Last week Eurodiaconia Secretary General Heather Roy attended the high level European Roma Summit in Brussels. The event was held on 4 April and aimed to take stock of progress made on Roma inclusion in the European Union since the last Roma summit of 2010.  Representatives of EU institutions, national governments and parliaments, international organisations, mayors, civil society organisations (including Roma organisations) and local and regional authorities were invited to express their views on how to deliver further on the implementation of the EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies. Going local on Roma inclusion both in the EU as well as in enlargement countries was the main theme of the summit. The summit focused on three major themes that were the subjects of panel discussions:

  1. Making policies inclusive for all Roma at the local level.
  2. Making EU funding reach the local and regional authorities to support Roma integration.
  3. Making Roma integration a local reality in enlargement countries.

Read here the speech by President Barroso at the European Roma Summit