Updated EURoma's position paper on 2021-2027 ESF+ Regulation

EURoma closely follows the discussions on the post-2020 EU Multiannual Financial Framework, including on the future ESI Funds Regulations, and actively contributes to them based on Network partners’ experience and ongoing reflection processes within the Network.

EURoma releases a revised version of the position paper published in November 2018 to take into account the latest developments, notably the European Parliament’s position on the European Commission’s proposal as well as the discussions within the European Council.

EURoma welcomes and acknowledges progress made in the Proposal for a Regulation on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) adopted by the EC, which opens up new opportunities for advancing on Roma equality across the EU after 2020. We are also glad to see that the report adopted by the European Parliament on the Commission’s proposal includes amendments that, if adopted, would further contribute to make the ESF+ a more powerful instrument for achieving a more social Europe and advancing on equality, social inclusion and non-discrimination of the Roma community across the EU after 2020.

We also welcome and support EP´s amendments to the ERDF-Cohesion Fund Regulation proposal, which, if finally approved, would contribute to better using the potential of these funds for Roma people.

EURoma hopes that these changes are maintained in the trialogues between the institutions.

EURoma is particularly satisfied with the maintenance of the explicit mention to Roma, giving continuation to the introduction of the specific Investment Priority (IP) 9.2. on the ‘Socio-economic integration of marginalised communities such as the Roma’ in the 2014-2020 ESI Funds Regulations, a straightforward acknowledgement of the need for ESF+ to specifically address the unequal situation that Roma face across the EU and the need to reinforce investments due to limited impact. EURoma also welcomes the establishment of Enabling Conditions as a continuous process having to be fulfilled during the whole programming period, which will serve as a permanent requirement for consistency between policy and financial instruments.

Despite these very important elements for progress within the ESF+ Regulation proposal, EURoma puts forward additional proposals on a number of additional aspects considered of relevance to improve the effectiveness of ESF+ for Roma inclusion. These include:

The full alignment with the European Semester (being the Country Specific Recommendations a key tool for guiding ESF+ investments) and the European Pillar of Social Rights;
The concentration on and intensification of large-scale/long-term support investments;
The combination of the explicit targeting of Roma/Roma inclusion with a mainstreaming approach through all ESF+ investments;
The facilitation of an integrated approach; the promotion of greater coherence, synergies and complementarity between EU Funds;
The increased relevance of investments to combat discrimination;
The explicit targeting of EU Mobile Roma Citizens;
The reinforced link between all EU funding and fundamental rights and overall with international binding recommendations, as a well as the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
The increase of resources for social inclusion and tackling poverty;
The allocation of specific resources to youth employment;
The increased coherence between ESF+ core priorities and indicators;
The thematic innovation actions on policy priorities and specific disadvantaged groups, such as Roma (‘nationals’ and EU Mobile Roma);
The mechanisms to scale up and give continuity to proven-positive initiatives;
The transnational cooperation as key tool for social innovation;
The effective implementation of the partnership principle; and capacity-building.