News

The second meeting for the interdepartmental committe group for Resource Funding of Roma Integration was held on October 31st .  The chairman of the meeting was the Minister of  the EU funds Tomislav Donchev.   The agenda of the meeting was: the adoption of  work procedures, the discussion on the  types of interventions for integration that were proposed by NGOs, and the  discussion of the Anex  Programs to Support The Implementation of The National Strategy For Romani Integration.

Minister Donchev started the meeting by addressing the Order R-270/11.10.2012 of the Prime minister Boyko Borisov.  This order adds members to the Interdepartmental Group: the deputy ministers Svetlana Boyanova and Desislava Dimitrova, Mitko Todorov, Georgi Krustev and Sylvia Dimanova ( National Association of the Municipalities).  The order also gives the group the role to act as the oordinating group of the Theme Fund for Reforms: related to the inclusion of Roma people, according to the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme.

The participants were actively discussed the intervention proposals for integration by representatives of NGO’s.   Deyan Kolev argued that defining the types of interventions for integration would help standardize the good integration practices (through the development of methodology and financial standards) as well as for their sustainable financing (such as state delegated activities- from the state budget or through the operative program Developing the Human Resources).  Minister Donchev supported Kolev’s argument, pointing out that although standardization leads to simplification and loss of valuable elements form the intervention, there is not other alternative.  He pointed out that it is necessary to start defining 3-4 integration interventions such as intervention for mediation and for the prevention of the school drop out rate.  Rositsa Ivanova, (Secretary of National Council for Ethnical and Integration Cooperation)   explained that a concept for mediation is being prepared, which would help formulating the intervention.  After an active discussion, the decision was made that on the next meeting four interventions will be proposed.

The participants discussed the issue of the Anex to the National Strategy for Roma Inclusion  Programs TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NSIR,  which was proposed a year ago during the approval of the National Romani Strategy, but it was never approved.   Deyan Kolev made a proposition to the Anex. For the Anex to be updated  and extended as it provides pre-defined projects and operations, which will be announced during the next programming period.  This way the activities and the financing of NSIR would be made on a specific basics.  The participants unanimously supported the renewal of the Anex as minister Donchev gave three weeks to come up with new proposals.