Roma integration: EU Framework triggers first results
7 Apr 2014 11:48 AM
Concerted action by the
European Commission has put Roma integration firmly on the political agenda
across Europe. The first signs of improvement in the lives of Roma are
slowly starting to show, says a new report on Member States' progress
achieved under the EU Framework for national Roma
strategies.
The EU Framework which EU
leaders signed up to in 2011 (IP/11/789) put in place – for the first time ever – a
solid process for coordinating action on Roma integration. Two years later, the
national Ministers unanimously adopted the first ever legal instrument for Roma
inclusion at EU-level and committed to implementing a set of recommendations
from the Commission aiming to reduce social inequalities between Roma and the
rest of the population within four areas: education, employment, healthcare and
housing (IP/13/1226).
The Commission reports assess
progress made under the EU framework since 2011 and identify both positive
examples and areas for further efforts from Member States. While challenges
remain, improvements are visible: more Roma children attend pre-school,
mentoring programmes to help Roma find work are increasingly in place, as well
as mediator programmes to bridge gaps between Roma and non-Roma communities in
housing and access to healthcare. Thanks to the new EU Regulations on the use
of EU funds Member States need to dedicate 20% of money from the European
Social Fund to social inclusion in the 2014-20 period.
"Four years ago, the
topic of Roma integration was nowhere to be seen on the radar of most Member
States. Now, thanks to concerted action, we are witnessing a wind
of change," said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's
Justice Commissioner. "The EU Framework for national Roma integration
strategies was a landmark achievement in gaining commitments from national
governments at the highest level to work towards improving Roma integration. Of
course, we cannot reverse centuries of exclusion and discrimination overnight,
but having put the issue firmly on Europe’s political agenda, we are
seeing improvements. Three years down the line pre-school attendance of Roma
children is increasing for example. As a next step, I could imagine more
targeted rules and a funding facility specifically dedicated to Roma – to
ensure funding gets to where it is needed.”
"To make a difference
to the lives of Europe's marginalised Roma communities, we have to ensure
that adequate funds are used effectively to support National Roma Integration
Strategies. Member States should also take integration of Roma into account
when developing education, employment, healthcare and housing
policies",said László Andor, European Commissioner for
Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. "Now is the time for
Member States to ensure that Roma inclusion is a priority for spending EU funds
in the forthcoming seven year financial period."
Although Roma communities
continue to face poverty, social exclusion and discrimination, the report
presents progress in the 28 Member States. Key findings
include:
-
Education: There has been
good progress in ensuring that all Roma children complete at least their
primary school education, including an increase in pre-school participation
in Finland from 2% to 60%; a new law
in Hungary to make two years of pre-school
compulsory for all children; a similar two-year obligatory pre-school period
in Bulgaria; and ‘travelling teachers’ who
move with Traveller communities inIreland. At the same time,
more efforts will be needed to tackle the issue of segregation in mainstream
schools in several EU countries.
-
Employment: Over the past
four years there have been some attempts to improve the employability of Roma,
but too rarely combined with systematic measures targeting the demand side of
the labour market by fighting discrimination and incentivising employers. Some
promising practices include: training mentors for Roma looking for work
in Austria; EU-funded Roma employment mediators
in Finland; a programme for work counsellors
in Spain.
-
Housing: Member States
have been making strides in promoting Roma inclusion as a two-way street for
Roma and non-Roma communities, but small scale projects need to be rolled out
Europe-wide to bring about results. Good practices include: 38 housing
mediators in Belgium; a local taskforce in
Berlin,Germany, to get Roma accepted as neighbours and
integrated into the community.
-
Health: Several countries
have focused on improving access to healthcare for the most vulnerable Roma,
including a commitment by the government
in France to reduce financial barriers to healthcare
and investment in health mediators for the Roma community
in Romania and Spain. Ensuring
basic health coverage is still a challenge in some Member
States.
-
Discrimination:
Commission action has ensured a strong legal framework is in place in all
Member States to tackle discrimination, but countries need to reinforce their
efforts to apply and enforce the legislation on the ground (IP/14/27). National equality bodies have a crucial role in doing
this. Slovakia has introduced temporary positive
action measures for Roma.
-
Funding: Allocating
sufficient funding to Roma integration remains a challenge. For the first time,
20% of the European Social Fund available to Member States for their programmes
must be dedicated to social inclusion, up from the current average of 15%. For
the post 2020 financing period, the Commission will explore ways to further
improve and make more effective financial support for Roma including through,
for example, a specific facility. More country-specific
examples can be found in the national factsheets.
EU Roma Summit
This assessment comes as local,
national and EU politicians gather with representatives of civil society to
discuss advances on Roma integration at the third EU-level Roma Summit. The aim is to take
stock of how the national Roma strategies submitted by Member States on an
annual basis as a result of the EU Framework are being implemented and if they
are improving the life of Roma communities. Around 500 representatives of EU
institutions, national governments and parliaments, international
organisations, civil society (including Roma organisations) and local and
regional authorities will express their views on what has been achieved so far
and how to further improve Roma integration in the future. More information on
the agenda, topics and participants of the Roma Summit can be found
here: IP/14/317.
Background
Roma integration is more than a
social inclusion issue. It also has a positive economic impact, in particular
in those Member States with a large Roma minority. Roma represent a significant
and growing proportion of the school age population and the future workforce in
many countries. Efficient labour activation policies and individualised and
accessible support services for Roma job seekers are crucial to allow Roma
people to realise their human capital and to actively and equally participate
in the economy and society.
The social inclusion and
integration of Roma communities is a joint responsibility of Member States and
the European Union. The Commission monitors progress made by Member States
through the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (IP/11/400, MEMO/11/216). It also regularly brings together a
network of coordinators responsible for overseeing the national Roma
integration strategies from all 28 EU countries to discuss progress and
challenges ahead (MEMO/14/107).
In its 2013 report, the European
Commission called on EU Member States to implement their national strategies to
advance the economic and social integration of Roma in Europe (IP/13/607). The findings are also used for the annual European
Semester process for socio-economic policy coordination which can result in the
EU issuing Roma-relevant country specific recommendations. This annual cycle
helps to ensure that Roma integration remains firmly and continuously on the
European agenda and that mainstream policies do not go against Roma inclusion
goals. In 2013 five Member States received country-specific recommendations on
the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies and on mainstreaming
Roma-specific measures (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania,
Slovakia).
EU funds are available to Member
States to finance social integration projects, including for improving Roma
integration in fields such as education, employment, housing and health. Around
€26.5 billion was made available for social inclusion projects as a whole
from 2007-2013. Under the new financial period 2014-2020, at least €80
billion will be allocated to investment in human capital, employment and social
inclusion through the European Social Fund. At least 20% of the European Social
Fund allocation (around €16 billion) must now be earmarked for social
inclusion. The aim is to secure the appropriate financial resources for Roma
integration. Member States are responsible for managing these funds. To help,
the Commission provided guidance to Member States on how their
Operational Programmes for spending EU funds and projects for Roma inclusion
should be designed in order to ensure an inclusive approach and to better
address Roma needs.
For more
information
MEMO/14/249
Press pack: 2014 Roma
report:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/discrimination/news/140404_en.htm
Speech by President Barroso at
the European Roma Summit
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-288_en.htm
European Commission – EU
& Roma:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/roma/index_en.htm
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Homepage of Vice-President
Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner:
http://ec.europa.eu/reding
Homepage of László
Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and
Inclusion:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/andor/index_en.htm
Follow Vice-President Reding and
Commissioner Andor on Twitter:
@VivianeRedingEU @LaszloAndorEU
Follow EU Justice on
Twitter: @EU_Justice
Follow the Roma Summit on
Twitter with #RomaEU