Third Regular Meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development" 2014-2020, approved new operations in the areas of employment and social inclusion. Among them is the operation "Socio-economic integration of vulnerable groups", by which the program will invest 80 million lev in "permanent integration of the most marginalized communities, incl. Roma through the implementation of comprehensive measures and an integrated approach. "
The meeting was held on 10 and 11 November in the town of Pravets. It brought together representatives of the Managing Authority MLSP, DG "Employment" of the European Commission, the institutions involved in the implementation of the program, representatives of five groups of NGOs. Organizations working for the integration of the Roma community were presented by Theodora Krumova. The meeting was opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Policy - Mr. Ivaylo Kalfin and led by Deputy Minister Zornitza Russinova.
Operation "Socio-economic integration of vulnerable groups" will be implemented during the period 2016 - 2019, and will have two components. The first is aimed at municipalities that have adopted municipal plans for Roma Inclusion 2015-20, while the second - to large urban municipalities that are included in the Integrated Plans for Urban Reconstruction and Development (IPURD) measures for the construction of social housing.
Both components require partnership with at least one non-governmental organization and at least one employer. The partnership will be evidenced by cooperation agreement, approved by the City Council. The municipality will be required to provide evidence that the partners are selected on the basis of clear criteria in compliance with the principle of competitiveness.
Projects may set activities in four areas: improving access to employment, improving access to education, improving access to social and health services, community development and overcoming negative stereotypes. It is recommended to be included activities from any direction and the direction "improve access to social and health services" is obligatory.
The procedure will have no fixed deadline and will include two stages. Within component 1, municipalities with updated Municipal plans for Roma integration, along with non-governmental organizations and employers will be able to prepare a conceptual design for an integrated project and after approval of the concepts to develop a project. The upper limit for the project will be 500 000 lev, as for the component are earmarked 50 million lev. Within component 2 will be approved those municipalities that have already been approved by the OP "Regions in growth" for the construction of social housing.
This approved operation was the subject of long discussions between the Managing Authority, Roma organizations and other interested parties in the preceding months. The discussion reached consensus on most items, but some important details of the operation were not consensual negotiated and clarified, stressed in her speech Theodora Krumova. Remarks were addressed by the representatives of the European Commission. Discussion details will be finalized at a meeting of sub-committee "Roma integration" before the publication of the Guidelines for Applicants. Expected by the end of 2015 all the elements of the operation to be finally clarified and it started in the first half of 2016.
The Monitoring Committee approved a total of 10 operations in the areas of employment, social inclusion, incl. healthcare. More information about it on www.amalipe.com
