Promoting the usa of ESI Funds for Roma inclusion

It is positive to see that

Roma inclusion is considered in a large number of

ESF and ERDF thematic objectives and investment priorities, beyond the

dedicated Investment Priority 9.2.

This implies substantial progress in

terms of Roma policies and

opens a lot of opportunities to achieve impact

if it is appropriately implemented.

Ensuring that Roma benefit from programmes under other IPs and TOs is

of utmost importance to take advantage of the full range of possibilities

to promote the social inclusion of Roma offered by the ESI Funds in the

2014-2020 programming period.

There are

many different ways to address Roma inclusion, both in terms of

approaches

(‘explicit’, ‘explicit but not exclusive’ or ‘no explicit’ mentions,

‘territorial approach’)

and thematic objectives

(TOs)

and investment

priorities

(IPs).

Now it is

time to translate what is planned into actions that reach Roma

and therefore efforts need to be made during the 2014-2020 programming

period to find the best ways to implement what is planned.

In particular it remains to be seen how the different choices made in

terms of TOs/IPs and approaches will be actually implemented and what

will be their impact.

There are two

elements defined in the planning phase that

could largely

determine the impact of the interventions:

›

The mention to Roma/Roma communities,

whether it is ‘explicit’,

‘explicit but not exclusive’ or ‘not explicit’.

›

The hierarchical importance given to actions

explicitly targeting Roma/

Roma communities, whether they are targeted at the level of priority

axis, specific objective or type of intervention/action.

ASPECTS TO CONSIDER IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE