Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Mateja Norčič Štamcar said that the EU would earmark EUR4 million for a new three-year project which aims to strengthen local communities with a view to promoting Roma inclusion.
At a press conference marking the beginning of the new project “EU support for Roma inclusion – Strengthening local communities for Roma inclusion,” Norčič Štamcar said that the Roma were the most populous, discriminated against and marginalized minority in all of Europe.
She said that the issue of inclusion and status of Roma was among the key conditions under negotiating chapter 19 – social policy and employment – and chapter 23 – justice and fundamental rights.
So far, the EU has invested EUR11.4 million through projects aimed at improving the status and inclusion of Roma, she said, adding that the Union stands ready to approve another EUR20 million for future Roma inclusion-related projects.
FoNet
The Union has partnered up with the Government of Serbia in improving the status of Roma, she said, commending also the cooperation with local self-governments established through the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM).
Some of the results of previous projects include an increase in the number of Roma entered in birth records and 1000 scholarships awarded to students to help them pursue high school education, she recalled.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Stana Božović said that according to 2012 census, the Roma accounted for 2.1 per cent of the entire population, most of whom belonged to the category of young people.
Recalling the results of previous projects, Božović cited employment as one of the biggest challenges, noting that 4.3 per cent out of 26,456 unemployed people belonged to Roma population.
The network of Roma coordinators has been set up in 47 local self-governments and is due to be increased to 60, in line with the needs of individual municipalities, she said.
Deputy President of the National Council of the Roma National Minority Duško Jovanović described the Roma issue as important not only for Serbia, but also for Europe, adding that Roma are leaving Serbia for economic reasons, not due to human rights violations.
Across Serbia, there are 600 illegal settlements with insufficient hygiene conditions, Jovanovic said. He described the latest project as a positive development, adding, however, that Roma inclusion should be Government’s job.
SCTM Secretary General Đorđe Staničić said that the Standing Conference acted as a partner in the IPA 2016-funded programme.
He said that the programme had three components – improving local mechanisms; extending support for the implementation of Roma inclusion measures (grant scheme); and extending support for legalization of housing units and drawing up of urban plans and documents for substandard Roma settlements.
The total budget of the programme amounts to EUR4.2 million, EUR2 million out of which will be assigned within the grant scheme, Staničić said.
