European Commission releases Spring Package 2026: What’s in it for Europe’s Roma?
On 3 June 2026, the European Commission published the Spring Package in the framework of the 2026 European Semester, comprising (among others) 27 Country Reports, 27 Country-Specific Recommendations, and a Communication on the Spring Package. ERGO Network and its national members reviewed the Package, to see to what extent it explicitly mentions Roma rights and inclusion, ethnic minorities, discrimination, and racism (including antigypsyism), as well as to assess whether national civil society was involved in the drafting of its documents.
Key Findings
1. The Communication on the Spring Package mentions the Roma once, exclusively regarding increasing their labour market participation – but nothing on health, housing, education, discrimination.
2. 13 Country Reports include references to the Roma (BG, CZ, EE, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, PT, RO, SI, SK, ES) in 2026, four more than in 2025, but still insufficient, as the Roma live in 26 EU Member States.
3. There is no Country-Specific Recommendation on Roma, a tremendous step back from 2025 with 5 Roma CSRs (BG, CZ, HU, RO, SK); the Roma are mentioned in 8 Preambles, one more than in 2025.
4. Ethnic minorities appear in 7 Country Reports (BG, HU, HR, IE, LV, RO, SK) and discrimination is mentioned in 13 (BE, BG, CY, CZ, DK, FI, FR, IE, NL, PL, RO, SK, ES), 5 of which about the Roma.
5. (Roma) Civil society was unevenly involved in the Country Reports, but it is mentioned in 10 of them (BG, CZ, DE, DK, HU, IE, PL, PT, RO, SK), and in all Preambles of the CSRs.
ERGO Network and its members are dismayed by the disappearance of Roma CSRs, with not a single Member State receiving a Recommendation on Roma inclusion, as opposed to 5 Member States last year. It is our members’ experience that, unless the Roma are explicitly named as key target beneficiaries of support measures, and unless specific measures and resources are dedicated to them, mainstream initiatives and broad national and EU funds end up not reaching them.
While we appreciate the increased number of Roma references in the Country Reports, as well as more attention paid in general to ethnic minorities and discrimination, this is not enough if it is not translated into concrete, measurable policy triggers through the CSRs. The Roma are present in all Member States except Malta, and experience very high rates of poverty and social exclusion, so we would have liked to see them adequately included in the Spring Package, not least through the CSRs.
The recurrent focus on competitiveness as well as productivity and curbing public spending signals difficult times for social inclusion, human rights, and equality. Our members also express disappointment that issues of discrimination and antigypsyism are largely absentfrom the present Package. The fact that the Country Reports and Country-Specific Recommendations do not seek to establish explicit synergies with the EU and national Roma Frameworks, and with the National Action Plans against Racism, is considered a significant missed opportunity.
Finally, ERGO Network members deplore the lack of recognition and support given to civil society organisations in the Country Reports and Country-Specific Recommendations, given that most of them are not only on the frontlines, providing essential support to communities in need, but also possess the knowledge, expertise, and direct links to beneficiaries which are needed to inform the design of sustainable and effective public policies.
For more information about ERGO Network’s work on the European Semester, contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro.
