This briefing note aims at highlighting the work of many EAPN members who work directly on issues of Roma Inclusion. Roma have been identified as a priority group at risk of poverty and social exclusion in the National Strategic Reports on social protection and social inclusion, as part of the Social OMC.
On April 5th, a proposal for the EU Framework for national Roma Integration Strategies was published, under the auspices of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights. Roma inclusion has become an overarching EU priority because of increasing discrimination and events of racist violence on the Roma communities.
There are around 10-12 million Roma in Europe and more than half of them live in EU Member States. Romania is the country with the largest Roma community (about 500.000 in official statistics, but estimations range from 1 to 3 million), followed by Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary and Slovakia. Malta is the only EU Member State without indigenous Roma. The Roma are integral to European society and economy, but frequently face prejudice, discrimination and exclusion. Human rights violations against Roma are not always prosecuted by the authorities. The Roma are also disproportionately affected by poverty. While the average poverty rate for the whole of the EU is around 17%, the poverty rate for Roma is at least four times higher than this. In addition to this they are at high risk of human trafficking, not least because of their low socio-economic status.
Download the briefing – (12 Pages).
Content
- Introduction.
- Roma in the EU.
- Key areas of Roma exclusion.
- EU tools for Roma inclusion.
- The role of Member States in national monitoring.
- EAPN key concerns.
- References.
