Research, scope and methodology

• Author: Korver, Ron
• Pages: 1-2

Framew ork for Nati onal Roma Inte gration Strategies u p to 2020

1

1. Research, scope and methodology

This study looks at the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS) over the

perio d up t o 2020.3 It was p rod uced at the request of the European Parliament's Committee for Civil

Liber ties . Just ice and Home A ffair s (LIB E) and Co mmitte e for E mployment an d Socia l Affair s (E MPL).

The EU Framework for NRIS (the EU framework) was a dopte d in 2011 and its main objectiv es were

to contribute to th e red uctio n of pov ert y, s ocial exclusio n an d discr iminatio n of t he Roma by

promoting the ir equal access to education, employment, health and housing both in the EU and in

enlargement countries.4

This study focuses both on the architecture of the EU framework as such and on t he p olicy me asures

that were pu t in place to achieve the s aid objectives. It describ es the coordination, consultation and

monitoring structures under the EU framework and the way they work in practice. It also looks at

the way the EU fram ework interacts with other EU legal, funding and policy instruments. It then

reviews the m ain policy objectives a nd the effect the EU fr amework has had on anti-discrimination

and anti-gypsyism.

Not a ll Member States ha ve an NR IS. While, for instance, Malta does not have one at all, o ther

Member Stat es have adopted 'integrated s ets of m easures wit hin t heir bro ader inclusio n policies' in

the place of an NRIS. Th e Member St ates were given t his option by the Em ploy ment , Socia l Policy,

Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in its 2011 conclusions endorsing the EU fram ework .

The extent to which on e can accurately as sess the effects of nat ional strategies is limite d, gi ven that

each of thes e strat egies combines different measures under different sectoral policy areas targeting

the Roma. Furthermore, gov er nm ent s do not genera lly collect official st atis tics on the Roma. A

number of Member Sta tes oppo se the collection of ethnically disaggregated data for ethical,

political or legal reasons. The lack of such data makes it difficult to establish a clear baseline situation

of the levels of social exclusion or discrimination, the number of Roma benefiting from inclusion

measur es, the fund s allocated for Roma inclusion measures, or the effects of such m easures.

Another limiting circu mstance is that financial data are oft en unavailable, unverifiable or

incomparable. This is partly due to the lack of ethnically disaggregated data, but also to the fact that

Rom a inclus ion policies ar e often part of mains tream m easures that d o not single the Roma out as

a s pecific t arge t gro up.

This study is ba sed o n desk r esearch, r elying pr imarily on in stitu tional sou rces, such as the European

Comm iss ion (Directo rate General for Just ice and Consumers (DG JUST) and the Joint Research

Centre), the European Court of Auditors (ECA), th e EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and

relev ant p ublicat ions from th ink t anks, civil s ociety org anisation s and R oma int erest g roups.

Publicat ions bas ed o n primary data collection that were also used in this br iefing include the

Comm iss ion's Report on the implemen tation of national Roma strategies5 and its Mid -te rm

3 Communication fr om the Commission to the European Parliame nt, the Council, the European Economic and Social

Committe e and the Commit tee of t he Regions on an EU Framewor k for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020

4 The Roma consist of various groups that are label led wi th differ ent e thnonyms, such as Sinti, Kale , Gypsies ,

Manouche s, Romani chel s, Boyash, Ashkal i, Egyptian s, Yen ish, Dom, Lom, Rom, A bdal Ar li je , Calé, Gur bet , Kale,

Kalderaš, Lovara, Manuš, Sepečides, Ursari or travellers. Some of these ethnonyms are self-designated while othe rs

are externally designated. Many groups also use the self-designation Roma. Throughout this paper, the te rm 'Roma'

is use d in li ne with the terminology of Europe an inst itut ions and inte rnational organisations, to re fer to all these

different groups, without denying the unique features and varieties of lifestyles and situations of these groups.

5 Report on the impleme ntation of national Roma int egration strategies, European Commission, 2019.