Roma in Europe: The Implementation of European Union Instruments and Policies for Roma Inclusion Progress Report 2008-2010

On 2 July 2008 the Commission published a Communication on “Non-discrimination and equal opportunities: A renewed commitment” which highlighted that the tools to advancing the social inclusion of the Roma have to be applied in a better way. It integrated the specific problems of Roma into the core of European non-discrimination policy. The annexed Commission Staff Working Document (CSWD) analysed the “Community Instruments and Policies for Roma inclusion”. This first analysis fed into the European Roma Summit which took place on 16 September 2008 in Brussels.

It was acknowledged in the discussions at European level since 2008 that there is a broad range of available instruments (in particular legislation and European Union Funds and programmes) and policies on education, employment, social inclusion, public health, regional development, and enlargement. Although they can be applied in a targeted way and mainstream Roma issues in broader programmes and policies, they often lack an impact on the ground.

Since the summer of 2008 the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission have addressed this issue. They pursued the aim to make the European Union instruments and policies more effective as a necessary complement to actions driven by Member States. Since 2008 initiatives for Roma inclusion are a part of the Commission’s broader work on the promotion of equality. This includes cooperation with Member States in the Group of Governmental Experts, the integration of Roma themes into the programmes of the annual Equality Summits as well as further research work. This report is a response to the conclusions of the December 2008 General Affairs Council and aims at giving an overview of the progress achieved in the Member States and within the Commission since July 2008.