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6th Meeting of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion

Under the theme “The role of stakeholders in making the EU Framework a success”, the Platform met on 17th-18th November. The use of Structural Funds for Roma integration was high on the agenda.

The European Platform for Roma inclusion (or European Roma Platform) was organised at a critical moment regarding Roma integration as Member States are about to present their national Roma integration strategies by the end of the year. The Platform provided a unique opportunity for discussing the EU Framework and the national Roma integration strategies before Member States present their strategies to the Commission.

It was also the first meeting of the European Roma Platform following its recent reform aimed at strengthening its role and functioning according to the Commission's Communication on an EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies by 2020 COM(2011)173. In this context, participants also discussed and agreed on the role and approach the Platform should follow in future.

The Platform has evolved since its first meeting in Czech Republic in spring 2009. As the Roma issue gained increasing importance on the political agenda, interest in the work of the Platform increased. As a consequence, stakeholders have called on the Commission to reinforce the Platform process so as to better ensure exchange of expertise and to provide support and facilitate cooperation between all concerned parties. The following was agreed:

In line with the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, the European Commission proposes a renewed platform with a relevant role in relation to the implementation of the strategies.
The Commission also commits to play a strong role in the Platform. As of the 6th meeting of the Roma Platform, meetings are organised by the European Commission, instead of the Presidencies, who is also in charge of the agenda, so as to ensure a strong connection between the work of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion and the implementation of the EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies.
At the same time, cooperation with Presidencies will remain important, as they play a particularly important role in relation with the Council of the EU and its political agenda.
The Platform's work will focus mainly on the four key areas of Roma integration but will also address other issues considered relevant by the stakeholders.
The new setup of the Platform foresees the combination of specific workshops and plenary sessions, which can be prepared in advance, according to the subject. The parallel workshops aim at providing each group, organised according to a thematic or stakeholder approach, space and time to discuss challenging issues related to the implementation of the EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies and other Roma related issues they deem relevant. Combining these workshops with plenary sessions where views are exchanged aims at ensuring quality and focused discussions representing a step forward in making, in the long-term, the EU Framework a success.

Key topics raised and outcomes of the 6^th meeting of the Platform

The 6^th meeting of the Platform was opened by László Andor, Commissioner responsible for Employment, Social affairs and Inclusion, Françoise Le Bail, Director General, European Commission DG Justice and Elzbieta Radziszewska, Plenipotentiary for Equal Legal Status, Polish Presidency of the EU.

The meeting combined workshops and plenary sessions to provide all stakeholders - Member States, EU institutions, international organisations and civil society organisations - with adequate space for exchanges and joint reflection. There were three workshops gathering different types of stakeholders: civil society, Member States and international organisations.

The use of Structural Funds for Roma integration was high on the agenda –it was the only specific topic discussed at the plenary sessions. A specific session explored how the EU funds such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) may be mobilised to support national Roma integration strategies.

Key outcomes of the workshops

Workshop 1: Challenges and successes for Member States in preparing national Roma strategies

The workshop gathered national representatives of the EU Member States and countries participating in the Roma Decade. Member States representatives provided an overview regarding the state-of-play of the preparation of their Roma integration strategies and exchanged on their challenges and successes in preparing them.

Positive factors include the fact that some of the reforms and initiatives are already being implemented and that different types of stakeholders have been consulted in process of preparation.

Challenges and limitations identified are as follows:

The involvement of the Roma community/organisations in the design and implementation of national Roma integration strategies.
The limited financial resources available for providing adequate budgets for the strategies.
The establishment of realistic and reliable indicators allowing for the monitoring of the strategies.
How to reach local and regional authorities and how to involve them.

The discussion was supported by presentations from Hungary, Finland and FYROM (holding the presidency of the Roma Decade), related to their preparation of national strategies. Information on tools developed at the EU level that may support Member States in this process were also brought out.

Workshop 2: the contribution from civil society to the national Roma integration strategies

This workshop gathered civil society organizations (CSOs) with the aim of discussing the possible contribution from these organisations to the EU Framework, and particularly in the preparation and implementation of the national Roma integration strategies. It allowed CSOs to exchange views so as to possibly identify a coordinated input in the Framework’s process.

Participants raised the following issues:

The strategies should not be limited to the four areas included in the EU framework; they should go beyond them to include issues such as the anti-gypsism.
Consultation is not the same as participation. Therefore in order to ensure that CSOs are fully involved and take part in the process of preparation and implementation of strategies, it is necessary to go beyond simple consultation.
The need for providing sufficient capacity and resources to CSOs to ensure they are fully involved in the processes.

Workshop 3: The contribution of international organisations and networks of public bodies

This workshop gathered international organisations and networks of public bodies, including EURoma Technical Secretariat, to discuss their possible contribution in the EU Framework. Exchanges of views took place on tools international organisations could share and offer for the preparation and implementation of the national Roma integration strategies. The meeting helped identify possibilities for synergies, joint initiatives and coordination among participating organisations. It also provided a forum for an exchange of views on strategic priorities of international organisations in the area of Roma policies.

Key topics raised included:

The importance of working in the areas outlined in the EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies, which should be also based on a human rights approach.
Social and economic integration of Roma is essential but we should not forget the importance of promoting the empowerment of Roma community.
Importance of having data for the monitoring and policy-making.
Particular importance should be paid to the monitoring process of the national Roma strategies. International organisations and networks present at the meeting shared their readiness to contribute with their knowledge and expertise to ensuring there is an effective monitoring.

For further information, please check the website of the event and the Frequently asked questions

Newsroom

6th Meeting of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion

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