Poland - Facts by Country

Poland, Structural Funds and Roma

Structural Funds for the years 2007-2013 are being used within the framework of the Operational Programmes established by the Polish government.

Among them, the Operational Programme Human Capital is financed under the European Social Fund. Members of the Roma community may benefit from any other Priorities and Actions of the Operational Programme Human Capital under the same rules, as the rest of the Polish society members. However, projects aimed directly at the Roma community are included in:

Priority 1 Employment and social integration, Action 1.3: National Integration and Work Elicitation Programmes, Subsection 1.3.1: Projects for the Roma community. The latter are projects strictly dedicated to providing a response to the complex problems of the Roma community in Poland. Subsection 1.3.1 of the Human Capital Operational Programme is also known under the name 'Roma component'. Projects in the following spheres of activity are obtaining financial support: education, health, Roma and civil society, counteracting unemployment, knowledge about the Roma society.

Projects under Subsection 1.3.1 should provide a multifaceted response to the problems of the Roma community in Poland. Therefore, the activities financed by the Structural Fund should include a number of actions within the following list, each belonging to aforementioned spheres of activitiy:

Education:

Employment of teachers supporting Roma education and Roma assistants;co-financing of handbooks, teaching aids and school accessories;
education activities for Roma adults;
organisation of vocational training for youngsters and adults;
development of handbooks and educational programmes concerning Romani language, history and culture.

Health:

organisation of the “white days”;
employment of social nurses and their Roma assistants;
educational activities;

Roma and civil society:

Educational activities providing information on civil rights and obligations (i.e. right to vote), rights of the Roma as an ethnic minority, current economic and educational reforms, provision of pedagogical, psychological and social assistance.

Counteracting unemployment:

identification of assistance needs for different groups;
organisation of subsidised workplaces;
vocational training (upgrading and changing qualifications);
support for Roma entrepreneurial and other economic initiatives.

Knowledge on the Roma community:

Past experience shows a lack of knowledge about the Roma community in Polish society. In order to resolve this problem, financial support will be provided for activities aiming at the dissemination of knowledge on the Roma, publications, media coverage and research.