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Private area
Private area
European Network on Social Inclusion and Roma under the Structural Funds
Structural Funds: Investing in Roma
Private area
European Network on Social Inclusion and Roma under the Structural Funds
Structural Funds: Investing in Roma
The Brussels European Council of 23-24 March 2006 recommended as a specifi c area for priority action, to increase the labour market participation, especially of young people, women, and older workers, persons with disabilities, legal migrants and minorities. This is also important in terms of entrepreneurship.
The new Regulations, and particularly the Community Strategic Guidelines (CSG), emphasise the possibilities. For example, without being exhaustive, ethnic minority communities are mentioned as a specific target group under CSG section 4.2 ”tailored support should be made available to specifi c categories of business or entrepreneurs [e.g. those from ethnic minority communities]”; and 4.3 “to ensure inclusive labour markets for people at a disadvantage or at risk of social exclusion… including minorities”; [and in relation to better education and skills] “particular attention should be given to addressing the needs of disadvantaged groups”.
Structural Funds (SF) interventions should support this, identifying objectives and priorities for action to address Roma issues. They should bridge existing social gaps, and advance the overall integration of Roma. The programmes for countries where the Roma issue is most pressing must refl ect the importance attached to this problem by both the European Commission and the partner Member State.
Many possible interventions in favour of Roma are classic European Social Fund (ESF) interventions. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) can also support a wide range of actions, including aid for entrepreneurs, micro-credits and infrastructure support.
The objective of this document of the European Commission is therefore to serve as an aide-mémoire when addressing Roma in the context of Structural Funds programming for 2007-13. It sets out key points and a checklist of questions to consider. While the Regulations and the CSG of course take precedence in any matter of defi nition or interpretation, it is hoped it will be useful in making assistance on Roma issues more focused and more effective.
Source: European Commission Document "The Roma in the European Social Fund 2007-2013"n
