EUROPEAN
ROMA INFORMATION OFFICE
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ERIO
statement on the European Commission’s evaluation report on
the National Roma Integration Strategies |
ERIO
welcomes the European Commission’s Communication to the
European Parliament, the Committee of the EESC and the
Committee of Regions on the assessment of the National Roma
Integration Strategies (NRIS). It is very important that the
Commission recognizes that much still needs to be
done.
Civil
society feared that the Commission would assign full
responsibility solely to Member States after the adoption of
the European Framework for National Roma Integration
Strategies. In fact, the Commission’s assessment encourages
Member States to work in close cooperation with them -
“...continue regular bilateral dialogue with the Commission
and relevant stakeholders..."- and the Commission
commits itself to support Member States during the
implementation of their NRIS.
At
the last Roma Platform meeting on 22 March 2012, Commissioner
Reding stated that preliminary findings of the Commission’s
evaluation of the strategies show that there is still a lot of
room for improvement. ERIO expected that, in this
Communication, the Commission would clearly point out the
weaknesses and gaps of the strategies. Since the European
Framework is not a legally binding document, there is no
specific instrument to ensure that Member States strictly
follow the principles and requirements of the Framework. To
overcome this limitation, the Commission once stressed that it
will use EU assessment reports as an instrument to politically
pressure by blaming and shaming those Member States failing to
come with efficient measures for Roma
integration.
Taking
into consideration that most of the NRIS need significant
improvement, the Commission’s assessment should have
included a stronger language in pointing out the
weaknesses of the strategies. The strongest statement one
can find addressing Member States, followed by recommendations
is in the following paragraph: " ...Member States...
need stronger efforts to live up to their responsibilities, by
adopting more concrete measures, explicit targets for
measurable deliverables, clearly earmarked funding at national
level and a sound national monitoring and evaluation
system. "
Although
the anti-discrimination element of the European Framework was
not as strong as civil society wanted, in its assessment, the
Commission paid special attention to the structural
requirements. The Communication also comes with a specific
recommendation encouraging Member States to strongly fight
discrimination. The Commission dedicates a specific section in
the Communication to remind, once again, enlargement countries
that Roma integration goals are equally relevant to
them.
Overall,
this assessment is a step forward in the process of sharing
responsibilities, further communication and cooperation
between the Commission and Member States. This first
assessment was important to underline the completeness and the
need to improve Roma integration policies at national level.
Since the next Commission’s report will assess the
implementation of the NRIS, ERIO hopes that the Commission
will come up with a stronger criticism to those Member States
who fail to deliver and consider Roma integration as
their first and foremost responsibility.
ERIONEWS
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ERPC
welcomes European Commission’s negative assessment of the
National Roma Integration Strategies
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The
European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC) agrees with the
European Commission that the National Roma Integration
Strategies submitted by EU Member States need to be
improved to make a real difference in the lives of Roma
by 2020. The Commission’s assessment, published today,
concurs with the ERPC’s review issued in March that had
already highlighted key shortcomings in the
strategies. | |
“The
European Commission’s assessment of the strategies reveals
many of them to be so deeply flawed that they cannot even be
regarded as a first step forward. They reflect a complete lack
of political will. Such complacency is neither acceptable nor
sustainable”, said Shannon Pfohman, ERPC Chair.
Member
States need to adopt more concrete targets, measurable
deliverables, adequate funding and effective implementation
and monitoring mechanisms. It is also crucial that they
consult with local authorities and civil society on the
content and implementation of the strategies.
The
ERPC also welcomes the fact that the Commission calls on
Member States to fight discrimination “convincingly” and “to
ensure that anti-discrimination legislation is effectively
enforced in their territories”.
“Fighting
anti-Gypsyism and taking effective measures to tackle
discrimination must be at the core of the Roma integration
strategies. This is all the more urgent in a climate of rising
hostility towards Roma across Europe”, added Ivan Ivanov, ERPC
co-chair.
The
ERPC urges the Commission to press EU Member States to revise
their strategies in line with the recommendations.
For
interviews or further comment, please contact:
Georgina
Siklossy, Communication and Press Officer, European Network
Against Racism
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Roma:
National Roma Strategies - promising start but further
efforts should be made |
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The
European Commission today published its
Communication on National Roma Integration
Strategies. Lívia Járóka MEP, Rapporteur of the EU
Strategy on Roma Inclusion, commented: "Most
countries have presented a credible and profound
plan for enhancing the inclusion of the 12 million
European Roma, but for the success of this
framework strategy, several additional conditions
must be
fulfilled." | |
At
a joint press conference today, Lívia Járóka MEP,
Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Justice and
Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, and László Andor,
European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs,
presented their views on the document's
findings.
According
to EPP Group MEP Lívia Járóka, the submitted national
plans do not fall short of the expected professional
validation and complexity, but reproducing the
objectives set out by the EU Institutions on paper is
one thing and in practice, of course, will be another.
"Only those projects whose impacts - in the form of
clear, concrete actions - are deep and visible, with
indisputable results should be endorsed", highlighted
Mrs Járóka.
The
Hungarian MEP also drew attention to the necessity of
ensuring the participatory monitoring evaluation
involving Roma communities and helping to develop their
capacity and expertise in order to gain a realistic and
objective view of the overall success or failure of
different measures and instruments. "For this, the
independence of Roma NGOs is very important, since the
vast majority of civil society is either paid directly
by their homeland governments or they live on
EU-allocated sums distributed by national authorities
and they find themselves in an inferior position which
blunts their criticism towards the authorities and
weakens their role as watchdogs", underlined Mrs Járóka,
the only Roma Member in the European
Parliament.
Mrs Járóka also touched upon the
enlargement aspect of the framework strategy and called
on the EU Institutions to involve the enlargement
countries at whatever stage of accession, to mobilise
the Instrument on Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), and to
pressurise them through the mechanism of the
Stabilisation and Association (SAA) process. On the
funding of the strategy and the next multiannual
financial framework, Lívia Járóka welcomed the
Commission's proposals for the regulations governing the
European Social Fund and the European Regional
Development Fund, in particular broadening the range of
ex ante conditions adding the development of national
strategies and mapping the territorial concentration of
poverty.
"More
target and development-oriented, complex, flexible and
sustainable programmes are necessary with longer time
coverage and greater territorial relevance, focusing on
the most disadvantaged micro-regions and addressing
suburban or rural poverty", she
concluded.
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Hungary’s
Roma Strategy generates a highly positive
response |
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Hungary’s
National Strategy for Social Inclusion has received an
extremely positive evaluation, and the document has been
recognised as faithfully reflecting the aims expressed
during Hungary’s 2011 EU presidency, and the results
achieved since then. This is apparent from the statement
released by the European Commission evaluating national
strategies for Roma integration. The Ministry for Human
Resources welcomes the Commission’s statement, and sees
it as an important step towards realisation of the goals
of the European strategy. The Ministry welcomes the fact
that when preparing the statement, the Commission took
account of Hungary’s recommendation that evaluation
should occur on a country-by-country
basis.
The
Commission’s analysis is further proof of the fact that
Hungary is at the forefront of integration, and that
many of the accusations levelled at the country at home
and across Europe are examples of double standards which
have simply served to generate negative
publicity.
Hungary’s
contribution to the EU Framework Strategy was without
doubt one of the Hungarian presidency’s greatest
successes, and its acceptance was one of that
presidency’s main priorities. The Commission’s statement
recognises that poverty is not an exclusively Roma
issue, but is a problem for society as a whole. While
the Commission points to integrated education and school
segregation as areas apparently receiving less attention
in the Strategy, we must emphasise that in public
consultations and through the implementation of
composite programmes we are focusing on those areas
which receive less attention in the
text.
On
the basis of the resolutions in the Framework Strategy,
every Member State prepared its own national strategy;
compared to previous initiatives these provide far more
assistance to the disadvantaged, and pay special
attention to the integration of
Roma.
Clearly
the Strategy and the action plan will not solve at a
stroke the crisis situation facing Roma and non-Roma
Hungarians in smaller settlements across the country.
Nevertheless we see it as an achievement that over the
last two years we have been able to call the European
Union’s attention to this grave problem, and to
Hungary’s experiences related to
it.
Hungary
continues to be ready to play an active role in the
successful implementation of European measures for Roma
integration, and in specialist assistance offered to the
countries of the Western Balkans. Alongside this, we are
continuing implementation of our national strategy,
according to the action plan contained in the
document.
Ministry
of Social Resources
State
Secretariat for Social
Inclusion
Press
Office |
"Widespread"
Roma exclusion persist | |
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A new
report says that many Roma people "continue to face
discrimination and social exclusion" across the
EU.
The
situation of Roma is on average worse than the situation of
non-Roma living in close proximity, it says.The report is
based on two surveys on the socioeconomic situation of Roma
and non-Roma living nearby in 11 member states and in
neighbouring European countries.
It was published
jointly by the EU agency for fundamental rights (FRA) and the
United Nations development programme (UNDP).The results will
contribute to the European commission's Roma communication
which was due to be presented in Strasbourg on Wednesday by EU
justice commissioner Viviane Reding.
"These survey
results paint a grim picture of the situation of the Roma
across the EU today," says FRA director Morten Kjaerum.He
added, ""Discrimination and anti-gypsyism persist. The results
show that swift, effective action is needed, particularly to
improve Roma education.
"This is key to unlock their
future potential, and it will equip young Roma with the skills
they need to escape the vicious cycle of discrimination,
exclusion and poverty."
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/widespread-roma-exclusion-persists/ |
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Brussels
urges EU countries to act on Roma
integration |
The
European Commission has scolded EU states for not delivering
on their commitment to implement national strategies for
actively integrating Roma communities into
society.
"It is
good news that Member States have delivered on their
commitment and presented Roma integration strategies.
Presenting national strategies is a first and important step,"
said European Commission Vice-President Viviane
Reding.
"However,
Member States now need to move up a gear and strengthen their
efforts with more concrete measures, explicit targets,
earmarked funding and sound monitoring and evaluation. We need
more than strategies that exist on paper. We need tangible
results in national politics that improve the lives of
Europe's 10 to 12 million Roma," she
added.
According
to the Commission’s assessment the majority of Member
States have so far failed to allocate sufficient budgetary
resources for Roma inclusion.Only 12 countries have clearly
identified allocated funding, whether from national or EU
sources, and presented specific amounts for Roma inclusion
policy measures in their strategy papers (Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and
Sweden).
The
Roma – Europe's largest minority – often suffer racism,
discrimination and social exclusion. Many Roma children are
still on the streets instead of at school, and their parents
are often denied a fair chance on the labour market. Roma
women, meanwhile, are frequently victims of violence and
exploitation.
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Roma
continue to face discrimination in Europe, report
finds |
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The
Roma minority continues to face hardship and
discrimination in Europe, according to a report from European Union and
United Nations agencies that underscores ongoing
marginalization of the group, including forced
evictions and violent attacks.
Four
out of 10 Roma surveyed said someone in their household
had to go hungry at least once in the past month because money
was short. Nine out of 10 Roma, who also are known as Gypsies,
live below the poverty line. And roughly half said they had
been discriminated against as Roma in the past year, the
report found.
All in
all, "the results present a grim picture of the situation of
the Roma surveyed," the report
said.
Roma
were behind other Europeans in education, employment and
housing, from Spain to Slovakia. Disadvantages for Roma were
apparent across all 11 countries included in the surveys,
which polled more than 22,000
households.
"That
is precisely what we find most shocking. We would have
expected to find significant differences, but from the
responses of the Roma people themselves and their neighbors,
we see few differences,” Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos of the EU
Agency on Fundamental Rights told the
BBC.
Earlier
this month, Roma were forced out of a Belgrade settlement by
masked attackers who shouted: "Serbia for Serbs! Roma out of
Serbia!" the European Roma Rights Center reported. The attack
echoed a long line of assaults across Europe in recent years
reported by the group, including at the hands of
police.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/05/roma-continue-to-face-disadvantages-discrimination-report-finds.html |
Nationalism
on the rise in southeastern
Europe |
Populism
and nationalism offer dangerously simple answers to
complicated issues and win voters' support in economically
trying times. Recent polls in Greece as well as across
southeast Europe are examples of the
trend.
Serbia's
newly elected president used to be known as an extremist and
opposed to his country's European integration. But after his
election, Tomislav Nikolic promised to keep his country on
course for EU membership. Belgrade writer and journalist Sasa
Ilic, however, has his doubts about the president's
credibility and said Nikolic's polices will likely be a
continuation of his personal
convictions.
"He
used to be a member of Vojislav Seselj's voluntary guard. He
took part in the war in Croatia and has expressed his support
for Ratko Mladic and a greater Serbia," the Serbian journalist
said at the conference "Nationalism and Populism in Southeast
Europe," held in Tutzing near Munich.
http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15976124,00.html |
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Access
to Financial Services Critical for Roma Inclusion in
Slovakia |
Access
to Financial Services for the Roma Critical for Roma Inclusion
in the Slovak Republic
Bratislava,
May 24, 2012–Improved financial literacy and access to
financial services of the Roma population and the impact of
microfinance on poverty reduction through self-employment are
at the heart of discussions this week in Bratislava at
a joint workshop co-hosted by the Kiútprogram microfinance facility of Hungary,
the Open Society Foundation–Bratislava (with the
support of the Open Society Roma Initiatives), the World Bank, and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family of
the Slovak Republic.
The
workshop focuses on the lessons of Kiútprogram, findings and
recommendations from the World Bank’s work on financial
inclusion of the Roma in Slovakia, and more broadly in Eastern
Europe. It explores the opportunities of linking ongoing
microfinance and financial education programs with mainstream
financial institutions, and the potential of well-designed
government payment programs to enhance access to financial
services.
In his
opening address, Miroslav Pollak, Plenipotentiary for Roma
Communities of the Slovak Republic, emphasized that making
basic financial services such as savings, payments, and credit
accessible for the Roma is a priority area of Slovakia’s
National Roma Integration Strategy. “In order to address the
financial access gap of the Roma population, the Office of the
Plenipotentiary will be submitting a Financial Inclusion
Action Plan for the government’s consideration in the course
of the following weeks,” said Pollak. “Financial inclusion is
a preventive measure against
poverty.”
Elaborating
on the experience of Kiútprogram in Hungary, Peter Felcsuti,
board member of Kiútprogram and the Polgár Foundation, and the
former chairman of the Hungarian Banking Association, said
that microfinance means much more than a mere credit
facility. “It has a job creation potential and
a suitable policy framework that supports it can go a
long way to sustain startup micro enterprises, and with that
to keep the momentum of those community members who consider
microcredit as the last and only chance to break out from the
social and economic inertia,” he said.
http://www.romadecade.org/banking_for_progress_may_2012 | |
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Ireland’s
National Roma Integration Strategy fails to address fact that Roma
are not permitted to work in
Ireland |
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The European
Commission published an EU Framework for national Roma Integration
Strategies in 2011. The Framework requires Member States 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. Under the Framework, all
Member States were expected to present to the European Commission a
strategy for Roma inclusion or sets of policy measures within their
social inclusion policies for improving the situation of Roma
people. Ireland has duly submitted its policy, which was prepared by
the Traveller Policy Division of the Department of Justice and
Equality.
Before 2011,
Nasc assisted a handful of Roma service-users each year. In mid
2011, we were invited to participate in a Roma Research Project
spearheaded by the Cork City Partnership. The need for Nasc to
provide a specific information and advocacy service for Roma people
directly emerged because of the specific and multiple needs of this
vulnerable group, and we commenced working with Roma people in 2011.
Our work in this area resulted, for the first time to our knowledge
in the city, in Roma people accessing information and assistance,
and succeeding, in some exceptional cases, in accessing employment
and social protection in the state.
All of the
Roma people we have worked with are nationals of Romania. Although
they have a right to reside here, Romanian (and Bulgarian) citizens
do not have an automatic right to work in Ireland. As a result, the
principle issues that we dealt with were accessing the labour market
(mostly through work permits) and social protection. Clearly, these
are major barriers to integration and social inclusion for Roma
people in Ireland.
On foot of
our experiences, we have analysed Ireland’s first Roma Integration
Strategy in the context of European policy on the Roma.
Unfortunately, we feel that Ireland’s Strategy does not reflect the
seriousness of the issues that affect Roma people who live in
Ireland. Our work with Roma people in Cork leads us to believe that
there is a great need for initiatives to be taken here to give Roma
people the opportunity to integrate in Ireland. We have communicated
our concerns to the Irish government and to the Commission, and we
hope that these will be of interest to policy makers, as Ireland’s
response to the Framework Directive progresses and, hopefully,
deepens.
http://www.nascireland.org/latest-news/irelands-national-roma-integration-strategy-fails-to-address-fact-that-roma-are-not-permitted-to-work-in-ireland/
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ERIO
Conference on: Good
Practices on Roma Integration in
Europe |
Brussels,
June 5th 2012
We would
like to invite you to our conference “Good Practices on Roma
Integration in Europe” taking place on June 5th 2012, at
the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels. The
conference aims at creating an exchange between different actors on
successful practices promoting the integration of Roma and
Travellers. The interventions will focus on the following areas:
early childhood development, employment, health, gender and
integration through self-organisation. By exchanging successful
practices in various fields and from different countries, we want to
exceed borders and inspire people working on a better integration of
Roma and Travellers.
Furthermore,
we are pleased to present to you a good example of successful
integration and empowerment of Roma and Travellers in Belgium. The
recently established Belgian Council of Roma, Sinti and Travellers
will be officially announced for the first time. The discussion will
be held among members of the Council, authorities and civil society
representatives, who have all followed closely the establishment of
the Council. We are honoured that the Belgian Vice-Prime Minister
and Minister of Home Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Joëlle
Milquet, will be one of our keynote
speakers.
The
conference will take place at the European Economic and Social
Committee, rue de Trèves 74, 1040 Brussels, Trèves Building, room
TRE 7701.
You can
register until May 31st by email or phone, indicating
your name, surname, title and the organisation you work for. In
order to register or for any other queries,
please
contact: lien.b...@erionet.eu or +32-2-733 34
62.
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Call
for Applications for admission to the Roma Access Program 2012-2013,
a full scholarship opportunity for Roma
students |
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The program
will run during the coming academic year at Central European
University, a major post-graduate, English language university
located in Budapest, Hungary.
The
application deadline is 30th May
2012.
The Roma
Access Program is a 9-month preparatory program for promising Roma
students from Central and Eastern Europe, designed to prepare
promising young Roma for international post-graduate studies in
English language programs. The program focuses on English language
and academic development, so that students become competitive
candidates for placement in post-graduate programs at CEU, North
American, or Western European universities. Full scholarships will
be awarded, covering tuition, housing, travel, and a living stipend.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ceu.hu/rap-call
Students
from the following countries are eligible to apply: Albania,
Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Kosovo, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania,
Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, and
Ukraine.
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REF
is seeking a full-time Studies Officer to its Budapest headquarter
office |
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The Roma
Education Fund (REF) is an international organization that aims to
close the gap in educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma
through policies and programs that support quality education for
Roma and through the desegregation of educational systems in formal
Decade for Roma Inclusion member countries.
Position:
Studies Officer
Deadline for
submitting applications: 10. June
2012
Read
more
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IRAF
- International Romani Art Festival - 7 to 10 June
2012 |
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Bucharest will host in June 7 to 10 the next
edition of one of the largest and most complex cultural events in
the world.
Maintaining standards of excellence that has
used the public festival, the 6th edition of IRAF first headliner of
the event announced that none other than Lulo Reinhardt, a master of
acoustic guitar in a jazz exceptionally project, which are honorable
musical heritage of the famous Django Reinhardt, whose descendant is
the artist.
http://www.guide2romania.info/events/283/IRAF---International-Romani-Art-Festival/07-Jun-2012---10-Jun-2012 |
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