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The fifth meeting of the Thematic Working Group preparing the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development" (2014 - 2020) was held on May 10th  in Sofia. The meeting was chaired by  Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Mrs. Vanya Stoynova. It was attended by over 40 representatives of institutions involved in the implementation of the OP HRD and representatives of five groups of NGOs. Representative of the Roma organizations was Mr. Deyan Kolev.

The group agreed on the objectives, priority axes and investment priorities of the new OPHRD. The program will invest funds within the 10 priorities in 3 priority axes (Improving the access to employment and quality jobs, reducing the poverty and promotion of  social inclusion, modernization of the institutions of the labor market, social inclusion and healthcare). An actions on priority axes Transnational cooperation and Technical assistance will be performed. After a resolution of the Council of Ministers in January, for the formation of the Operational Programme "Science and Education for intelligent growth," the investment priorities in education are dropping out of OPHRD, except the priority improving the access to lifelong learning, skills development and qualifications of the workforce.

Among the investment priorities of the new OPHRD is the  priority Integration of marginalized communities, such as the Roma people. Within this priority the Program is providing promotion of integrated measures to eliminate segregation of marginalized communities on the labor market, general and vocational education and training, social services and health care. The implementation of an integrated approach that combines measures in several areas will improve the quality of life and long-term integration of marginalized communities. Support will be provided primarily through the funding of integrated projects with local beneficiaries and other stakeholders at local level, in line with the implementation of the so-called „mainstreaming" approach, the communities at risk of social exclusion will be stated in the target groups of operations within other investment priorities.

Lively discussion took place regarding the target groups and sample activities of the priorities of the new OPHRD. Deyan Kolev presented the position of NGO group that  works for the integration of minorities and migrants, which supports partly this version of the program and offers corrections and additions to other texts. Supported is the inclusion of part "Development of local communities and overcoming the negative stereotypes" in investment priority "Integration of marginalized communities such as the Roma people", which was done after the April meeting of the working group on the proposal of Roma NGOs and UNICEF. At the same time there are objections about the broad definition of the target groups under this priority: people living at risk of poverty and social exclusion, homeless people or those living in poor housing conditions, single parents, children, people who have left places for serving imprisonment, persons suffering from alcohol, drug and other addictions, people with disabilities ... representatives of various communities, including ethnical communities. " Most of these groups are not communities but are aggregations, argued Kolev, bringing sociological definitions of the term "community”. Rough logical error, that is kind of fallacy is the name of the priority to be closer (marginalized communities such as the Roma people) compared with activities and target groups, so it is necessary to redefine the target groups as "Romapeople,  migrants, other marginalized communities."

The opinion also stresses out within that priority to be explicitly written the support for the implementation of municipal plans for Roma integration, also for the implementation of standardized Integration interventions (on the model of delegated state activity). The opinion also calls for the inclusion of NGOs in the investment priority "Building the Capacity of stakeholders ...", along with the social partners.

Natalia Ephremova and Dragomir Draganov from DG "European Funds" MLSP answered the proposals and explicitly supported the inclusion of Municipal plans for integration and standardized Integration interventions. They also agreed on the need to revise the target groups, so the priority have clearer focus, following the principle of Roma integration "Explicit but not exclusive targeting". Meanwhile they rejected the inclusion of NGOs in the priorities for capacity building, as it is taken a decision this to be done under the OP "Good Governance".

Discussion was held on the proposal of Deyan Kolev in preliminary list of conventions to be included the requirement to each municipality to have approved Municipal plan for Roma integration. The representative of the National Association of Municipalities made an objection about this proposal, arguing that even without a plan, the municipalities are working actively for the integration. The chair of the Secretariat of NCCEII did not take  a position on the dispute, which settlement  was postponed to the next meeting on which will be adopted prior conventions.

As an indicative date for the next meeting was set out June 19.