In autumn of each year, the European Platform for Roma Inclusion (EPRI) provides an important moment to gauge the status of Roma inclusion in Europe. The 16th EPRI took place in Madrid on November 30, 2023, and was co-organised by the Spanish Presidency of the Council, and the European Commission. Following this Platform, on December 12, the Commission’s Directorate General for Justice and Consumer (DG JUST) organised a civil society meeting to reflect on this event and to take stock of the status of Roma inclusion in Europe.
The 2023 topic of discussion combined two elements: Ensuring equal access to adequate desegregated housing, and how this may be realised through better use of EU and national funds. This logically resulted from a discussion on the pivotal role of housing within the EU Strategic Framework for Roma equality, inclusion and participation (EU Roma Strategic Framework), that is supported by a 2022 European Parliament Resolution on the topic, as well as the related October 2023 Council Conclusion.
EPHA and its Roma Health Network published a policy paper on the crucial link between health and housing in October 2022, and therefore welcome this discussion. The report concluded that comprehensive action on health and housing was still lacking across the board, including topics ranging from a lack of data collection, use of indicators and social participation, to more specific topics like mental health and environmental determinants.
The EU Roma Strategic Framework sets an ambitious goal for 2030: to ‘cut the life expectancy gap in half’ (from the current average of 10.4 years lower for Roma women and 10.2 years lower for Roma men in comparison to non-Roma women and men). The most recent statistics from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) emphasise the need for action, as that number currently stands at 11 years lower for Roma women and 9 years lower for Roma men. The reality remains that Roma continue to face structural barriers in healthcare access.
16th European Platform for Roma Inclusion
The meeting in Madrid provided an opportunity to identify solutions to overcome the current stagnation. Featuring an agenda packed with political speeches, panels and a round of parallel participatory workshops, expectations for the 16th EPRI were high, and overall, impressions of the day were quite positive. But there remains room for improvement.
On one hand, it was encouraging to see strong political support for the topic of Roma inclusion, with representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament, and Spanish Ministry for Social Rights all calling for action. In addition, it was positive to see increased attention for the structural nature of antigypsyism – the many forms of discrimination against Roma – which could pave the way to a structural approach to racism across sectors in European policy.
On the other hand, it was concerning to see less meaningful engagement with Roma and pro-Roma civil society in comparison to last year. Though represented in the workshops and in some of the reporting functions in plenary, our overall involvement was limited. In addition, the Council meeting of the National Roma Contact Points – a crucial opportunity to engage with national policymakers – took place behind closed doors. Though the Commission underlined that ‘it needs civil society to ensure Roma inclusion policy is successful,’ the structure of the event did not fully reflect this.
DG JUST Civil Society Consultation Meeting
On 12 December, the Roma Coordination team at DG JUST organised a civil society consultation. In addition to reporting on the EPRI, it served as a reflection on 2023 to prepare for 2024. EPHA and the RHN joined a range of civil society organisations in a carefully optimistic tone. The focus on housing has created great momentum, as it encapsulates the structural nature of antigypsyism very effectively, leading to fruitful discussion.
Despite a wide availability of resources to address these structural issues, there is a lack of concrete action; practical community-based solutions are available but policy makers struggle providing them with Roma inclusion funding. This is symptomatic of a very siloed and fractured approach to the structural problem of antigypsyism, which requires clear political will and buy-in, supported by clear objectives and indicators: this remains one of the largest barriers to achieving Roma inclusion.
Empowering Roma in 2024
While the barriers remain largely unchanged, it is evident that we head into 2024 with increased political will. However, in order to progress it is imperative to match words with actions. EPHA and the Roma Health Network are ready to do their part, providing policy makers with the knowledge and expertise of Roma and pro-Roma health researchers and experts. This will be done through input on an announced consultation on the EU Roma Strategic Framework, and a written contribution sent directly to DG JUST. We will strategically approach Roma health through a focus on topics such as antigypsyism and the health sector, early childhood development, (digital) health literacy, environmental justice and energy poverty, among others.
There is significant ground to cover to reach the goals of the EU Roma Strategic Framework by 2030. While Roma and pro-Roma civil society are ready to be the agents of change, only policy makers can empower them further. In Madrid, Linda Greta Zsiga, an advocate from the Roma community at Pata Rât, showed the value of doing so. To echo her words, local Roma inclusion projects work and can easily be implemented with the right people. The solutions are in plain sight, so there is no excuse for a lack of progress by this time next year.
EPHA and the Roma Health Network have also sent feedback on the EU Roma Strategic Framework to the European Commission. If you are interested, you can read it by clicking the button below:
