Committee of Experts on Roma and Travellers (MG-S-ROM)

The setting up by the Committee of Ministers of a Committee of Experts on Roma and Travellers
(MG-S-ROM) was decided in September 1995. This Committee is the first Council of Europe body responsible for reviewing the situation of Roma and Travellers in Europe on a regular basis.

The Committee's terms of reference

Terms of reference (valid from 01/01/09)

Under the authority of the European Committee on Migration (CDMG), the Committee is instructed to:

bullet study, analyse and evaluate the implementation of policies (national programmes and/or action plans) and practices of member states concerning Roma and Travellers;
bullet draw up guidelines for the development and/or implementation of policies which promote the rights of the Roma and Traveller populations taking into account the findings of the monitoring mechanisms of the relevant legal instruments of the Council of Europe;
bullet keep under review the situation of Roma and Travellers in member states in compliance with relevant legal instruments of the Council of Europe.

The Committee meets twice a year and welcomes participants from 32 Member States.


Ms. Louiza KYRIAKAKI (Greece) is the current Chair of the Committee; Mr. Dezideriu GERGELY (Romania) and Mr. Petar Antic (Serbia) are the two Vice-Chairs.


The Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and ECRI (European Commission against Racism and Intolerance) can send one or more representatives. In addition, representatives of the Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights/Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues) and the European Commission attend meetings of the Committee as observers. The Committee can invite representatives of other Council of Europe bodies and other international organisations where appropriate. Lastly, depending on the agenda of its meetings, it may invite competent experts and representatives of Roma and Travellers organisations. The European Roma and Travellers Forum recently received Observer status.

General documents
 

bullet MG-S-ROM (2004)14, Council of Europe activities related to Roma, Gypsies and Travellers
bullet MG-S-ROM (2002)10rev, The movement of Travellers in Council of Europe Member States, 2002
bullet MG-S-ROM (2000)13, Roma and statistics
bullet MG-S-ROM (2000)5, Problems arising in connection with the international mobility of the Roma in Europe and the recent emigration of Roma from the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, 2000
bullet MG-S-ROM (2000)3, Memorandum prepared by the Secretariat on problems facing Roma/Gypsies in the field of housing, 2000
bullet MG-S-ROM (1999)5rev, Economic and employment problems faced by Roma/Gypsies in Europe
bullet MG-S-ROM (99) 1, Housing, urban planning and poverty: problems faced by Roma/Gypsy communities with particular reference to central and eastern Europe
bullet MG-S-ROM (98) 15, Meetings of national consultative bodies between Roma/Gypsies and governments, 1998

Meeting Documents
bullet Final List of Participants of 29th Meeting
bullet List of decisions of the 29th Meeting
bullet Previous meeting reports
Opinions
bullet Opinion of the MG-S-ROM on PACE Recommendation 1889 (2009) on asylum; Document MG-S-ROM (2010) 11
bullet Opinion of the MG-S-ROM on housing situation of Roma; Document MG-S-ROM (2009) 4
bullet Opinion of the MG-S-ROM on the Return of Roma to Kosovo; Document MG-S-ROM (2009) 3
bullet Opinion of the MG-S-ROM to PACE Recommendation 1708 (2005); Document MG-S-ROM (2005) 14
bullet Provisional opinion of the MG-S-ROM concerning Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1633 (2003) 1 on Forced Return of Roma from the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, to Serbia and Montenegro from Council of Europe member states
bullet MG-S-ROM opinion on the Finnish initiative and the French-Finnish contribution on the European Forum for Roma and Travellers, 2003
Field visits
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bullet Report on the joint MG-S-ROM and Coordinator field mission on the situation of the Roma in Kosovo, 2006
bullet Report on the joint OSCE/ODIHR - Council of Europe Field mission on the situation of the Roma in Kosovo, 1999
bullet Report on a study visit to Valdemingómez (Madrid) 21-23 April 1997
bullet Fact Finding mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1996