As the Congress Session in March 2020 was cancelled and the following ones held online due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the three winner projects of the Dosta! Congress Prize for Municipalities will be awarded their prizes during a ceremony to be held in October 2021, during the 41^st Plenary Session of the Congress, which will take place at the headquarters ...

The memory of the persecution suffered by Roma in the past serves as a reminder of the urgent need to put an end to the anti-Gypsyism which they continue to be subjected to in many European countries, said Miranda Rira, Congress spokesperson on Roma issues, on 2 August 2019, on the occasion of the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day. All levels of ...

"The fight against anti-Gypsysism is an ongoing battle, but we are on the right track to win it," declared John Warmisham, Congress spokesman, at the meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts for Roma Issues (CAHROM) on 11 June 2019 in Toulouse, France.

"Local and regional authorities are aware of the problems relating to the exclusion and discrimination ...

The initiative "Local Action for Roma Safety" will be presented to the Ukrainian Parliament on 9 April 2019 by Iryna SUSLOVA, MP and Chair of the Sub-Committee on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination - Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Inter-ethnic Relations. This event is organised in the context of the International Roma Day, which ...

On 8 April, we will celebrate International Roma Day. This is a day to celebrate Roma culture and Roma contributions to European societies, and the cultural diversity of Europe. The 8th of April, which commemorates the first World Romani Congress held in London in April 1971, should also be a reminder of the urgent need to better protect the human ...

"Roma are fully-fledged members of society and securing their rights is part of the responsibilities of public authorities," said Congress spokeswoman on Roma issues, Miranda RIRA (Albania, SOC), on the occasion of the Roma International Day, on 8 April 2019. "Even though they are the largest minority in Europe with more than 10 million Roma, they ...

The President of the Congress Chamber of Local Authorities and Mayor of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy Xavier CADORET (France,SOC) warns of “anti-Roma fake news rapidly spreading on social media”. Referring to recent incidents in the French departments of Seine-Saint-Denis and Hauts-de-Seine, where rumors about Roma kidnapping children in a white van lead ...

The City of Strasbourg and Strasbourgian Roma Families cordially invite you to join the celebrations of the International Roma Day 2019 at Lieu d'Europe in Strasbourg. The celebrations will take place on Sunday 7 April 2019 from 14.30 - 17.30.

The Ukrainian Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion has a new chair for the year 2019. Mr Oleksandr BYLAK, Deputy Mayor of the City of Uzhgorod, was selected Chairman of the Ukrainian Alliance during the 2nd official meeting of the Ukrainian Alliance on 26 February 2019 in Lviv. The City of Uzhgorod takes over the chairmanship from the ...

On the occassion of the 2nd official meeting of the Ukrainian Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, three Councillors signed the Declaration against anti-Gypsiysm. Mr Petro PRYHARA, Member of Khust District Council, Ms Svitlana BOHATYRCHUK KRYVKO, Member of Rivne Regional Council and Mr Sergiy BASARAB, Deputy Chairman of Ivano-Frakivs'k ...

The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion wishes a Happy International Women's Day to all its members and partners.

The Ukrainian Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, the local network of mayors for Roma Inclusion in Ukraine, held its 2nd meeting on 26th February 2019 with local and regional elected officials, parliamentarians and NGO representatives, in Lviv, Ukraine.

In the context of the attacks against Roma in 2018 in various ...

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is happy to announce that Congress member Miranda RIRA is taking over the position of Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller Issues from John WARMISHAM.

Miranda RIRA serves as the Mayor of the Municipality of Prrenjas in Albania, the country's first municipality ...

7th International Roma Women’s Conference “Roma and Traveller Women’s Access to Justice and Rights” co-organised by the Government of Finland and the Council of Europe under the Finnish Presidency of its Committee of Ministers.

Date: 25-27 March 2019

Venue: Hanaholmen Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre Hanasaarenranta 5, Espoo ...

The Mayor of the Municipality of Korçë, Mr Sotiraq Filo, signed the Congress Declaration of Mayors and elected local and regional Representatives against anti-Gypsyism. Korçë is the 14th municipality in Albania that signed the Declaration.

The Declaration against anti-Gypsyism has so far been signed by 114 municipalities, cities and ...

The Ukrainian Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, the European Alliance’s local network of mayors in Ukraine, will meet on 26 February 2019 in Lviv for its second official meeting. The Ukrainian Alliance will, among others, address the violent attacks against Roma that happened in the past year.

In 2018, a series of attacks ...

"74 years ago, Nazi persecution led to the death of many groups of people, including about 200,000 Roma. Anti-Gypsyism was an integral part of Nazi ideology," said John WARMISHAM, Congress spokesperson on Roma and Traveller issues. "Even today anti-Roma rhetoric and attacks against Roma continue to spread. Since April 2018, there have been several ...

Today, the Council of Europe commemorated the victims of the Holocaust at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg. During the ceremony Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland stressed the importance of remembering the liberation of Ausschwitz concentration camp on 27 January 1945 as a historic day for the whole continent. ...

Corrigendum: Deadline extended until 1 October 2019!

The application for the 7th edition of the Dosta!-Congress Prize for Municipalities is now open to municipalities/local authorities from Council of Europe member states who have run projects in 2017 and 2018 targeting Roma and/or Travellers, whether they be nationals or more recent migrants.

Following ...

More than 110 municipalities and regions have signed the Declaration against anti-Gypsyism since its endorsement by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities during the 32nd Congress Session in March 2017. To mark the beginning of the new year we are happy to introduce you to the current 113 signatories from 32 countries.

The European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network ERGO invited stakeholders from all over Europe to gather in Brussels on Monday to celebrate ERGO's 10th anniversary. The anniversary was marked by a discussion on "Roma inclusion through local partnerships".

Together with representatives from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, ...

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities participated in the conference against anti-Gypsyism held on 27 November in Vienna, Austria, as part of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The objective of this conference was to develop recommendations for a possible European framework for national strategies for Roma inclusion ...

On 14 November 2018, Members of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (CAHROM) met in Tirana to discuss solutions in regard to the lack of identity documents and statelessness that many Roma face.

Congress spokesperson on Roma and Traveller issues, John WARMISHAM (UK, SOC), informed CAHROM of his recent visit to Albania, where ...

This week the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities met in Strasbourg for its 35th Congress Session.

Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller Issues John WARMISHAM was elected as Vice President of the Chamber of Local Authorities. In his newly elected position, Mr WARMISHAM will ensure that Roma Issues remain among the core values of the ...

On the occasion of the World Day of Romani Language, I call on member states to step up efforts to recognize, protect, promote, and develop the Romani language in Europe.

The Romani language and its many variants are an integral part of our common European cultural and linguistic heritage and wealth. Romani is key to the Roma identity and its preservation ...

“Due to the persistent risk of racist attacks against Roma, both verbally and physically, many Roma hide their identity by not speaking the Romani language,” says John WARMISHAM (United Kingdom, SOC), Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller Issues, marking the World Day of Romani Language on 5 November 2018.

“The Romani language and the ...

59 municipalities in Romania and 30 municipalities in Bulgaria have benefited from the Council of Europe ROMACT Programme in the latest phase of implementation from 2014 until September 2018. In total 131 municipalities in Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria have successfully launched and implemented the ROMACT process ...

The Alliance is happy to announce that apart from 23 already existing languages the Declaration of Mayors and elected local and regional representatives of Council of Europe member states against anti-Gypsyism is now also available in Slovenian and Azeri / Azerbaijani.

All ...

John WARMISHAM (United Kingdom, SOC), Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller issues, addressed Albanian mayors at the Seminar on Roma Inclusion at the local level, in Tirana, Albania, on 11 October 2018. Co-organised by the Congress and the City of Tirana, within the framework of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, ...

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is co-organising, in partnership with the city of Tirana, a seminar on Roma inclusion at the local level in Tirana, Albania, on 11 October 2018. In particular, participants will discuss the prospect of creating a national Albanian network of mayors for Roma inclusion.

Launched ...

The activities of the Congress in the field of inclusion of Roma youth were presented at an International Expert Seminar held in Brijuni, Croatia, on 26 September 2018. Speaking during the debate on "Policy initiatives at local, national and international levels to sustain Roma employability and labour market insertion", Tobias MAYR, a member of the ...

“We must not forget the Roma Holocaust and we have to transmit to the new generations its memory: About hundreds of thousands innocents victims - a concrete aim to counter. Today  racism, intolerance and vindictive impulses make the situation in Europe more serious”, stated Piero Fassino, President of the Socialist group of the Congress on ...

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities participated in the commemoration ceremony held for the victims of the Roma Holocaust in the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg today, represented by Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer and Tobias Mayr for the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion.

After speeches ...

“We need to remember the brutal horrors that Roma and Travellers suffered from during the Nazi rule”, Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller Issues John Warmisham stated. “In particular today, when attacks on Roma are once again on the rise, we must not turn a blind eye to what has happened 74 years ago.”

On the night of 2 August 1944, ...

Miranda Rira, Mayor of the Municipality of Prrenjas in Albania, signed the “Declaration against Anti-Gypsyism” promoted by the Council of Europe, during a meeting of the Current Affairs Committee in June 2018.

The Declaration against anti-Gypsyism, opened to signature in 2017 by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council ...

On 16 July 2018, the mayor of Lviv, Mr Andrii Ivanovych Sadovyi, signed the Declaration against anti-Gypsyism on behalf of his city.

Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller Issues John Warmisham welcomed this step as a “strong symbol in our fight against anti-Gypsyism in Ukraine” and expressed his gratitude for Mr Sadovyi’s support of ...

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his concerns about the string of arson attacks targeting Roma citizens in several locations in Ukraine in a letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Groysman.

Mr Jagland noted: "It is of great importance that all relevant actors at the highest political level, ...

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovi? condemned the attack against Roma in the outskirts of Lviv on Saturday 23 June 2018, which left a 24 year old man stabbed to death and four others injured.

Ms Mijatovi? urged the Ukrainian authorities to invest more in prevention efforts and prosecute and hold to account the ...

John Warmisham (United Kingdom, SOC), Thematic Rapporteur on Roma-related activities, and Michael Guet of the Council of Europe's Division for Roma and Travellers took stock of the present situation in Europe. In particular, they provided information on the results of Congress initiatives, including the Declaration of Mayors and Elected Local ...

Addressing the participants of the “5th Dialogue with the Roma and Traveller Civil Society”, in Strasbourg, on 20 June 2018, Congress Spokesperson on Roma and Traveller Issues, John WARMISHAM (United Kingdom, SOC), presented an overview of the situation of Roma in Europe and, in particular, of Roma youth who “carry the heavy burden of constant ...

We have the pleasure to inform you that a new call for proposal for grants of the Transnational Cooperation and Capacity Building component of the ROMACT programme (ROMACT TCC) was published today!

ROMACT TCC aims at assisting local authorities in better integrating marginalised people, in particular non-nationals of Roma ethnicity. It ...

‘’The Congress sees the political participation of Roma as one of the key conditions to their inclusion.’’ stated John WARMISHAM, Congress Thematic Spokesperson on Roma and Travellers, at the 15th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (CAHROM), held in Athens on 24 May 2018.

‘’We as the Congress encourage ...

On the occasion of the 15th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (CAHROM), held in Athens, Greece, from 22 – 25 May 2018, the Congress Thematic Spokesperson on Roma and Travellers, John WARMISHAM, underlined the importance of setting-up Roma national networks in all Council of Europe member states. He welcomed, ...

We are happy to announce an OPEN CALL for participation to the 5th Council of Europe Dialogue with Roma and Traveller civil society that will take place on 20-21 June 2018 in Strasbourg, France.

The 5th Dialogue meeting will concentrate on the issue of Roma and Traveller political participation with the aims of

a) prioritising and giving visibility ...

On 12 April 2018, representatives from 28 municipalities and regions gathered at the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) in Athens to discuss the strengthening of a Greek Roma Network. The meeting was organised as a joint initiative by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion (set up by the Congress),  the Central ...

16 Greek municipalities signed the Declaration against anti-Gypsyism at a meeting in Athens on 12 April 2018, expressing their strong commitment to combat anti-Gypsyism in their municipalities and regions. To date, a total of 20 Greek municipalities and regions have signed the Declaration.

“We have the moral duty - as mayors, as councilors and as Greek citizens - to protect the rights of the individuals affected and of the Roma community as a whole,” stated Michail ANGELOPOULOS (Greece, EPP/CCE), Vice-President of the Congress and Mayor of Samos, addressing the participants at a conference on “strengthening Roma networks at local ...

A conference on initiatives for strengthening Roma networks at local and regional levels was co-organised by the Congress and the Association of Greek municipalities (KEDE)in Athens, Greece, on 12 April 2018. Chaired by Michail ANGELOPOULOS (Greece, EPP/CCE), Vice-President of the Congress and Mayor of Samos, this event focused on the specific situation ...

The world community honored the International Roma Day, on 8 April, a tradition inherited from to the First World Romani Congress held in Orpington, in 1971, where Roma representatives from different countries came together to discuss cultural and social issues.  “For me it is a strong symbol, that after almost half a decade we still hold regular ...

“Anti-Gypsyism continues to be one of the most widespread forms of racism in Europe. Millions of Roma in many European countries are facing discrimination and hate speech in their everyday lives. The dimension can vary from experiencing derogatory clichés about the Romani culture up to violent riots” stated John WARMISHAM (United-Kingdom, SOC), ...

Together with the Central Union of municipalities and communities of Greece (KEDE), the Alliance plans a kick- off conference for launching a Greek Roma network. This network would revive the old Rom network that previously existed and spearhead the fight against anti-Gypsyism at the local level and should lobby other Greek municipalities, regions ...

Meeting of the Ukrainian Alliance for Roma in Kiev

On Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 November 2017 the Ukrainian Alliance for Roma Inclusion, which was launched by the European Alliance for Cities and Regions for the Inclusion of Roma and Travellers and the Roma Women’s Network “Chiricli” earlier this year, met in Kiev to discuss initiatives ...

Meeting of the Ukrainian Alliance for Roma Inclusion

Khreschatyk Hotel, Kyiv, Ukraine

16-17 November 2017

Agenda

On 17 October 2017, the Ministers’ Deputies adopted a new recommendation concerning the facilitation of equal access to justice and court for Roma and Travellers. Particular attention is paid to the situation of people suffering from intersectional discrimination, such as women and girls, young people and people with disabilities.

The recommendation ...

The Dosta! Congress Prize for municipalities was awarded on Thursday, 19 October, to ?i?li (TR), Volos (GR) and Gliwice (PL) for their efforts for Roma inclusion.

The Dosta Congress Prize for Municipalities is awarded btwice a year since 2007. The prize rewards, innovative projects that tackle different problems but follow ...

Extension of the deadline for applications

Due to requests of several municipalities the application deadline for the 6th DOSTA! Congress Prize has been extended until the 21st of July. Local and regional authorities are invited to apply for the 10 year anniversary of the DOSTA! Congress Prize!

Later this year, in October, the Dosta!Congress ...

The Dosta!Congress Prize

Later this year, in October, the Dosta!Congress Prize will be awarded the 6th time. "Dosta!" means "enough" in the dialect of Romani that is widely used in the Balkans, where the Dosta! Campaign was launched. It signals to end discrimination and exclusion of Roma and Travellers in Europe. The Prize is a joint project ...

At the 32nd Congress Session (28-30 March), a “Declaration of Mayors and Elected Local and Regional Representatives of Council of Europe Member States against anti-Gypsyism” will be presented by John Warmisham the Congress Spokesperson for Roma Issues. The Congress and the Alliance call mayors and elected representatives of local and regional ...

At its meeting on 1 and 2 December 2016, the Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe invited the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues, Mr. Valeriu Nicolae, to present his efforts together with UEFA to fight racism and violence against women. The campaign also specifically tackles ...

Participation of Roma in decision-making processes is crucial to advance the Inclusion of Roma. Policies, projects and  strategies will be more succesful if Roma are included in the decision making process in order to ensure that the needs of the Roma communities are well adressed.

Collaborative workshops in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Since ...

Last week, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopted a resolution, recommendation and report on the situation of Roma and Travellers in the context of rising extremism and xenophobia and the refugee crisis in Europe.

These documents call on local and regional authorities, as well as on the member states of the Council of Europe ...

Call for participants: “Mirrors” regional training course on combating anti-Gypsyism through human rights education

The Youth Department of the Council of Europe under the framework of the Roma Youth Action Plan is organising a regional training course on combating anti-Gypsyism through human rights education which will be held during 16-19 ...

During the 30^th Congress session in March 2016, we interviewed two youth delegates, Nina Panikova (Slovak Republic), and Lena Vybíralová (Czech Republic). Nina participated at the Environment Forum of her university in Banská Bystrica, and did an internship at the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) in Vienna. Lena studies International Relations ...

The Council of Europe Youth Department is looking for participants for a training course on combating anti-Gypsyism through human rights education and youth participation to be held from 3 to 8 November 2016 in Odessa, Ukraine. Young Roma activists from Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the Baltic states can apply ...

In June, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Nils Muižnieks, visited Slovakia. His visit did not only focus on human rights and their implementation in general but also addressed the pressing issues concerning Roma in Slovakia, such as police violence against Roma, the prevailing discrimination within the education ...

Strasbourg, 05.09.2016 - Valeriu Nicolae, a Romanian Roma, has taken up the post of Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) of the Council of Europe for Roma Issues, on the first of september.

"It is a great honour and responsibility for me to join the team of the Secretary General," said Nicolae. "Since 1999, I have been closely ...

ROMACT, a joint programme between the European Commission and the Council of Europe strengthening the social inclusion capacities of local authorities, launched a new call for submissions for its new transnational cooperation component . The aim of the new component is to assist local authorities in better integrating marginalised people, in particular ...

Version française

29 June 2016, Strasbourg – Traditionally, summer holidays coincide with the eviction of Roma and Travellers throughout Europe, which takes place almost unnoticed.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) ...

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) last week published its fifth report on Italy in which it analyses recent developments and outstanding issues and makes recommendations to the authorities.

Progress in the fight for rights of same-sex couples and refugees, and against racism and racial discrimination

“I would ...

At its most recent meeting, that took place on 21 March 2016,  one day before the start of the 30^th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Congress Bureau adopted a revised version of the Strategic Guidelines for the Alliance. The document serves as a programmatic outline of the work of the Alliance, emphasising its ...

Strasbourg, 21 March 2016 – Encouraging speedy reactions by public figures to hate speech, promoting self-regulation of media, raising awareness of the dangerous consequences of hate speech, withdrawing financial and other support from political parties that actively use hate speech and criminalising its most extreme manifestations, while respecting ...

“In recent days, a number of hateful, racist acts have been perpetrated by football supporters in the streets of European cities (Madrid, Barcelona and Rome) against Roma women,” said Milena Santerini, the General Rapporteur against Racism and Intolerance for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). “They have been humiliated, ...

The ROMACT Programme is a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission to promote the integration of Roma at local level.

This call concerns a new component of the ROMACT programme which aims at assisting local authorities in better integrating marginalised people, in particular non-nationals of Roma ethnicity. This ...

“Many Roma continue to face serious forms of discrimination and human rights violations by authorities at both national and local levels. In particular, forced evictions without due process and provision of adequate alternative housing continue unabated across Europe, in violation of member states' international human rights obligations” ...

The first national seminar on Roma inclusion took place on 17 December 2015 in Lithuania. 23 elected officials, senior civil servants from Lithuanian cities and regions met with government representatives, scholars and NGO representatives in the small village Trakai outside of Vilnius to exchange their experiences, know-how and best practices regarding ...

Statement adopted by the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) on 5 November 2015 on the occasion of the International Romani Language Day

Out of the 25 countries that have ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), 15 have officially recognised Romani as a minority ...

Four cities were honoured with the 5^th edition of the Dosta! Congress Prize, an award that is given to municipalities every two years for their commitment to inclusion of Roma and Travellers. On the first place came Ghent (Belgium), tied on the 2nd place are ex-aequo Kragujevac (Serbia) and Reggio nell’ Emilia (Italy). The 3rd place went to Madrid ...

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Mr. Jean-Claude Frécon, is happy that the Italian Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria became this week the 130^th participant of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion.

The Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria is active in a number ...

On 2^nd August 1944 2,897 Roma were murdered in the gas chambers when the so-called “Zigeunerlager” (“gypsy camp”) at Auschwitz – Birkenau was liquidated. On the occasion of the 71th anniversary of this sad date, the Alliance Taskforce took part in a commemorative ceremony organized by the European Roma and Travellers Forum in memory of ...

With around half of all Spanish Roma living in the region (around 300 000 Roma), Andalusia is the region in Spain with the highest number of Roma. The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion is happy to announce that it has accepted the accession of the Region of Andalusia, which now is its 129^th participant. Andalusia has ...

Dusica Davidovic (Serbia, SOC), Stojanka Lekic (Serbia, EPP/CCE) and Fevzija Muric on behalf of Meho Mahmutovic (Serbia, SOC), Congress members, representatives of Serbian municipalities, and representatives of the Serbian Government participated in the First National Seminar in Serbia organised by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for ...

On 12^th June 2015, the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion organises its first National Seminar in Serbia in order to bring together participants, experts, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ representatives and stakeholders from all Serbia. This will be the occasion to exchange experiences and know-how, as well ...

On the occasion of the 28^th Congress Session, Congress member and municipal councilor from Tirana (Albania) Juliana Hoxha expressed her thoughts on various issues Roma are still facing in Albania. Although Roma in some places represent a significant electoral force, they remain largely marginalized when talking about effective participation in decision ...

While the municipality of Tivat has just 14.111 inhabitants, nearly 400 of them are Roma or Egyptians. The Local Action Plan, created 2011 in cooperation with the Association of Egyptians and the NGO ‘CSO Young Roma’, shows Tivat’s motivation to tackle the exclusion of Roma from multiple perspectives.

Tivat successfully established relations ...

The 2015 edition of the Dosta!-Congress Prize is now launched and the call for application has started! Every municipality and city from the Council of Europe’s 47 member states is eligible to submit an application form.

This bi-annual prize is awarded by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to municipalities and cities that show ...

On 21 April the Assembly of European Regions (AER) will organize its first Equal Opportunities Forum in 2015 in Strasbourg, dedicated to Roma Inclusion.

This Forum aims at setting up a network of regions and stakeholders willing to work on a project for Roma integration through education.

The Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion ...

"The Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe[1], representing young people in the member states of the Council Europe, takes the opportunity of International Roma Day to send its best ...

"Roma inclusion demands real efforts on the part of towns and regions: it is on their territories and with their infrastructure that practical responses can be provided'', Jean-Claude Frécon, President of the Congress, said on the occasion of International Roma Day on 8 April 2015. ''These efforts are central to the Alliance ...

The idea of a ‘European Roma Institute’ (ERI) seems to become concrete, as George Soros, President of the Open Society Foundation, and Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, reached an agreement to realize this innovative research institution. With the publication of a joint article the two sides explained the motivation ...

The Alliance is pleased to welcome the Belgian city of Anderlecht as the 126th participant. Anderlecht is situated in the region of Brussels-capital. With 113.183 inhabitants it is one of the biggest cities in Belgium.

Since 2011, there is an action plan, set up by the local authorities, favouring the inclusion of the resident Roma, featuring ...

On 19 March the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR), an initiative of the UNESCO, will organize a roundtable event on “Fighting Racism and Discrimination: History, Memory and Contemporary Challenges”. Part of the roundtable discussion will be a panel about proven practices to combat discrimination. The European Alliance for Roma ...

On 17th February the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion in cooperation with the city of Malaga hosted a national seminar in Spain on the topic of access to European funds. Among the participants were representatives of all Spanish regions, the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante & Malaga.

The two main ...

The European Alliance of cities and regions for Roma Inclusion welcomes the city of Daugavpils among its participants. Daugavpils is a city in the South of Latvia with almost 100.000 inhabitants. The work on Roma Inclusion concentrates at the level of the department of the education, which allowed the admission of 120 young Roma in schools.

In ...

On 17th February 2015, the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion organizes for the third time a national seminar in Spain on access of local and regional authorities to European investment and structural funds. Manuel LEZERTUA, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will participate in the event, which is ...

John Warmisham is the Congress’ Rapporteur for Roma issues. In this interview he explains the importance of making efforts to include Roma Youth at local and regional level. The voice of Roma, especially the one of young Roma leaders, has to have a place, as stated by the Congress’ Recommendation 354 (2014) on ‘Empowering Youth through participation’. ...

The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion is happy to announce its 124^th participant, as the Greek city of Megara decided to join the initiative to learn mutually about Roma inclusion. In his letter to Congress President Jean-Claude Frécon, mayor Stamoulis Grigorios wrote that the city of Megara undertakes numerous efforts ...

In an interview with the Alliance for Roma Inclusion, Congress member Dobrica Milovanovic from Serbia advocates for a comprehensive approach to Roma Inclusion on local level, to avoid merely temporary achievements. According to him, it is crucial to adopt an approach that features multiple stakeholders and perspectives. He refers to the good practice ...

On the occasion of the 27^th Congress Session, Congress Bureau member Ludmila Sfirloaga stated why she thinks cities and regions from Europe should join the Alliance for Roma Inclusion in order to integrate Roma into mainstream society. Mrs. Sfirloaga is a regional councillor of Prahova, Romania, where also the newest Alliance participant Ploiesti ...

ROMACT is a joint initiative by of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, implemented with the support of the Council of Europe Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, in order to promote the inclusion of Roma at local and regional level. ROMACT aims to strengthen the capacity of local and regional authorities (targeting both ...

The city of Ploiesti, Romania, joined the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion to raise its number of participants to 123. Mayor Iulian Badescu writes in his letter to Congress-President van Staa that Ploiesti “intends to make efforts in order to increase the visibility of the Roma community issues by involving citizens in ...

The Alliance Taskforce participated in the Human Rights Summer Academy of the European Training Center in Graz on Thursday 25 September 2014. The basic topic of this Summer Academy was “How to manage Human Rights and the City?”. Input was given by experts from the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union, who firstly introduced their ...

After a preliminary examination in June 2014 and subsequent amendments based on feedbacks from participating cities and regions, the Alliance strategic guidelines for the period of 2014-2020 have been officially approved by the Congress-Bureau on 8 September 2014. Those guidelines will be discussed at the first biennial conference of the Alliance ...

The cities and regions participating in the Alliance have all been invited to participate in a high-level conference, to be organised by the European Commission with the support of the Council of Europe, on 2 and 3 October 2014 in Brussels.

This conference will take stock of progress and lessons learnt from the first year of implementation of ...

In addition to preparing strategic guidelines on Alliance internal functioning and future activities, the Alliance participants have agreed to strengthen their cooperation through the use of an intranet website, to be put online in the course of July. This tool will allow them to be most effective in sharing key information about their respective ...

The Alliance Taskforce participated at an international conference of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement (EGAM) in Prague, 12-15 June 2014, that addressed the rise in racist violence and hate speech against Roma communities across Europe. The participants also exchanged views on the success and lessons learned of the Roma Pride events organized ...

At the meeting of the Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Baku (Azerbaijan) on 17 June 2014, John Warmisham, Congress Vice-President and Rapporteur on Roma issues presented a strategic document of the Alliance that defines key areas of activity for the upcoming years, as well as guidelines for the structure and mode of functioning ...

On 4 June 2014, the Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer and the Alliance Taskforce meet with a group of 56 Mayors from Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Ambassador to the Council of Europe Krassimira Beshkova to discuss Congress monitoring of local and regional democracy but also the role of local and regional authorities in promoting the inclusion ...

The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion held its 2^nd Spanish national on 28 May 2014 in Madrid to discuss improved access of local and regional authorities to  European structural and investments funds.

This event was organised in cooperation with the Spanish Ministry for Health, Social Services and Equality, the ...

The Alliance participated in the seminar of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on the role of national Specialised Bodies in supporting local authorities in the fight against racism and intolerance, held in Strasbourg on 22-23 May 2014. The Alliance representative, Mr Denis HUBER, Executive Secretary of the Chamber of ...

The Alliance Taskforce has participated in the 7th meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on Roma Issues (CAHROM) that took place on 14-16 May 2014 in Strasbourg. On 14th May Denis Huber, Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Regions and Head of the Department for Cooperation, Administration and External Relations of the Congress of Local and ...

At the 26^th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe 25-27 March 2014, the Alliance has received important political support. Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said on 25 March: “When it comes to the Roma, I would like to again congratulate you in the Congress for what you are doing. The network, the ...

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopted a report on “Empowering Roma youth through participation: effective policy design at local and regional levels” on 26 March 2014 during the 26^th Congress Session. This report was prepared by co-rapporteurs Inger Linge and John Warmisham, Congress Vice-President and Rapporteur on Roma Issues. ...

Congress President Herwig van Staa and Rudko Kawczynski, President of the European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF), officially signed on 26th March, in the framework of the 26th Congress Session, a cooperation agreement between the ERTF and the Congress.

This agreement is aimed at deepening cooperation between the Congress and the ERFT in pursuit ...

The City of Kragujevac in Serbia has become the 122^nd participant to the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion. In his letter of accession to Congress President Herwig van Staa, Veroljub Stevanovic, mayor of Kraguvjevac, pointed that his municipality is “eager to cooperate and learn from others”, and that he is “convinced ...

In an interview to the French agency Newspress on 6. March 2014,  Jean-Claude Frécon, Senator and Vice-President of the Congress, emphasized that it is the local level where practical problems are treated and issues of Roma inclusion can addressed. “It is much more in local communities that we encounter difficulties and where experiments ...

The first workshop of French local authorities participating in the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion was held on Thursday 13th February 2014 at the Council of Europe Office in Paris. Participants were informed of the activities of the Alliance since it was launched in March 2013 and discussed its future action plan, ...

“Policy measures at local and regional level are decisive for bringing about real improvement in the social inclusion of Roma, across the key areas of education, housing, employment and health “stated John Warmisham, Congress Rapporteur on Roma issues at the Launching Conference of the ROMACT/ROMED 2 Programmes in Milan on 18 January 2014. He ...

On 18 January 2014, the ROMACT and the ROMED2 programmes was officially launched in Italy, during a conference held in Milan. This event was opened by Mrs Gabriella BATTAINI-DRAGONI, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Ms Cécile KYENGE, Italian Minister of integration, Ms Maria Cecilia GUERRA, Italian Vice-Minister of Labour and ...

The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion has published a new brochure with information on the background of its creation, its objectives and cooperation activities. The brochure is now available in 12 languages and can be downloaded in pdf-format here:

‘’I welcome the decision by the city of Paris to join the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma inclusion, which has now 121 members.’’ stated Jean -Claude Frécon , Vice- President of the Congress on 18 December 2013, at the ceremony marking this event in the presence of Pierre Schapira and Claudine Bouygues, Deputy Mayors of ...

The European Parliament, at its Plenary Session held on 12^th December 2013, adopted a resolution on the implementation of the national Roma integration strategies (2013/2924(RSP). In its paragraph 11, the Parliament “urges the Member States to involve local and regional authorities in reviewing, managing, implementing and monitoring their national ...

The Committee of the Regions of the European Union, at its 104th Plenary Session held on 28th and 29th November 2013, has adopted an opinion on Roma integration strategies in which it explicitly recognizes the work of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on Roma issues. It calls more especially on the EU institutions “to work more closely ...

The Alliance participated to a Colloquy of the French League of Human Rights on "Roma Rights", Thursday  12 December 2013, Maison de l'Europe, Paris

This Colloquy organised by the French League of Human Rights (LDH), in cooperation with the Maison de l’Europe, entitled "Roma rights: action is possible " was an opportunity ...

A Seminar on the Role of Youth Policies in Supporting Roma Youth Participation took place at the European Youth Centre in Budapest, Hungary, from 19 to 21 November 2013. This seminar aimed at discussing, amongst other issues, the importance of involving the Roma youth in local and regional politics, the development of action plans as well as the ...

On 5 November, the ROMACT project, as well as the new phase of ROMED2, was officially launched in Slovakia, during a conference held in the City of Kosice. This event has been opened by Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Koos Richelle, Director General for Employment, Social ...

On the 8 November in Madrid, the Alliance organised a national workshop for its participating Spanish local authorities in order  to review their needs and priorities and favor an exchange of information and good practices on projects aiming Roma inclusion. This meeting gathered representatives from the City of Madrid, Barcelona, La Coruña, ...

The 4^th Dosta!-Congress Prize for Municipalities has been awarded to the city of Obrnice (Czech Republic), the city of Heraklion (Greece), and the regional authority of Kocaeli (Turkey). "Dosta", a Romani word meaning "enough", is an awareness raising campaign for the Council of Europe which aims at bringing non-Roma closer to Roma citizens. Following ...

On 30 October the Dosta!-Congress Prize for Municipalities will be awarded for innovative municipal projects promoting Roma inclusion, combating discrimination against Roma, and raising awareness of Roma culture and rights. Three cities and regions will receive the prize in the framework of the 25^th Congress Session in Strasbourg (29-31 October ...

On 30-31 October in Marseille (France), the Alliance together with the European Institute of Cultural Routes and the Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region (PACA) co-organised an international conference under the general label of promoting and networking for the European dimension of Roma culture.

This was to raise awareness of Roma culture ...

Registration is still possible by email or phone by giving your name, surname, titel and the organisation you are ...

Following the first national launching meeting of the ROMACT programme together with the new phase of ROMED2, which took place in Budapest with over 100 national and international players, four other official launching events will be held in Albena, Bulgaria on 14 October, in Bucharest, Romania on 15 October, in Kosice, Slovakia on 5 November, a ...

The new ROMACT programme was officially launched in Budapest (Hungary) on Friday 4 October at a national conference attended by over 100 national and international players. Laszl? Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Zoltàn Kovàcs, Hungarian Secretary of State for Social Inclusion, and Jeroen Schokkenbroek, ...

On 20 September 2013, more than 80 participants from 13 countries convened in Radenci, Slovenia, to discuss the housing situation of Roma in Europe. The International Conference on Roma Housing in Europe was organized by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion in co-operation with the Slovenian NGO Romano Kher Project Group ...

The Roma families complained about the humidity and the bad conditions in which they were living these rainy days. The minister presented steps that can be quickly implemented and discussed with representatives of the Roma community the possible housing solutions. “We proposed three or four places, all of them in a closer place than the one ...

On 20 September 2013, local and regional authorities from all over Europe convene in Murksa Sobota, Slovenia, to exchange best practice projects that improve the housing conditions of Roma. The International Conference on Roma Housing is organized by the Council of Europe’s European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion in co-operation ...

The Romano Kher - Roma House Project, in collaboration with the Council of Europe’s Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, would like to invite you to the International Conference on Roma Housing in Europe, that will take place in Murska Sobota, Slovenia, on 20th September 2013.

Many Roma continue to live under conditions ...

Auschwitz, 2 August 2013 – The world’s largest Roma Genocide Remembrance Event “Dik I na Bistar / look and don’t forget” took place on 2th August at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum. It was organized by the ternYpe International Roma Youth Network. More than 400 youths from over 20 countries participated at the youth commemoration ...

“We are reminded, on 2 August, the day of remembrance for the hundreds of thousands of Roma massacred by the Nazis during the Second World War, of the need to build a Europe of peace and tolerance, involving all levels of governance”, in the words of Herwig van Staa, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council ...

The General Council of the French département of Val de Marne has just joined the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, bringing the membership up to 120 local and regional authorities. The General Council’s decision to join followed a visit by a delegation from the Val de Marne to Strasbourg on 10 June 2013.

The Alliance ...

The 4^th edition of the Dosta! Congress Prize for Municipalities is now open.

Following the success of the previous editions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion of the Council of Europe is once again partnering the Dosta! Campaign run by the Support Team ...

Youth is a priority when it comes to Roma inclusion, therefore Nikolai Atefie, the Alliance Youth Project Manager, participated from 12th to 19th May 2013 in the seminar “Demystifying Roma: Challenging Stereotypes and Narratives about Roma” in Tuscany and the City of Florence. The event was organized by Phiren Amenca, a Budapest-based network ...

On 2 May 2013 the Austrian Service Abroad awarded Mr. Hugo Höllenreiner, a German Sinto who survived the Pharrajimos (Roma Holocaust), with the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award 2013. During the ceremony, which was held at the Jewish Museum Munich (Germany), the former President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Charlotte Knobloch said ...

'European spirit originates from face-to-face encounters between the cultures, that is why I think that exchanges with minorities such as the Roma are important for mutual understanding'', stressed Christine Oppitz-Plörer (Austria, EPP/CCE), the Mayor of Innsbruck, during a meeting with a Congress representative on 26 April in Innsbruck. ...

The European Commission has prepared an interactive map of over 600 entries of regions, cities and municipalities that are committed to actively work towards ensuring the inclusion of Roma citizens and have joined initiatives to support them in reaching this goal. Besides the Alliance, which at the moment has 114 cities and regions, the Open Society ...

In view of International Roma Day on 8 April which brings attention to challenges Roma people continue to face in Europe, Herwig van Staa, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, underlined the responsibility of local and regional authorities to provide inclusive Roma policies. “As local and regional ...

Strasbourg, 20.03.2013 – Today the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion was launched in the framework of the 24^th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. High level representatives from cities and regions as well as international organisations came together to formally ...

On 17-18 December 2012, the Council of Europe's European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, together with the joint Roma mediators programme ROMED, organised its first activity during its test phase – an international workshop on "Inclusive Education: Local Policies and Practices", which took place in Budapest, Hungary.

This ...

The Institute of Rehousing and Social Integration (IRIS), part of the Regional Transport, Infrastructure and Housing Government of the Autonomous Region of Madrid, in collaboration with the Council of Europe's European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, convened an 'International Seminar on Public Policies of Housing for ...

The theme of the international seminar on 17 – 18 of December 2012 in Budapest will be education policies for Roma, with a focus on inclusive education in mainstream schools and the provision of education in Romani language and culture. The meeting will bring together the city and regional authorities and players, in order to exchange views, benefit ...

On 9 October 2012, Congress President Keith Whitmore had an exchange of views with President of the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR), Deputy Mayor of Toulouse (France) Jean-Paul Makengo. The ECCAR President presented the work of the 105-member Coalition founded by UNESCO in 2004, pointing out that several coalition cities are ...

Representatives of European cities and regions, EU institutions, international Roma networks and NGOs gathered on 25 September at the Council of Europe Headquarters in Strasbourg for a consultation meeting to discuss the role and action of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion. This meeting provided the participants with ...

''Again I must speak out about the housing situation of Roma in Europe'', said John Warmisham, Thematic Rapporteur on Roma/Travellers of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. ''In the past, I have denounced the forced eviction of Roma from various settlements in different Council of ...

In order to better define the mandate and future activities of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities sent a questionnaire in early April 2012 to regional and local authorities in Europe, with the aim of collecting information on their concrete needs, priorities and interests ...

The future "European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion" was presented to the participants of the Conference on Equal Opportunities, organised by the Assembly of European Regions in Vienna on 8 May 2012, as an example of a promising pan-European project in improving the situation of Roma. In particular, the emphasis was made on the ...

''It is time to bring an end to the forced evictions of Roma in Europe'', stressed John Warmisham, Thematic Rapporteur on Roma/Travellers of the Congress, reacting to the eviction of the Belvil Settlement in Belgrade. ''Like the forced eviction of Roma families from their homes in Vilnius and Tirana last February, the ...

In view of International Roma Day on 8 April, President Whitmore, underlined the role of territorial self-government bodies for the implementation of inclusive and socially responsible Roma policies: “Since in many Council of Europe countries, the local and regional authorities are in charge of housing, social care and educational establishments, ...

''The Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, which is in the process of being put together, will be a very concrete follow-up to the Summit of Mayors on Roma'', John Warmisham, Congress thematic Rapporteur stated during the debate held on Wednesday 21 March. Its main objectives will be to improve local and regional ...

Practical aspects of the future European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion as well as its mandate, structure, the general frame for membership and possible activities were discussed at a meeting in Strasbourg on 22 February 2012. This was the second meeting of the Core Group of local and regional elected representatives working to ...

In its final declaration, adopted on 22 September 2011, the Summit of Mayors on Roma launched the proposal to establish an European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion, to be set up as a framework for co-operation and sharing of good practices. On the day of the Summit, 11 cities declared their commitment to form a core group to build ...

“We are reminded, on 2 August, the day of remembrance for the hundreds of thousands of Roma massacred by the Nazis during the Second World War, of the need to build a Europe of peace and tolerance, involving all levels of governance”, in the words of Herwig van Staa, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council ...