EU Commission: antigypsyism and anti-Roma racism persistent in Europe. Recommendations to Member States

“Closer cooperation is needed during the implementation of national plans to ensure the success of the EU Roma Strategic Framework”, the European Commission said in its Assessment of the Member States’ national Roma strategic frameworks, adopted today, as part of the ten-year Strategy (2020-2030) to foster Roma equality, inclusion and participation. The Assessment takes stock of the measures introduced by some EU countries to promote “the fight against antigypsyism, discrimination, and hate speech, and measures to strengthen civil society and ensure the participation of Roma women and young people”. The report also identifies “shortcomings in the strategies of some EU Member States, such as the lack of clearly allocated funds” for the implementation and monitoring of the strategies and measures to prevent segregation in education and housing. “There is a willingness on the part of EU Member States to support changes promoting Roma equality, inclusion and participation, as shown by the Council recommendation adopted in March 2021. This must be reflected in the measures taken by individual countries. I therefore call on EU Member States to review their national plans and see how they can make them more robust. The issues of antigypsyism, anti-Roma racism, segregation and discrimination are persistent in the EU and, in some situations, they are serious for most of the six million Roma living in the EU”, said EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli.

Irene Giuntella