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Attn: Participants of the meeting of the Employment, Social, Health, and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council of 19 May 2011

RE: Discussions on the Council conclusions on Roma inclusion

Veliko Turnovo, 13 May 2011

Your Excellencies,

Center Amalipe has been closely following the process of preparation of the EU framework for national Roma Integration Strategies and welcomes the Communication of the European Commission. Furthermore, we welcome the idea outlined in the Communication that Roma integration is first of all responsibility of all Member States and their governments. Therefore, we strongly believe that the Employment, Social, Health, and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council and the upcoming Council Conclusions will have a crucial role in further influencing the process of Roma integration all over Europe. We strongly believe that the success of the National Roma Strategies would be impossible if first, they are not mainstreamed and aligned with the EU’s two key policy and financial instruments, namely Europe 2020 Strategy and the Structural Funds, and second, the participation of the Roma community is not ensured in the preparation and implementation of the Strategies.

We are calling on you to ensure that the National Roma Integration Strategies respect the “10 Common Basic Principles on Roma inclusion” through several concrete points to be included in the Council Conclusions:

·         Ensure that National Roma Strategies are aligned with the national strategic documents; that the National Reform Programs include explicit measures directed to Roma integration and that the next Structural Funds Regulations make explicit reference to Roma among its conditionalities while both incorporate the Ten Common Basic Principles for Roma Inclusion

·         Ensure an open and transparent national consultation process with the equal participation of civic organizations, local authorities and the Roma community itself, specifically including women and youth groups and activists.

·         Ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanism both during the process of preparation of the National Roma Strategies and during their implementation. The participation of the civil society in this mechanism should be provided.

·         Ensure that the National Roma Strategies use the Communication targets as minimum and set higher goals in their own texts especially in the field of education fostering the transition from primary to secondary and university education, and the transition from school to employment

·         Ensure that National Strategies pay attention to Romani women's specific needs, include concrete benchmarks for Romani women and encourage empowerment and leadership programs for Romani women and girls

·         Ensure that National Roma Strategies include specific measures on targeting discrimination, racist violence and anti-Gypsism

We thank you warmly for your consideration and engagement!