Latvia

EU Funding for Roma integration

For the 2014-2020 period, Latvia will be allocated a total of €4.2 billion of funding, out of which €3 billion will come from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Of this amount, at least 21.75% will be spent on the ESF with at least 20% of that going towards the promotion of social inclusion and combating poverty.

Communication in 2015 on the implementation of the EU framework for national Roma integration strategies

Contacts

The managing authority for projects funded by the ESF, ERDF and the Cohesion Fund is the Ministry of finance of the Republic of Latvia, 1 Smilsu Street, LV-1919 Riga

For more on Latvia's operational programmes, see ESF and ERDF.

Facts and figures

The Council of Europe estimates that there are approximately 5,600 Roma living in Latvia (0.3% of the population). For more data on the situation on Roma in this country, please see the overview published by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights.

National Roma Integration Strategy

Latvia’s national Roma integration strategy is not a strategy as such, but rather an integrated set of policy measures within Latvia’s social inclusion policies (National identity, civil society and integration policy guidelines 2012 – 2018, linked to the Europe 2020 strategy). In addition, the action plan provides for general activities to foster inter-cultural dialogue, such as training professionals on cultural diversity and encouraging civic participation.

Latvia's integrated set of policy measures

Assessment of Latvia’s strategy implementation

In 2014 the Commission adopted its assessment on the progress made in the implementation of the national Roma integration strategies in the 4 key areas of education, employment, healthcare and housing, as well as in the fight against discrimination and the use of funding.

• The Commission's assessment of Latvia's national strategy (2014)
• The Commission's assessment of Latvia's national strategy (2012)

The European Union and the Roma – factsheet Latvia

National contact point

The contact Point for the national Roma inclusion strategy in Latvia is the Ministry of Culture, Social Integration Department.

Contact person: Mrs Ilona Jekele – Ilona [dot] Jekelekm [dot] gov [dot] lv