plan .
(47)
Union of Equality: the first year of actions and achievements .
(48)
Erasmus+ - EU programme for education, training, youth and sport.
(49)
European Solidarity Corps .
(50)
EU4Health Programme .
(51)
InvestEU Climate and Infrastructure Funds .
(52)
Creative Europe Programme .
(53)
EU Platform of Diversity Charters - the Platform offers a place for existing European Diversity Charters (currently 26) to exchange and share experience and good practices.
(54)
Human Resources Strategy for the Commission.
(55)
Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy .
(56)
Equality and freedom from discrimination for Roma (EQUIROM) is a project which will be carried out by the Council of Europe with funding from the CERV-2021-COEU-1 call for proposals.