via the Youth Department of the Council of Europe

The Youth Department of the Council of Europe is organising an evaluation of the first 3 years of its Roma Youth Action Plan.

The Roma Youth Action Plan (hereinafter the RYAP), was initiated in 2012 as a response of the Council of Europe to the challenges faced by Roma young people in Europe, particularly in relation to their empowerment, participation in policy and decision-making processes and structures at European level, and the realities of discrimination, particularly antigypsyism, with which they are confronted.

On 19 March 2015, the Hungarian National Support Team organised together with Partners Hungary a meeting of mayors from municipalities where the ROMACT and ROMED2 Joint Programmes of the European Commission and the Council of Europe are implemented in Hungary.

Mayors of Nagyecsed, Nyirbator and Gyulaj, senior staff within the municipalities’ administrations and representatives of Local Councils discussed together with representatives of the Hungarian Government about the achievements of the Programmes in Hungary. The municipality of Porcsalma, interested in becoming part of the process, was also represented by its mayor.

The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for Roma issues appreciates the message issued today by the Committee of Ministers to the government of the Czech Republic to fully execute the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in D.H. and Others vs The Czech Republic, so that the unjustified enrolment of Roma children in “special” (so-called now “practical”) schools and programmes intended for pupils with learning disabilities ends. We understand that fighting discrimination can be a complex challenge that requires both attitude changes, as well as changes in laws – and the full support of civil society. We welcome action plans that have been put forward by the Czech government to stop such discrimination.

The Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for Roma issues rejects without reservation comments made earlier this month by Lega Nord MEP Gianluca Buonanno, during the Italian TV show Piazza pulita broadcasted on La7.

The Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for Roma issues rejects without reservation comments made earlier this month by Lega Nord MEP Gianluca Buonanno, during the Italian TV show Piazza pulita broadcasted on La7.

MEP Buonanno indulged in hate speech against Roma and their representative during the programme, Ms Dijana Pavlovic, President of the Roma and Sinti Federation and National Project Officer for ROMED and ROMACT Joint Programmes of the European Commission and the Council of Europe.

Statements that he made including “Gypsies are the dregs of the society” hardly contribute to fostering useful dialogue in addressing Roma issues.

Within the framework of ROMACT Programme, the Council of Europe is recruiting consultants to act as ROMACT National Experts in the following Member States: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania and the Slovak Republic.

29/01/2015

Initiated in March 2014, the ROMED2 Programme is implemented in no less than 9 municipalities in Portugal (Abrantes, Barcelos, Beja, Coimbra, Elvas, Figueira da Foz, Moura, Seixal and Torres Vedras).

Elaboration of the joint planning finalized successfully in Shumen

Report by Liliya Makaveeva, ROMED/ROMACT National Project Officer for Bulgaria

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The European Union Agency for fundamental rights had issued recently three new reports regarding the situation of employment among Roma communities, the situation of discrimination against and living conditions of Roma women and  the situation of education  of Roma in 11 EU Member States. In these reports, FRA presents the results of the 2011 FRA Roma pilot survey on poverty and employment and of the 2011 Roma survey on education.

For full information on the reports please follow the following links: