The First Steering Committee meeting of the Joint Programme between the European Union (DG NEAR) and the Council of Europe ROMACTED “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level”, took place in Tirana on 12 June 2018.

Representatives of the Directorate-General Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations in the European Commission, of the Council of Europe, of the central and local government counterparts in the Western Balkans and Turkey and of the Roma civil society organisations took part in the meeting.

The event was opened by Ogerta Manastirliu, Minister of Health and Social Protection in Albania, Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and Claus Neukirch, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, with the co-chairing of Aurora Ailincai, Head of the Strategic Partnerships Unit, in the Roma and Travellers Team, Council of Europe, and Liselotte Isaksson, Head of Sector, Civil Society and Social Inclusion (DG Near). Sotiraq Filo, Mayor of Municipality of Korca and Armando Subashi – Mayor of Municipality of Fier, underlined their commitment for the implementation of the project through their presentations.

The joint European Union/Council of Europe Programme is implemented by the Council of Europe’s Roma and Travellers’ team and the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes in seven beneficiaries of Western Balkans and Turkey aiming at building up political will and sustained policy engagement of local authorities to enhance democratic local governance and stimulating the empowerment of local Roma communities to contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of plans and projects concerning them.