Including Roma people in policy-making

• Author: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission)
• Pages: 30-31

SOCIAL INNOVATION: INSPIRATIONAL PRACTICES

SUPPORTING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES

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© ERGO Network, 2017

ERGO Summer Academy visuals

Problem addressed

Roma people are the largest minority in Europe and yet they

are signif‌icantly underrepresented in the political arena. While

there are policies in place to support Roma inclusion and

well-being, these tend to be introduced without adequate

consultation with Roma community members.

Innovative solution

The European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO)

network, established by a small group of NGOs in the

Netherlands in 2008, aims to empower Roma people in

Europe through political self-representation. Its members

comprise nearly 30 European organisations active in the

f‌ield of Roma rights. Contrary to many Roma policies that

target Roma people as passive recipients, the ERGO network

involves Roma people as active stakeholders and partners,

enhancing their social inclusion. It follows the principles of

active citizenship, collective responsibility and grassroots

empowerment to bring the voice of the Roma community to

the European and national policy-making arenas.

The network advocates for Roma issues in the EU arena,

serving as a link between the European and national level

on Roma issues. In 2016, for example, the network actively

engaged with the Slovak Presidency, contributing to the

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Af‌fairs

Council (EPSCO) conclusions on Roma people. The network

has also organised the f‌irst ERGO academy that brought

together young Roma members and volunteers from their

member organisations to develop their leadership and

advocacy skills. ERGO members also provide support to

Roma communities in applying for EU funding.

Key results and benef‌its

The ERGO network is the largest organisation representing

Roma interests in Europe to date. Thanks to its vast

membership, the network is able to give evidence-based

national analyses of the Roma situation in dif‌ferent countries,

to support its advocacy at EU level.

Including Roma people in policy-making

ERGO Network

Netherlands