European Commission releases Autumn Package 2024: What’s in it for Europe’s Roma?
On 21 November 2023, the European Commission published the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey, accompanied by the draft Joint Employment Report (among other annexes), launching the next European Semester 2024. The Annual Sustainable Growth Survey (ASGS) highlights the main policy priorities for the European Union for the year to come, and it outlines the main tools for implementing these objectives. The Communication also outlines the key aspects of the 2024 European Semester cycle and confirms the commitment to the four complementary dimensions of environmental sustainability, productivity, fairness, and macroeconomic stability.
ERGO Network warmly welcomes the explicit mention of the Roma in this year’s Annual Sustainable Growth Survey (page 9) in the context of supporting their access to employment. We further appreciate wording on the Union of Equality (page 7), which includes the EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation and the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, though they are sadly not mentioned explicitly. However, disappointingly, discrimination, racism, or antigypsyism are not mentioned at all.
As every year, the main focus of the document is on the green and digital transitions. Social concerns are dealt with under the Fairness section (one of the four dimensions of the European Semester), which is rather narrowly dedicated to employment and skills. Nevertheless, we appreciate calls to strengthen collective bargaining and to raise wage levels, support adequate social protection and social inclusion, and improve access to quality early childhood education and care (although this is clearly done from a labour market perspective rather than children’s rights).
We are very pleased to see Europe’s Roma mentioned multiple times in the Joint Employment Report, concerning issues such as their heightened risk of experiencing poverty and social exclusion (including that of children), low participation of Roma children in early childhood education and care, early school leaving, need for better access to desegregated housing, low employment rates, difficulties in accessing essential social services. Additionally, strong links are made to the EU Strategic Framework on Roma Equality, Inclusion, and Participation and its targets throughout the text, coupled with references to the Council Recommendation and recent Council Conclusions. Regrettably, though, there is no mention of antigypsyism or racism, and only 12 references to discrimination, however, one of them referring specifically to the plight of the Roma.
The ASGS explicitly urges Member States to “actively engage with stakeholders, including social partners, local and regional authorities, as well as relevant civil society organisations” throughout the European Semester and the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (our bold). This is very positive, as are the several references to civil society in the draft Joint Employment Report.
The ASGS also provides some clarity about the future of the European Semester, as well as what are the key steps and milestones to be expected for 2024. As usual, this will include the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, that of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, and that of the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the 2024 Semester will also look at the Cohesion Policy programmes, exploring how they complement the Recovery and Resilience Facility, with a view to feeding into the mid-term review of the current programming period (2021-2027).
ERGO Network will continue to advocate for a stronger focus on Roma rights and inclusion in the framework of these processes and for stronger synergies between the European Semester and the EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion, and Participation, the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, and other relevant policies.
For more information about ERGO Network’s work on EU social inclusion and employment policy (European Semester, European Pillar of Social Rights, Sustainable Development Goals etc), please contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro.