News Archive

Roma Responsive Budgeting at the local level discussed in Podgorica
13 Jun 2022

A meeting on improving budgeting for Roma and the Egyptians at the local level was held on 13 June in Podgorica. The event was organised by the Council of Europe Programme Office – through the joint EU-CoE ROMACTED Phase II Programme, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, and the ...


"Romology" Programme accredited for the first time in Montenegro
07 Jun 2022

For the first time, Romology studies are accredited program in Montenegro by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, founded by the Institute of Foreign Languages. The curriculum is composed of four modules: "Roma Identity and Identity Dilemmas," "Roma Culture," ...


RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu met with Roma entrepreneurs
26 Oct 2021

Following the validation of the Brdo Declaration and the commitment of the Western Balkans partners to the primacy of democracy, fundamental rights and values, as well their commitment to fully implement Green Agenda; and the 4th Western Balkans Digital Summit that especially emphasized the ...


Donors Conference on Roma Inclusion in Montenegro held in Podgorica
07 Oct 2021

Roma Integration Action team supported organisation of the Donors Conference on Roma Inclusion in Montenegro, hosted by the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights - Division for Roma and Egyptian Inclusion.


Analyses of mainstream policies targeting Roma integration
03 Feb 2021

In order to provide input for constructive and evidence-based discussion on effective ways to incorporate Roma integration into the Mainstream Policies the documents provide information for: The key mainstream policies favourable for Roma integration in each economy; The opportunities ...


Fifth Task Force Meeting Held Online
15 Dec 2020

Fifth Task Force Meeting Held Online - Mapping of informal settlements, ending statelessness, data collection, and Roma responsive budgeting in focus In the course of COVID-19 pandemic, RCC’s Roma Integration held its fifth Task Force meeting on 15 December 2020 online, striving to ...


Policy Briefs on Roma Responsive Budgeting
14 Jan 2020

The Western Balkans’ six economies, participating in the Roma Responsive Budgeting Initiative led by the Roma Integration project, have been working progressively on piloting the Guidelines for Roma Responsive Budgeting developed in 2018 within the inter-governmental working group ...


Fourth Task Force Meeting: Housing is essential to one's sense of dignity, safety, and inclusion
13 Dec 2019

The RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 project held its fourth Task Force meeting in Belgrade on 12 and 13 December 2019. The key stakeholders of the project reviewed the status of activities in the seven participating economies, discussed the status of implementation of the Declaration of the ...


Regional Conference: Mapping of Roma Housing in the Region (Sarajevo, 2019)
05 Nov 2019

The RCC-s Roma Integration 2020 Action Team presented a Methodology for Mapping of Roma Housing in the WB. Regional Conference on Housing in Sarajevo brought together regional National Roma Contact Points, representatives from the relevant ministries, Roma civil society representatives and ...


Roma Declaration – A new Energy for Regional Cooperation
03 Jul 2019

  The Ministers of economy, interior and foreign affairs of the economies participating in the Berlin Process will meet in Poznan on 4 and 5 July 2019. The Summit will also be attended by representatives of the European Commission (EC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation ...


The path of young Roma from education to employment discussed at the Regional Seminar
19 Jun 2019

  Western Balkans Regional Seminar “Roma youth: from Education to Employment” held in Skopje on 19 June was organized by the Roma Education Fund to discuss two key and inseparable elements for effective Roma integration: education and employment. The seminar gathered together ...


Second Steering Committee of ROMACTED Programme held in Skopje
18 Jun 2019

  The second Steering Committee of the Joint European Union and Council of Europe ROMACTED Programme was held in Skopje on 18 June 2019. The representatives from the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), the Council of Europe, representatives ...


National Platform in Montenegro offered new solutions for employment and housing for the Roma community
11 Jun 2019

  The RCC Roma Integration project hosted the National Platform for Roma Integration in Montenegro on 11 June 2019 in Podgorica. Recognizing the challenges in housing and employment for Roma, this platform focused on identifying measures that could bring new solutions for successful ...


Funds should be invested where they are most needed
05 Jun 2019

  Roma Integration Project works with the region on ensuring Roma responsive budgeting  The way regional budget programs are designed in their current financial systems, seem to be rigid and lack flexibility of intervention either to introduce a new product related directly ...


Third meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting
08 Nov 2018

Rome – The Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting, comprising of the National Roma Contacts Points (NRCP) representatives of Ministries of Finances from the economies in the enlargement region, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Roma Integration ...


RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 at 2018 EU Platform on Roma Inclusion in Brussels
10 Oct 2018

Usein: Full social support package along with housing solution needed for sustainable integration of Roma in the region Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team, prepared a set of recommendations intended to resolve the ...


Progress Reports on the Integration of Roma for 2017 submitted by the RI2020 Participating Governments
10 Sep 2018

The Governments participating in the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)'s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) submitted annual reports on the implementation of their national strategies and action plans on Roma integration for 2017, according to the regionally adopted standards for monitoring ...


High level of discrimination in the labour market against Roma in the South East Europe region
06 Jul 2018

Brussels – Roma and other minorities in the South East Europe region continue to suffer from unacceptably high levels of discrimination in the labour market, revealed results of 2018 edition of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Balkan Barometer (BB), an annual survey of citizens ...


Second Meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting
03 Jul 2018

Bucharest – The second meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020), took place in Bucharest today.  


Regional Conference: Holistic Approach to Housing of Roma in the Enlargement Region (Bar, 2018)
31 May 2018

Bar – A two day conference “Holistic Approach to Housing for Roma in the Enlargement Region”, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team, started in Bar today.


Third National Platform meeting on Roma Integration in Montenegro (Podgorica, 2018)
30 May 2018

Podgorica – The third National Platform meeting on Roma Integration in Montenegro for 2018, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council(RCC)’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team in close cooperation with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro, took place ...


For improvement of socio-economic position of Roma fight against anti-Gypsyism and discrimination is a must
22 May 2018

Belgrade – RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Policy Expert Aleksandra Bojadjieva spoke today at the presentation of the report “Wall of Anti-Gypsism – Roma in Serbia”, one of five from the series “The Wall on Anti-Gypsyism – Reports on Roma Rights ...


First meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting
26 Apr 2018

Vienna – The RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting, consisting of the RI2020 Action Team, independent budget experts, National Roma Contacts Points (NRCP) and representatives of Ministries of Finances ...


National Roma Contact Points join the EU Roma Week in Brussels
09 Apr 2018

Brussels - National Roma Contact Points from each of the economy participating at the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration 2020 project, joined the third EU Roma Week – a  series of events providing recommendations on combating anti-Gypsyism and continued structural ...


Regional Conference: Filling in the Budget Gaps in Roma Integration Policies (Tirana, 2017)
10 Nov 2017

The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team organized a regional conference on 10 November in Tirana to address the needs and priorities in the Western Balkans and Turkey concerning filling in the budget gaps in Roma Integration Policies, with a ...


Second Task Force meeting: Budgeting in the region to be improved to reflect measures for integration of Roma
21 Sep 2017

Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 Action Team (RI2020) is given the mandate to work with the governments on developing regional standards for budgeting Roma Integration policies and mainstream budgeting responsible to Roma integration, at the RI2020 Task Force ...


RCC's Roma Integration 2020 Policy Expert participates at the OSCE HDIM 2017
18 Sep 2017

Ms Aleksandra Bojadjieva, Policy Expert at the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration 2020 Action Team, participated at Working session 10: Tolerance and Non-Discrimination I. The session focused on the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, particularly Roma and ...


Second National Platform on Roma Integration in Montenegro (Podgorica, 2017)
05 Jul 2017

The second National Platform on Roma Integration for 2017 in Montenegro was held on 05 July 2017 in Podgorica, Montenegro by the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration 2020 Action Team in close cooperation with the National Roma Contact Point of Montenegro, Mr Leon Gjokaj, General ...


National Workshop: Public Budgeting for Roma Integration in Montenegro
04 Jul 2017

 The replication of the RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 regional workshop on budgeting public funds for the integration of Roma in the Montenegro was held in Sutomore on 03-04 July 2017. Public servants from relevant ministries implementing the Roma integration Strategy of Montenegro ...


Streamlining Roma issues in the regional discourse on discrimination at work and in employment
30 May 2017

Discrimination at work and in employment affects human dignity and restricts human rights and freedoms. Responsible institutions must respond properly to this phenomenon. This was the key message from the opening of the regional conference “Discrimination at work and in employment” ...


Regional Workshop: Public Budgeting for Roma Integration Policies (Skopje, 2017)
20 Mar 2017

A two-day regional workshop on budgeting for Roma integration policies, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 project (RI2020), took place in Skopje on 20-21 March 2017. The Workshop participants discussed public financing and budgeting allocations ...


Regional Workshop: Monitoring and Reporting on Roma Integration (Vienna, 2016)
12 Dec 2016

The regional workshop on monitoring and reporting, organised by Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team of Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), started in Vienna today. It will provide the participants with the necessary skills for data collection, use of monitoring indicators and reporting ...


First National Platform on Roma Integration in Montenegro (Podgorica, 2016)
01 Dec 2016

Podgorica – The 2016 cycle of the Public Dialogue Forums on implementation and priority measures on Roma issues, that took place throughout the region in the past few months, concluded with the Forum in Podgorica today. The events have been organised by the Regional Cooperation Council’s ...


First Task Force meeting: Regional standards for reporting on progress, outcomes and budget for Roma integration
09 Nov 2016

The Roma Integration 2020 Action Team organized the first Task Force meeting of the Roma Integration 2020 project. The Task Force, which is composed of the National Roma Contact Points from the participating economies, two civil society representatives, the European Commission DG NEAR, Open ...


High Level Launch Event: Before accession, countries will need to prove tangible progress on Roma inclusion
09 Jun 2016

Brussels - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and the European Commission (EC) jointly launched the “Roma Integration 2020” initiative today in Brussels. The event brought together Roma integration policy leaders from the Western Balkans and ...