On 12 October 2020, Germany hosted a high-level EC Presidency digital conference on "An EU Strategic Framework for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation until 2030". The conference was attended by some European and national organizations.
Helena Dalli, EC Commissioner for Equality, highlighted the key role of equal education for Roma, business and minimum commitments, which was also supported in other speeches.
All three Roma MEPs spoke at the conference: Peter Pollák, Romeo Franz and Lívia Járóka. Lívia Járóka emphasized equality, education, minimum standards, employment and housing, and solidarity. He also reminded that Roma leaders need to be listened to.
Many speakers raised the issue of Roma surveys by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty said each country’s own strategy is important, as are the countries' monitoring indicators.
Birgit Van Hout, Regional Representative for Europe of UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), mentioned UN reports, human rights, international processes, implementation, independent monitoring and highlighted the countries of the Western Balkans. The countries of the Western Balkans received much-deserved attention in many speeches of the conference.
Katarína Mathernová, EC Deputy Director-General for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, emphasized the importance of the funds and, in particular, the difficult situation in the Western Balkans. She highlighted the empowerment of Roma communities, the policy making process, Roma women and the functioning of the labor market. He missed concrete politics, especially for the Roma in the Western Balkans.
ROMA NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS
In both concluding speeches of the conference, the initiative taken by the International Romani Union IRU on 29 June 2019 to establish national Roma contact points was supported. At the IRU Regular Plenary Session in the year 2019, IRU President Zoran Dimov presented his idea of Roma Ombudsman and it was accepted.
In his closing remarks at the EC Conference, Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the EC Commission for Values and Transparency, and Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe of the Federal Foreign Office in Germany, both mentioned Roma national contact points. Věra Jourová also brought out a minimum commitments and Michael Roth the lack of children's computer equipment.
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EU Roma Strategic Framework documents:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/new-eu-roma-strategic-framework-equality-inclusion-and-participation-full-package_en
