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Fields of intervention
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It is observed that in the adopted Operational Programmes
actions addressing the four
key areas identified by the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies
(employment, education, healthcare and housing) are incorporated.
Despite this positive
trend, similarly to the 2007-2013 programming period,
employment
and
education
are prioritised. Healthcare and housing remain considered to a lesser extent, although
housing
issues are acquiring increasing importance, with specific lines of support. The
area of
healthcare
is however mainly included in general lines of support and considered
from a global approach (initiatives covering different areas).
In addition to interventions in these four key areas, actions are also proposed in other
less common areas such as the
fight against discrimination and negative stereotypes.
Actions related to
social inclusion/community-level social integration
(i.e. community-
centres, field social work, intercultural mediation, access to social services…) are also
quite common.
Finally, it is worth noting that particular attention is paid to the
less developed, in many
cases, segregated areas
(physical regeneration, housing...), mainly through interventions
addressed with/by of ERDF - combined in some cases with ESF actions- following a
territorial approach.
6.1. Employment
Employment
remains the most common area of support;
countries include it among the
fields of intervention, whether within specific or general lines of support.
Initiatives are
mainly addressed by ESF.
Despite the fact that there is a specific ESF
Thematic Objective related to employment, TO 8 (Promoting sustainable and quality
employment and supporting labour mobility), a large number of actions in this area are
planned in the context of TO 9 (Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any
discrimination), both under IP 9.2. and other IPs (notably IP 9.1.).
A wide range of interventions are foreseen.
The most common types of initiatives
target
the Roma population and seek to promote their access to the labour market and labour
adaptability.
Actions foreseen relate to outreach, information and counselling, capacity
building and training, acquisition of professional qualifications, apprenticeship and
internship programmes and support to find employment. Some countries (such as Italy or
Spain) foresee the use of
individual itineraries for labour inclusion
, adapted to the needs
of each person, rather than one-off measures.