*In Brief *
· *Producing reports with no follow up on recommendations and establishing mechanisms with ambiguous responsibilities and no teeth is stalling the social inclusion of Roma at the EU level.* * * · *Coherent, regularly collected ethnic segregated indicators a precondition to efficient policies and implementation*. ** * * * * *Brussels, October 20, 2009 -Roundtable on Roma housing organized by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)* – Policy Center – position expressed during the meeting (for full brief please see www.policycenter.eu/newsletter.htm ) ” on the background of continuing degradation of Roma living conditions, a plethora of reports and recommendations continue to be the main output of many European institutions and NGOs, while there is no agreed methodology of collecting ethnic data in the EU and no concrete mechanism for political pressure on the Member States on adopting measures specified by these reports. Considering all these, influencing political will at the national level should be the main EU priority at the moment, as housing falls mainly into the responsibility of the Member States, not EU.” Despite a good number of very useful reports produced or commissioned by different EU institutions we witness reduced progress in concrete actions related to pressure regarding policy implementation. We are deeply worried about what we consider to be a wrong and probably accidental strategy of the European Union and Member States. As long as the main focus when it comes to Roma inclusion will be the production of reports and establishment of informal mechanisms with shared and ambiguous responsibilities and no teeth the situation can not improve. Some of the most recent reports repeat what has been written before and what practically everybody knows- the situation of Roma needs to be urgently addressed. Stalling decisions by yet again waiting for another report or differently colored paper could lead to a serious crisis related to the exclusion Roma continue to face. Such a crisis can and must be prevented. *October 23, 2009–Bucharest. Policy Center organised the roundtable “Discrimination beyond numbers”* (for full brief please see www.policycenter.eu/newsletter.htm) Missing or unreliable indicators, lack of coherent approach regarding data collection, lack of reliable ethnic segregated data and a mishmash of methodologies used by different pollsters were highlighted by both sociologists Cosima Rughinis and Marian Preda (dean of Faculty of Sociology and Social Assistance) .The need for reliable measurements of discrimination versus collecting perceptions or attitudes was an issue all panellists agreed on. The need for a long-term monitoring of ethnic segregated indicators was considered to be a precondition to efficient policies and implementation. Policy Center for Roma & Minorities Bucharest, 010152, Intrarea Rigas 29A, Ap. 31, Sect. 1, Romania Tel : (004) 0742379657 or Fax (004) 0318177092
