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FSG passes on ERPC Chairmanship to European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) [editar]

Following successful six-months at the helm of the European network

02/09/2013
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FSG passes on ERPC Chairmanship to European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC)FSG passes on ERPC Chairmanship to ERRC following successful six-months at the helm of the European network of civil society organisations

After six months at the helm of the European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC), the Fundación Secretariado Gitano has passed on the European network's chairmanship to the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). The ERPC gathers non-governmental organisations operating at EU level on issues of human rights, anti-discrimination, anti-racism, social inclusion, and Roma and Travellers’ rights. The ERPC is committed to the principle of inclusion through participation and aims to promote the participation of Roma in all relevant processes.

Over the past six months, the FSG, as chair of the ERPC, focused on the following activities:

  • Coordinate meetings and debates between ERPC members.
  • Support the work developed by the two working groups of the ERPC on anti-gypsyism and especially civil society participation.
  • Promote the presence of the ERPC in information media through regular press releases, for instance, on the occasion of the International Roma Day (8 April) and on the EC proposal for a Council Recommendations presented at the Eighth EU Roma Platform meeting in late June.
  • Provide support and coordinate the activities proposed by any member of the ERPC or other relevant actors.
  • Intensify its dialogue with the Roma Unit (DG Justice) of the European Commission.


During the FSG's chairmanship, the ERPC has had meetings with the Swedish Minister of Integration to discuss issues that concern Roma, and particularly ways to deal with anti-gypsyism; some of its members met with European Commissioners Vivian Reding and László Andor to enhance civil society participation in EU policy making; it participated, with tweets, at the Ombudsman online meeting on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI); and participated in and provided support to some of the events organised by its members, such as the Amnesty International event in the European Parliament on the Human Rights Here, Roma Rights Now campaign, as well as an ERGO meeting on Roma participation. The FSG also published several articles in representation of the ERPC.

Given that the FSG does not have any office in Brussels and with a view to closely monitoring the EU agenda, we counted on the support of other members present in the EU's capital to participate in meetings, such as the meeting with European Commissioners in the spring.

We wish the very best to the ERRC in chairing the ERPC in the coming months with the support of the European Roma Grassroots Organisation network (ERGO) as its secretariat. We trust that, with ERPC members' active support, the ERPC's actions will be given additional impetus and effectively contribute to putting Roma issues on the EU's political agenda and to achieving progress on Roma inclusion.

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