29/09/2020
FSG International
Vice-President Vĕra JOUROVÁ and Commissioner Helena DALLI publicly presented the EC proposal for a EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation for 2020-2030 with the ambition that the next 10 years it will make a difference and reduce the inequality gap. We need to significantly speed up, stated. A new Council Recommendation is expected in the coming months.
For the EU to be a true union of equality we need to ensure that Roma are treated equally and participate in social and economic social life to their full potential, and celebrated as part of the Unions’ diversity.
In the context where progress in relation to previous EU framework 2011-2020 had had limited positive impact in the living conditions of Roma, the EC, after a long process of evaluation and consultation with different stakeholders, has finally launched a new proposal for the next ten years to tackle the critical situation that Roma have across Europe. Extremely high levels of poverty, discrimination, unequal access to education, employment, health or housing opportunities are still a too wide inequality gap in comparison with overall population, which has been even worsened with the impact of COVID19.
The framework intends to address Roma inequality within EU through focusing on equality, inclusion and participation as horizontal objectives with measurable targets, oriented to change our mindset, combat prejudices and fight antigyspsyism and discrimination. If we want to respond to over 6 million Roma in MS in next ten years, setting ambitious targets is a very important step forward stated Vice President JOUROVÁ.
We very much welcome EC proposal to include some novelties regarding previous EU Framework, widening the number of key objectives, both sectorial and horizontal where Member State should focus their investments in the next 10 years in order to achieve social change for Roma. Education, employment, health and housing, remain core areas to be targeted by Member States through their National Roma Strategies, but three capital objectives are now included to be monitored and taken into action by MS: effective equality, Roma people effective and meaningful participation and socio economic inclusion fighting persisting poverty rates.
By doing this, much greater acknowledgement is given to the widespread existence of antigypsyism as a specific form of racism, which “has become the norm, not the exception”, in Commissioner Dalli´s words. The fight against discrimination and antigypsyism will be entailed under Equality that will also address empowerment of Roma population and awareness on Roma history and culture to combat discrimination.
Another significant improvement is FRA engagement in the monitoring and evaluation process. FRA role will be now essential in following up national strategies ensuring the rights dimension and its accomplishment. The establishment of quantifiable targets per key area and the inclusion of every two-years follow-up process to measures the specific progress made by Member States are a significant step forward that will surely press Member States to efficiently invest on Roma and reduce inequality and poverty rates.
We also welcome the inclusion of participation since Roma involvement and meaningful participation in decision making process of public policies is clearly missing in most Member States, demeaning rights of Roma population.
A further analysis will be developed by FSG to address challenges and recommendations to CSO and member states regarding this ten years framework to significantly ensure rights and opportunities of Roma people.
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