For the 2014-2020 period, the Netherlands will receive a total of €1.3 billion in EU cohesion funds, out of which €1 billion will come from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund).
Of this amount, at least half will be spent on the ESF, with at least 70% of that going towards promoting social inclusion and combating poverty. The latter could also fund Roma-related measures.
The Council of Europe estimates that there are approximately 37,500 Roma live in the Netherlands (0.24% of the population).
The Netherlands’ national Roma integration strategy is not a strategy as such, but rather an integrated set of policy measures within the Netherlands’ social inclusion policies.
Municipalities are primarily responsible for addressing problems of the local Roma population, and the Roma community itself is expected to play a crucial role in their integration.
The authorities have set up a programme to improve the prospects and opportunities of Roma children.
