News

On March 18, on the web page of "Structural Funds" Directorate of the Ministry of Education, youth and science (MEYS) the list of approved projects under program 4.1.03 "Integration of children and students from ethnic minorities in the educational system" was published. The list can be found at: http://sf.mon.bg/4.1.03_List% 20Contracts.pdf. Two things appear to be very disturbing reading the list: 1. The approved projects are only 48 out of 417 submitted. The total amount of money awarded is 7.5 million BGN. At the same the Monitoring Committee of OP HRD has approved at its meeting on November 10, 2009 a budget of 12 million BGN for this scheme; respectively nearly 5 million BGN will not be used despite a large number of projects submitted; 2. Among the approved projects none is submitted by a Roma organization: although the number of applicants from Roma organizations is large.

As an observer in the Monitoring Committee of OP HRD elected from the group of Roma NGOs, Deyan Kolev initiated several discussion with Deputy Minister Petya Evtimova (Intermediate Body MEYS) and Deputy Minister Krassimir Popov (Managing Authority of OP HRD) on these issues. They explained that nearly 90% of the projects submitted were rejected, because the projects envisaged costs not only for children and students from ethnic minorities but also for children and students from the majority. The Managing Authority and Intermediate Body interpreted the Guidelines for Applicants so that costs could only be made for children and students from minority groups.

Center Amalipe determines this interpretation as absurd and assesses the situation created as scandalous: because of clerical incompetence at hand is a real danger that an important integration scheme would be converted into segregation one.

This situation also indicates a problem with the in-depth recognition of the integration policies of key institutions: the scheme 'Educational Integration of Children and students from ethnic minorities' was initiated by the Roma organizations (through their representative in the Monitoring Committee Deyan Kolev) , afterwards as a result of the proposal of Roma organizations its budget was doubled. Despite all that, the lack of serious commitment by the Intermediate Body and the Managing Authority brought a delay in the evaluation of submitted projects for another year (unprecedented event for OP HRD) and finally - to the rejection of 90% of submitted projects - most of them are qualitative and integrative in their essence - due to a clerical carelessness. The need for a sustainable mechanism is evident and the recognition of the issue of minority integration as a priority by key institutions must be ensured.

To tackle the situation created a meeting will be held with Deputy Minister Krassimir Popov, Deputy Minister Petya Evtimova and NGOs participating in the group of organizations working for integration of the Roma community to the Monitoring Committee of OP HRD. The meeting is organized by the Minister of EU funds Tomislav Donchev after the proposal of Roma organizations.