The European Commission (EC) recently presented communications on two important policies which are both of relevance for the countries of the Western Balkans: the 2020 Enlargement Package and the new EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation. The new EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation calls upon the Member States to recognise the impact of antigypsyism (racism towards Roma) as the root cause of discrimination against and exclusion of Roma, and to step up the fight against it. The EC proposes a two-pronged approach when combatting antigypsyism: on the one hand, a stand-alone approach to the issue, and on the other, a cross-cutting approach in the priority sectors of education, employment, housing and health. The EC also emphasises that the new EU Roma Framework shall also apply to the countries in the accession process. The Commission admits that “many of the continent’s estimated 10-12 million Roma continue to face discrimination, antigypsyism and socioeconomic exclusion in their daily lives” and declares that the “fight against discrimination and antigypsyism should be a key objective and cross‑cutting priority in each policy area, complementing the inclusion approach”. These are important developments, but when it comes to the situation in the Western Balkan countries, more efforts are apparently necessary to achieve this understanding. While Roma in the European Union face widespread antigypsyism and, consequently, discrimination and social exclusion, the European Commission’s progress reports for the Western Balkan countries hardly refer to antigypsyism or discrimination against Roma, despite referring to the status of Roma on several occasions. These progress reports seem to be caught in the tradition of previous ones, ignoring the impact of antigypsyism and discrimination on the actual situation in which Roma persons find themselves..Although the manifestations of antigypsyism may differ from country to country, it exists all over Europe, including in the countries of the Western Balkans. Hate speech and hate crimes are its most visible manifestations. Further expressions include discrimination in the labour market, in schools and in housing, and the overall negative attitudes towards Roma demonstrated in the results of the Balkan Barometer. But even the very limited implementation of Roma inclusion policies in the last two decades could be considered a manifestation of antigypsyism. (…) On the other hand, the “Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans”, part of the 2020 Enlargement Package, specifically addresses Roma and refers to the new EU Roma Framework. The Communication emphasises that “the integration of Roma people into society by supporting their full participation in education and in the labour market is of particular importance and will be a key priority of the EU integration process”. In the new EU Roma Framework, the EC recognised the high NEET rate (not in employment, education or training) among Roma in the EU as a problem: it set the objective to cut the gap in the NEET rate by at least half. Currently the NEET rate among Roma in the EU is 62%, while it amounts to 10,1% among the general population. According to UNDP research, the NEET rate among Roma in the Western Balkans is between 73% (Serbia) and 86% (Bosnia and Herzegovina); the rate among Romani women goes as high as 81% (North Macedonia) and 93% (Montenegro). The reports of the European Commission, however, hardly pay attention to this issue.
via iranatimes: Two realities: Roma in the European Union and Roma in the Western Balkans in the eyes of the European Commission