Roma in an Enlarged European Union
16 June 2004
Roma in an Enlarged European Union
The ERRC is a consortium partner, with Focus Consultancy and the European Roma Information Office (ERIO) on a project tendered by the European Union's Directorate General on Employment and Social Affairs on “Roma in an Enlarged European Union”. Components of the project have to date included:
- Research Design: Intensive research into the situation of Roma in sectoral fields of relevance for EU social inclusion (particularly education, employment, healthcare, housing and social services) was designed by the ERRC and independent consultant Arthur Ivatts. The research design scheme comprises 2 documents: an introductory guidance document and a "Writing Pro Forma" for researchers. The research guidance documents are included in the reports package to the ERRC Board of Directors.
- Research Supervision: The project engaged in-country researchers for eleven countries. The ERRC was charged with engagement and supervision of eight of these: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. ERRC researchers significantly out-performed non-ERRC researchers.
- Conference Design: The original project envisioned a meeting, but the European Commission subsequently significantly expanded the format of the meeting to become an EU conference on Roma in an Enlarged European Union. The ERRC had a marginal role in conference preparation but was able, after significant lobbying, to influence the conference such that its form was suitably coherent and rights-focussed.
- On the basis of research findings, the ERRC and project partners have drafted a report, slated for publication in September 2004. A first draft of the report was presented to the European Commission on June 1.
