EU Roma Strategic Framework brings positive progress on Roma rights across the EU with further efforts needed
The European Commission has published the third implementation report on the EU Roma Strategic Framework, covering the period from June 2023 to March 2025. The report identifies how the framework is helping advance Roma equality, inclusion and participation across the Union, while also outlining the remaining challenges.
Progress can be seen across areas such as employment, early childhood education and care, as well as strengthening national coordination of Roma equality and inclusion policies and increasing political recognition of antigypsyism.
Severe material deprivation among Roma people has decreased significantly, from 62% in 2016 to 37% in 2024, while the proportion of young Roma in employment, education or training has risen from 38% to 53%. Housing deprivation has declined, from 61% to 47%. The proportion of Roma in paid employment has increased from 43% to 54%, with most employment-related targets expected to be reached by 2030 if the current progress continues. Participation in early childhood education and care has also risen from 42% to 53%, although it remains significantly below that of the general population.
However, progress remains uneven and barriers remain to true equality for Roma people in Europe. Progress is stagnant in relation to segregation in education, overcrowding, paid gender work gap, discrimination experiences, and reporting of them. For example, only around one third of Roma young people complete upper secondary education, and nearly half of Roma children continue to attend segregated schools. 31% of Roma still experience ethnic discrimination. Moreover, poverty and social exclusion remain entrenched, with 77% of Roma children at risk of poverty and 40% of Roma households living in severe material deprivation.
The Commission calls on Member States to sustain and ramp up the efforts needed to achieve the 2030 targets of the EU Roma strategic framework.
Next steps
Member States should strengthen the implementation of their national Roma strategic frameworks through stronger institutional capacity, better coordination and monitoring, and integrated, cross-sectoral policies. The Commission will continue supporting Member States in these efforts, including through the European Social Fund+ which provides approximately pound 1.8 billion to fund targeted interventions for marginalised communities, such as Roma, in 15 Member States for the period 2021-2027. The Commission will continue monitoring the thorough implementation of the EU Roma Strategic Framework, with the next implementation report foreseen in 2028.
Background
The EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2020-2030 introduced, for the first time, EU headline quantitative targets for 2030. The framework is complemented by the Council Recommendation of 12 March 2021, under which Member States committed to adopting and implementing national Roma strategic frameworks.
Implementation reports draw on Member States’ reports, data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Roma Surveys, and contributions from Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations, as well as other stakeholders.
The Racial Equality Directive, the Council Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia, the revised Victims’ Rights Directive, and the Equality Body Directives also contribute to building a Union of Equality for all. Recent EU initiatives, including the European Affordable Housing Plan, the strengthened European Child Guarantee, and substantial ESF+ funding for Roma-targeted projects, aim to mainstream Roma inclusion across policy domains.
For more information
Report on the progress made in the implementation of the national Roma strategic frameworks
Implementation Report: Staff Working Document
EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation
National Roma strategic frameworks – Commission assessment and implementation reports
Commission’s Anti-Racism Strategy
Quote(s)
I am determined to continue our work for Roma inclusion and participation in all aspects of life. This is a matter of equality, dignity and fairness for all. But it is also a political and economic necessity: Europe cannot be strong, united or competitive if millions of people are left behind. A fairer future for Roma is essential for the whole of the EU.
Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness
Six million Roma people call Europe home. Six million people with dreams, talents and ambitions. Yet too many Roma children still face barriers at school. Too many parents struggle to find a job or a decent home because of discrimination. Equality is a European value that must be felt in classrooms, workplaces and everyday life. One fair chance can change a life. Every Roma child in Europe deserves that chance.
Commission takes new steps to prepare Europeans for growing crisis risks
As Europe faces increasingly frequent and complex crises, the European Commission is stepping up efforts to strengthen preparedness across the EU. From helping citizens protect themselves during emergencies to ensuring that national civil protection systems can keep operating when disaster strikes, the EU is delivering concrete measures to make Europe more resilient.
Today, at the European Civil Protection Forum, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib presented new guidelines to help people and communities prepare for emergencies, including during the first 72 hours of a crisis. She also announced plans for an annual EU Preparedness Day, with the first edition planned in October 2027. These initiatives build on a recently adopted Commission Recommendation on operational continuity and stress-testing to strengthen the resilience of national civil protection contact points across Europe.
Together, they mark further progress in delivering the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, turning Europe’s preparedness ambitions into practical action.
New guidelines to strengthen population preparedness
From packing essentials in an emergency bag to knowing how to react when disaster strikes, preparedness starts with practical steps. The Commission’s new guidelines will help authorities give people the knowledge and tools they need to protect themselves and others in a crisis.
They cover four key areas:
72-hour self-sufficiency: helping people meet their essential needs during the first three days of an emergency, while public assistance is being mobilised, including through essential emergency supplies and emergency grab bags.
Preparedness education: integrating preparedness into early childhood and primary education curricula and providing training for educators, helping children develop preparedness skills from an early age through accessible, age-appropriate activities, without creating fear or anxiety.
Disability-inclusive preparedness: making preparedness measures more inclusive and accessible, taking into account the needs of persons with disabilities and encouraging their participation in preparedness planning, so nobody is left behind.
Communicating risks and threats: helping authorities communicate risks and threats more effectively, ensuring that citizens receive timely, accessible and reliable information before, during and after emergencies.
Together, these non-binding guidelines aim to foster a culture of preparedness across Europe, ensuring that individuals and communities are better informed, equipped and able to anticipate and respond to crises.
EU Preparedness Day
To help making preparedness a shared priority across Europe, the Commission is proposing to establish an annual EU Preparedness Day, to be held every 23 October, starting in 2027. It will encourage citizens and communities to take an active role in preparing for emergencies to protect themselves and others.
The annual event will also recognise the efforts and work of national, regional and local authorities, civil protection organisations and communities in strengthening preparedness across Europe.
The date marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Civil Protection Mechanism on 23 October 2001, recognising its role in fostering European solidarity and coordinating disaster response within and beyond the EU over the past 25 years.
The initiative reflects the importance of citizen engagement, also highlighted by the European Citizens’ Panel on Preparedness. Bringing together 150 citizens from across the EU in March-May 2026, the Panel recommended, among other measures, the organisation of an annual EU Preparedness Week.
The Commission will work with the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions on a joint declaration supporting the initiative.
Strengthening operational continuity and stress-testing
The recently adopted Recommendation on operational continuity and stress-testing aims to help EU Member States and UCPM Participating States ensure that their national civil protection contact points under the Civil Protection Mechanism remain operational at all times, even during disruptive events.
Drawing on lessons from recent crises and disruptions, the non-binding Recommendation provides practical guidance on developing operational continuity plans and regularly testing continuity arrangements. By strengthening the resilience of these national contact points, it aims to ensure that the Mechanism can continue operating around the clock and respond effectively when emergencies occur.
Background
The EU Preparedness Union Strategy, adopted in March 2025, sets out a comprehensive approach to strengthening Europe’s capacity to anticipate, prevent and respond to crises and threats.
Building on the recommendations of the Niinistö Report, the Strategy promotes a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach, recognising that preparedness is a shared responsibility involving public authorities, businesses, civil society and citizens.
The Strategy includes concrete actions to strengthen population preparedness, improve risk awareness and reinforce the EU’s capacity to respond to emergencies.
The Population Preparedness Guidelines are published with four accompanying guidance documents, including examples of good practice from Member States and worldwide. As part of an ongoing collaborative process, the guidance may be reviewed at a later stage, taking into account feedback and lessons learnt.
For more information
EU Preparedness Union Strategy
European Civil Protection Forum 2026
25 years – EU Civil Protection Mechanism
Population Preparedness Guidelines
Commission recommendation on operational continuity stress testing
EU Civil Protection Mechanism
Quote(s)
When disaster strikes, the first hours can make all the difference. Every European should know what to do, how to protect their family, and how to help others. Preparedness starts in our homes, in our schools, in our communities. That is why we are giving people practical tools to prepare for crises, while strengthening the systems they rely on when emergencies hit.
Commission collects feedback on improving the repairability of products in the EU
The European Commission has launched a public consultation and a call for evidence to prepare future EU ecodesign requirements that will make it easier for consumers to repair the products they buy. By setting new repairability requirements under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Commission supports the EU’s ambition to have a more circular and competitive economy.
Future reparability requirements will contribute to making a wide range of products placed on the EU market easier to repair, thus extending their lifetime and reducing waste. With those new requirements, consumers will benefit from longer-lasting products, lower repair costs, and more choice when fixing everyday items.
The Commission is seeking feedback from all interested parties – including citizens, businesses, NGOs, public authorities, and researchers – to assess current repairability challenges faced by consumers and repairers, as well as possible measures to improve repairability, including access to spare parts or availability of repair and maintenance.
The public consultation and call for evidence are open until 9 February 2027. The feedback will feed into the impact assessment work for a possible delegated act setting out new repairability requirements under the ESPR.
The ESPR is a cornerstone of the EU’s strategy to establish a single market for sustainable products. The Commission is now implementing the ESPR working plan 2025-2030, with the preparation of delegated acts for priority product groups like iron and steel, textiles, aluminium, furniture, tyres, as well as horizontal measures on reparability and recycled content.
Commission conditionally approves JD.com’s acquisition of CECONOMY under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
The European Commission has approved, under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (‘FSR’), the acquisition of CECONOMY AG (‘CECONOMY’) by JD.com, Inc. (‘JD.com’). The approval is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments offered by the parties.
Today’s decision follows the opening of an in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition and the sending of a Statement of Grounds.
During its in-depth investigation, the Commission gathered further information from the parties, as well as feedback from the parties’ competitors, and found that JD.com received subsidies in the form of preferential financing, tax incentives and grants from the PRC that are liable to distort the internal market.
To address the Commission’s competition concerns, the parties offered to conduct intra-group transactions between JD.com and CECONOMY on market terms, to provide JD.com’s warehousing and logistic services to third-party retailers on the same terms as those provided to CECONOMY, and to provide JD.com’s technology services to third parties on the same terms as those provided to CECONOMY.
The Commission found that these commitments fully and effectively remedy the distortion resulting from the identified foreign subsidies, by preventing cross-subsidisation from JD.com to CECONOMY and eliminating the combined entity’s competitive advantage resulting from JD.com’s subsidised logistic and technological capabilities.
Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, said: ‘Consumers benefit from a competitive retail and e-commerce sector, with a level playing field for companies. The parties’ constructive approach has enabled commitments that effectively address the identified foreign subsidies and their potential distortive effects in the internal market, including by preventing cross-subsidisation of the parties’ European operations.’