On the eve of International Roma Day celebrated on 8 April, Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vĕra Jourová, Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Olivér Várhelyi issued the following statement: “International Roma Day is dedicated to Europe’s largest ethnic minority. It is a celebration of diversity, of Roma culture and art, of their language and contribution to European history and society. 53 years ago, on 8 April 1971, representatives of Roma people from different backgrounds and countries met at the first Roma congress and together agreed on the Roma flag, the Roma anthem and the common name Roma”.
“Today Roma still face high levels of antigypsyism and discrimination in their daily lives. 80% of Roma in 10 EU countries are at risk of poverty, 52% experience housing deprivation, 22% live in homes without running water. Roma continue to face serious challenges in accessing rights and services equally. This also includes equal access to quality education, employment or healthcare”.
The EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020-2030 “has set targets for Member States to reach by 2030”. These include “cutting the poverty gap between Roma and non-Roma by at least half, decreasing the gap in housing deprivation faced by Roma by at least one-third, and reducing the proportion of Roma children attending segregated primary schools”.