A German representative of the Greens Group within the European Parliament, Ms Terry REINTKE, recently oversaw the drafting of a report on ‘Cohesion policy and marginalised communities’, which is of particular relevance in the area of Roma Inclusion. The report has been adopted by a wide majority in Parliament on 24 November 2015.
The report analyses present shortcomings in the EU’s cohesion policy, which is a core tool to address unequalities and the marginalisation of Roma and other disadvantaged communities. The report observes that big differences between Member States continue to exist, for example, regarding their implementation of the partnership principle, ranging from regular consultation of social partners to total neglect and ignorance of the Code of Conduct.
Furthermore, evaluation of projects during the previous programming period has shown that funding does not always target the real needs of the beneficiaries. Implementers sometimes even satisfy the criteria by simply ‘ticking boxes’, for example by involving NGOs which allegedly represent Roma people or having pseudo-consultations without any real dialogue.
There is thus a clear demand for quality evaluation and monitoring mechanisms. As the report emphasises, ”we need a shift towards quality monitoring so that interventions lead to long-term and sustainable results,” and an increased budget for capacity-building projects and training programmes for civil society.
To view the report and its recommendations on overcoming these challenges, please click here.