situation of the Roma and the European Union’s Roma strategy
The ‘EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020’ is the first comprehensive integration document at European level which has enjoyed both professional and political support in the countries concerned. One of the main commitments of Hungary’s EU Presidency in 2011 was to contribute to the development of the strategy. The European Commission adopted a Communication on 5 April 2011, in response to which the Council adopted conclusions on 19 May 2011.
By analysing in detail the current situation of some 6 million Roma in the European Union, most of whom live in extreme poverty and face daily discrimination, the strategy has set a twofold (dual) objective. Member states had to guarantee that the Roma were not discriminated against, were treated equally with other EU citizens, and were granted all fundamental rights on an equal footing with other EU citizens, as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. They also had to take steps to end the vicious circle of intergenerational transmission of poverty, and to ensure that the Roma population experiences substantive improvements in access to education, employment, health care, housing and basic services. In order to achieve this EU Member States were required to propose country-specific integration strategies or policy packages. Hungary has set out its commitments and policy instruments in the document ‘Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy 2011-2020.’
The Commission monitors the implementation of the national strategies through annual reports from the member states and regular research by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.
In October 2020, the European Commission assessed the ten years of experience and developed a new strategy paper with a more comprehensive approach, based mainly on fieldwork, flexibility to adapt to local differences, and well-designed monitoring mechanisms. In addition the focus is planned to shift from convergence to social inclusion, the active involvement of local Roma communities, intersectionality (examining the intersections of inequalities), and equal opportunities for Roma.