We took part in this year’s Roma Week in Brussels under the slogan “Building Bridges” [editar]

Roma Week is an annual event involving civil society organisations, European institutions and other international and intergovernmental organisations, held in conjunction with International Roma Day. Its aim is to raise awareness of the situation of Roma, Sinti and Travellers in Europe.

The aim of the 2026 edition remains to strengthen the European Union’s political and social commitment to equality, inclusion and justice. It will build on the achievements of previous editions, focusing on strengthening Roma participation in EU policy frameworks, ensuring accountability in the use of EU funds, and promoting the recognition of anti-Gypsyism as a fundamental human rights issue.

With the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) approaching, Roma Week 2026 offers an ideal opportunity to align policies, funding and political will in order to achieve tangible progress for Roma communities across Europe.

As part of this year’s slogan, Roma Week 2026 aspires to a Europe where Roma are active agents of change and participate on an equal footing in political, social and economic life. By linking justice, equality and participation, it seeks to build bridges between institutions and communities, ensuring that the inclusion of Roma remains a fundamental commitment of the European Union.

From Fundación Secretariado Gitano, we have had the opportunity to participate and attend, as we have done in all previous editions. In particular, we played a leading role in the opening event of Roma Week 2026, entitled “The future of Roma inclusion within the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)”, where we took part as one of the speakers and discussed the impact of the European Social Fund and the progress made in employment for Roma people thanks to the programmes managed and implemented by the Fundación Secretariado Gitano.

Among the key objectives of this edition, we highlight:

• Linking the inclusion of the Roma population to the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2035.

• Combating anti-Gypsyism and promoting transitional justice.

• Fostering alliances between movements for equality and the fight against racism.

• Promoting leadership and participation within the Roma community.

• Digital inclusion, education and housing as pathways to empowerment.

• Strengthening cooperation between institutions and civil society.

The full programme for Roma Week 2026 can be viewed via the following link: https://romaweek.eu/