EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation
Roma people are Europe’s largest ethnic minority. Many Roma continue to be victims of antigypsyism, discrimination and social exclusion, despite the fact that EU countries have banned discrimination. The EU has long stressed the need to promote Roma equality and inclusion (see the 2010 Communication on the economic and social integration of the Roma in Europe), but overall progress has been limited over the past years.
As the first direct contribution to implementing the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan 2020-2025, the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation, adopted on 7 October 2020, sets out a comprehensive three-pillar approach for the next ten years, which aims to promote effective equality, socio-economic inclusion and meaningful participation of Roma.
The Member States have confirmed their commitment to combatting discrimination of Roma people and promoting their social and economic inclusion by unanimously adopting the Council Recommendation on Roma inclusion, equality and participation on 12 March 2021.
To improve the situation of Roma people, the Member States have adopted national Roma strategic frameworks and communicated them to the European Commission.
Assessment report of the Member States’ national Roma strategic frameworks
The aim of the 2022 assessment report was to take stock of national Roma strategic frameworks, to assess the commitments made by the Member States and provides guidance on any improvements needed. It is accompanied by a Staff Working Document (SWD) in two parts, consisting of country fiches summarising the analysis of national strategies adopted by individual Member States, as well as by several EU candidate countries and potential candidates.
Assessment report of the Member States’ national Roma strategic frameworks (full package)
Implementation reports
Under the EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation, the Commission will publish implementation reports every two years, based on reporting from Member States and civil society, as well as surveys from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. It will also carry out an in-depth mid-term evaluation, as well as an ex-post evaluation.
Under the previous EU framework, the Commission produced annual reports (until 2020), using information from each country, as well as from civil society, international organisations and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency.
The 2019 report was the last report under the EU framework up to 2020 focusing on the implementation of Roma integration measures in the Member States.
The 2018 Communication was based on the results of an in-depth mid-term evaluation of the relevance, effectiveness, coherence, efficiency and the EU added value of the EU framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020.
The 2017 midterm review took stock of the progress since the launch of the EU framework. It also identified key priorities for Member States to address and ways to strengthen the EU framework.
The 2016 Communication assessed progress on the EU framework. It also reviewed, for the first time, Roma integration measures put in place in response to the Council recommendation.
The 2015 Communication focused on structural improvements and recommends aligning (revised) national Roma integration strategies with EU funding instruments.
The 2014 report looked at progress in all key areas.
The 2013 assessment report focused on the structural improvements needed in each country.
Mid-term evaluation of the 2011-2020 EU Framework for National Roma integration strategies
The aim of the 2018 midterm evaluation was to assess the implementation and the achievements of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS) between 2011 and 2017.