Promoting the usa of ESI Funds for Roma inclusion

While some advancements regarding the inclusion of Roma in regional OPs have

been achieved, there are

still challenges that need to be addressed

, namely, the

assumption of Roma priorities in the regional agendas, the increased coordination

and information flow between the national and regional administrative levels, etc…

These aspects, which are closely linked to the absence of adequate communication

channels and the lack of mandate from the national bodies to collect information

from the regional level, seem crucial in order to change this trend.

Use of funds

increased awareness about the importance of using ESI Funds other than the

European Social Fund (ESF), notably the European Regional Development Fund

(ERDF), is perceived.

In the 2014-2020 programming period,

most countries foresee

the use of both ESF and ERDF to address Roma inclusion

. Moreover, there are plans

to use other funding sources and instruments –including the European Agricultural

Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Territorial Cooperation

programmes- in certain countries.

While in some cases the use of ESF and ERDF is planned separately, a complementary use

of both funds is foreseen in a large number of OPs,

which represents a step forward towards

a more integrated approach. Three options are used:

›

A single-fund OP (ESF/ERDF) supporting actions eligible under the other fund

according to Article 98 of the Common Provisions Regulations

›

Including both funds within the same OP (multi-fund OP)

›

Complementing actions from different OPs (mostly single-fund) using ESF and/or

ERDF funds

It remains to be seen how the complementarity of funds is applied in practice and

how the main problems faced in this area in the 2007-2013 programming period

(such as the difficulties in harmonising the calls for proposals from different funds)

or new aspects (such as co-investing resources from different funds into one single

intervention) are addressed.

Unfortunately, the

potential of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) to support the

employment of Roma

, a population significantly younger than the overall population

and experiencing higher unemployment rates than the rest of society,

is largely missed

In general terms, Roma youngsters are not specifically considered in the Plans and