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Back Official kick off conference of the ROMACTED Programme Phase II in Serbia

PRESS RELEASE
Photo: Vesna Lalić

Photo: Vesna Lalić

Kick off conference of the Joint European Union and Council of Europe ROMACTED Phase II Programme in Serbia was held in MPs’ Club in Belgrade.

“This extended launching phase allowed us once again to see how relevant and timely ROMACTED is”, said Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade in his opening remarks.  “Today, therefore marks an important moment of forging a productive partnership with 14 municipalities across the country which are committed to Roma empowerment”, he concluded.

Gordana Čomić, Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue and National Roma Focal Point in Serbia noted that the inclusion of Roma population is a strategic and political goal, underlining that Roma people in Serbia are still not equal in terms of job opportunities, housing, education, and other fundamental rights. “One cannot ban prejudice, but one can pass laws that prohibit behaviour based on prejudice and this is where the inclusion of Roma begins. This ministry will actively participate in all projects related to Roma inclusion and we expect from the Council of Europe to continue its support, including under the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme ROMACTED II”, she said.

H.E. Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret, Head of the Delegation of European Union to the Republic of Serbia, stressed that „every person is entitled to have his/her rights fulfilled, respected and protected and every person can be a valuable member to his and her own society so the more we integrate and include everyone, the more resilient and prosperous societies get! Roma are EU’s and Serbia’s largest ethnical minority but this population is also a very young one; it is essential to provide them with opportunities for education and decent and proper work and life. Improving the life of the Roma community requests co-ordination and co-operation of all relevant stakeholders – both on national and local level. On the national level, we expect the adoption of a revised Strategy and an appropriate action plan so that the planning and implementation of strategic measures is carefully planned. However, the success of national policies strongly depends on the local communities who are on the front line of this task and it is through projects such as this regional one that the EU, together with the Council of Europe, Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue and Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, provides tools and support for them in their work on Roma integration.”

State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Stevan Gligorin stated that the Ministry remains a dedicated partner in the implementation of the new phase of the ROMACTED Programme. The Ministry will contribute to better communication between local authorities and representatives of the Roma community to solve issues, while respecting the specifics

of each local context. “I hope that with the second phase of the ROMACTED Programme, we will reach a result and a solution that will be sustainable in the future”, concluded Gligorin.

For Dalibor Nakić, President of the National Council of the Roma National Minority in Serbia the importance of the ROMACTED Programme, among the other things, “lies in the fact that the need for act locally has been recognised, as this is the key to successful Roma integration. This process largely depends on the capacity, ability and readiness of local governments to approach existing problems in a systematic way.” At the same time, Nakić highlighted significance of the involvement of Roma community in the decision-making and policy-making processes, so it is very important to empower them to make their political participation as active as possible.

Sonja Licht, President of the Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society said that for her “ROMACTED is more than a project - it is an incentive for the local Roma community to get involved in solving their burning problems and for local self-government to work much better for everyone with much more intensive participation of citizens in making and implementing decisions that are important for the whole community.”

Marina Vasić, ROMACTED Programme Manager, introduced the novelties of ROMACTED II and provided at a glance information of the joint efforts of the Council of Europe and European Union on working on the empowerment of Roma communities through several joint programmes/projects since 2011.

Following the opening remarks, the signing ceremony of the Protocols of Co-operation took place between the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Council of Europe and representatives of the partner Cities and Municipalities (Aleksinac, Apatin, Bač, Kostolac, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Lebane, Niš, Pirot, Prokuplje, Subotica, Vrnjačka Banja, Zaječar, Zvezdara).

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Joint European Union/Council of Europe ROMACTED Programme “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level” Phase II (2021-2024) is a follow-up to the implementation of Phase I of the ROMACTED Programme in the Western Balkans and Turkey (2017-2020), which will serve to consolidate and expand efforts to improve the integration of Roma populations in local communities through enhanced participation in local policymaking and implementation of local actions. ROMACTED II will continue to assist the local authorities to integrate Roma specific dimensions/measures into the mainstream local policies, action plans related to these policies, budgets and public service delivery, thereby enhancing democratic participation and empowerment of local Roma communities.

Belgrade 3 November 2021
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ROMACTED II

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Roma[1] Integration – Phase III is a Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe. It aims to strengthen the capacity of governments in the Western Balkans and Türkiye to effectively address the multifaceted challenges faced by the Roma community through the implementation of comprehensive public policies. These policies encompass critical areas such as housing, employment, civil registration, as well as the green and digital transition.

The project will also assist the progressive implementation in the Western Balkans beneficiaries of the “EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2020 - 2030”; the 2019 Declaration of Western Balkans partners on Roma integration within the EU enlargement process (Poznan Declaration) and subsequent commitments made by the governments at the annual ministerial meetings and endorsed within the Berlin Process Summits; and progress on fulfilment of Roma inclusion commitments taken under the negotiations Chapter 23. The project will also ensure that the necessary capacity is built at central level for the proper implementation, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting, the reinforcement of the co-operation with local authorities and the progressive alignment with all elements of the EU Roma inclusion policy.

The project will primarily focus on three areas of support:

  1. Mainstreaming of Roma issues in relevant public policies and the fight against antigypsyism.
  2. Support to Roma socio-economic integration and Roma equality in the areas of housing, education, employment, health, civil registration, and in the green and digital transition.
  3. The reinforcement of the institutional capacities of the governments to tackle challenges faced by Roma.

The specific outcomes aimed to be achieved through this project are as follows:

(1) Mainstreaming of Roma issues in relevant public policies and the fight against antigypsyism:

  • Antigypsyism is recognised and addressed through legislation, communication tools and institutions.
  • Institutional capacities of public servants are built on encountering antigypsyism.

(2) Socio-economic inclusion:

  • Employment of Roma is encouraged both in public and private sector including by piloted promising practices and through concrete measures to promote the formalisation of employment.
  • Legalization of informal settlements progresses in the Western Balkans and Türkiye is encouraged to be included among the priorities of the central-level governments in close collaboration with the civil society.
  • Civil registration is resolved for Roma in need through partnership with the governments, relevant local authorities, and civil society organisations.
  • Actions are mainstreamed into the Green Agenda Action Plan for the Western Balkans and the digital transformation agenda.

(3) Institutional capacities:

  • Policies and institutional arrangements dealing with Roma issues exist in the region.
  • Relevant monitoring, including in the national statistical offices, and reporting mechanisms are developed and properly functioning.
  • Budget for Roma planning and reporting is improved in the Western Balkans and Türkiye.
  • Regular regional co-operation ensured, and policies mainstreamed in socio-economic spheres, including regional high-priority issues and actions addressing the specific challenges of Roma.

 

The project will be implemented in seven Beneficiaries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Kosovo[2], with the duration of 3 years (1 May 2023- 30 April 2026) and is co-financed by the European Union and Council of Europe and implemented by the Roma and Travellers Team, Council of Europe.

This initiative represents a continuation of the preceding two phases implemented by the Regional Cooperation Council, co-funded by the European Union and Open Society Foundations. The aim of the Phase III of the project is to further advance the integration and empowerment of the Roma community by addressing critical issues they face.

The project is based on the Council of Europe's Human Rights Approach principles, focusing on participation and inclusion, equality and non-discrimination, accountability, transparency, and access to information.


Contacts of the Roma Integration project team based in Strasbourg:

Marina VASIC, Programme Supervisor, [email protected]

Cristina MARIAN, Senior Project Officer, [email protected]

Fanny Hoertz, Project Assistant, [email protected]

Contacts of the Roma Integration Project Officer for Serbia and for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dragana JOVANOVIC ARIJAS, based in the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, [email protected]

Contacts of the Roma Integration Project Officer for North Macedonia and for Montenegro:

Mersiha USEIN, based in the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje, [email protected]

Contacts of the Roma Integration Project Officer for Albania and for Kosovo

Xhesika KORRA, based in the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, [email protected]

Irena Ordev, Roma Integration Project Assistant, based in the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje, [email protected]

 

USEFUL LINKS 

Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia 2022-2030

2022-2024 Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2022 through 2030

Declaration of WB Partners on Roma Integration within the EU Enlargement Process

Council of Europe Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020‑2025) 

 EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation for 2020 - 2030

 

 

 

[1] The term “Roma and Travellers” is used at the Council of Europe to encompass the wide diversity of the groups covered by the work of the Council of Europe in this field: on the one hand a) Roma, Sinti/Manush, Calé, Kaale, Romanichals, Boyash/Rudari; b) Balkan Egyptians (Egyptians and Ashkali); c) Eastern groups (Dom, Lom and Abdal); and, on the other hand, groups such as Travellers, Yenish, and the populations designated under the administrative term “Gens du voyage”, as well as persons who identify themselves as Gypsies. The present is an explanatory footnote, not a definition of Roma and/or Travellers.

[2]This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

ROMACTED II WEBSITE
ROMACTED II SERBIA