Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) are expected to decide on Wednesday 10 March to use the written procedure to adopt a set of recommendations “on equality, inclusion and participation” of Romani communities (see EUROPE 12576/9).
“The required unanimity has been reached” in the EU Council working group on social issues, confirms a note sent to Coreper at the beginning of last week, of which EUROPE has obtained a copy.
These recommendations will replace those adopted by the Council in 2013. They will therefore provide a new framework for Member States wishing to take measures to combat the exclusion of Romani communities.
The text approved by the working group, which will have to be endorsed by Coreper this Wednesday, is, apart from a few words, very similar to the version of the text discussed by the Council experts in mid-December and detailed in our columns on that occasion (see EUROPE 12622/26).
The transnational cooperation strand, introduced in December, was in particular clarified. It now states “that mobile Romani EU citizens who move to or temporarily stay in Member States other than their Member State of origin, including to take advantage of seasonal or short-term employment opportunities, are in a vulnerable situation”.
With regard to these mobile citizens, Member States are encouraged to consider the establishment of bilateral or multilateral agreements and projects “on issues related to access to education for Romani children” and “on needs and challenges at the municipal level”, details this new version.
A version in which “mobile Romani EU citizens” are furthermore repeatedly referred to in provisions applying to particularly vulnerable or special needs Roma persons, which was not the case in the previous version.
To consult the latest draft recommendations: https://bit.ly/38lkk8S (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)