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“Preventing Social Exclusion through Europe 2020: Early Childhood Development and the Inclusion of Roma Families” was the main topic discussed during the forth meeting of the European Roma Platform. The meeting was organized by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and DG “Employment, equal opportunities and anti-discrimination” of the European Commission on December 13 in Brussels. More than 120 participants – representatives of the European Commission, national governments, international organizations, and independent experts - attended it. Bulgaria was represented by Ivanka Christova (from the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria in EU), Lilia Makaveeva (Integro Association) and Deyan Kolev (Center Amalipe). The Meeting was moderated by Julien Van Geertsom, President of the Belgian Federal Public Program Service for Social Integration.

The situation of Roma is unacceptable and holistic approach is needed to tackle the root-causes of Roma exclusion, said the Commissioner Laszlo Andor in his video massage to the participants. Europe 2020 Strategy provides the necessary ground through the concept for inclusive growth. The European Commission established European Roma Platform as way for exchanging know-how and good practices between the member-states. It also created Roma Task Force as structure to monitor the usage of EU funds by the member-states. It is expected in April the Commission to announce communication for requiring the national governments to prepare National Plans for Roma Inclusion that bind the EU funds absorption with Roma integration, pointed Commissioner Andor. He also explained that the Commission organizes national high-level events on European funds and Roma: the next one will be in Bulgaria in June 2011.

During the meeting the participants discussed draft paper on early childhood development of Roma children. It is prepared by the European Social Observatory and UNICEF. The paper explicitly recognizes the big gap between good strategies and no implementation in the field of Roma inclusion. It drafts the ways for new, comprehensive conception for early childhood development and early childhood education that takes into account all significant factors, including support for the families and for the communities. It also proposes a set of policy recommendations – at EU and national levels.

The main points of discussion were concentrated not on the quality of the report (that was welcomed) but mainly on its recommendations and how to make them vital. Costel Bercus (Roma Education Fund) presented the achievements of REF in early childhood development for Roma children and asked for incorporating topics as desegregation and mixed schooling. He asked for participation of more Roma organizations and experts in the work of European Roma Platform. Similar requirements raised Andrzej Mirga (OSCE) and Miranda Voultasranta. Deyan Kolev (Amalipe) proposed a set of suggestions that would guarantee that Roma will be priority of the European Social Fund, European Regional Development Fund and European Agricultural Fund for the next planning period. He also called for strengthening the political pressure by European Commission on the national governments for putting Roma high on their political agenda and for implementing the national documents for Roma integration. In addition, Kolev proposed Roma women and Roma children to be included as special accent in the expected European Commission communication in April 2011 in order to have these topics in the National Plans for Roma Inclusion. Concrete suggestions were proposed also by Perta Kovacs (Making the Most funds for Roma initiative of OSI), Valeriu Nicolae and others.