Brussels takes stock and debates the future of the inclusion policies of the Roma population

Since 2017, the European Commission is carrying out an intermediate evaluation of the implementation and achievements of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, which was launched in 2011 and will run until 2020. Although the European Union has made a wide range of services and instruments available to the countries in support of their efforts, the competence for the implementation of policies for the social inclusion of the Roma belongs to the States. They report annually on the progress of implementation of these strategies and the measures they have put in place. This information promotes the exchange of good practices and allows for reorienting policies.

The mid-term evaluation will assess the state of implementation and the added value of the European Union in the main national Roma inclusion policies of the different EU countries, focusing on the following aspects:

• Priorities as per sector
• Programming criteria and funding systems
• Governance and working structures
• Monitoring, reporting and measuring
• Bench-marking, policy learning, and cooperation

In addition, it will analyse the progress since its beginning in the key areas of Roma inclusion: education, employment, health and housing.

Our team will participate in this meeting as a member of the research group undertaking the mid-term evaluation, a team led since October by ICF Consulting Services Ltd and Milieu Ltd. From Fresno we have written the case study for Spain and we have prepared the document that will serve as the basis for the discussion of the act itself.

The workshop will focus, above all, on discussing and seeking recommendations on a possible EU Roma inclusion policy initiative after 2020.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2017-1716166_en

More information on the EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies and annual monitoring reports: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/justice-and-fundamental-rights/discrimination/roma-and-eu/roma-integration-eu-countries_en

More information on the social inclusion of the Roma population in Spain: https://www.msssi.gob.es/ssi/familiasInfancia/PoblacionGitana/home.htm

Live information from the workshop on our Twitter profile @fresno_es