October 15, 2024

Center Amalipe warns of threats against the civil sector during Forums organized by the European Commission and OSCE

Restrictive legislation and threats to the civil sector were among the main issues that representatives of Center Amalipe raised at the European Roma Platform and the Conference on Human Dimensions of the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe. They also touched upon important issues related to the Roma community – the lack of political support for desegregation policies, the widening process of secondary segregation, hate speech and anti-Roma stereotypes, including among senior politicians.

The 17th meeting of the European Roma Platform took place on 1 October 2024 in Brussels. It was organised by DG Justice of the European Commission. More than 150 representatives of the European Commission, national governments, European, international and national NGOs participated. Center Amalipe was represented by Deyan Kolev and Teodora Krumova. In their speeches they focused on:

Projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund were refused by the municipalities. Deyan Kolev proposed the introduction of a mandatory condition for municipalities that have separate Roma neighborhoods and wish to use ERDF funds for any projects to invest part of them in Roma neighborhoods.
There is a public consensus to support full coverage in school education. But the political class at national and municipal level is reluctant to invest in desegregation and intercultural education. It is therefore necessary for the European Social Fund to continue its support on these topics, while also demanding political action from national governments.
A particularly worrying trend has been the August-September developments in Bulgaria, where the national parliament, in a highly controversial change to the education law against ‘LGBT propaganda’, has begun discussions on other restrictive legislative changes, including a law against foreign agents. Kolev clarified that this legislation targets civil society organisations, especially those working in education. He appealed to the EC to take an active stance in condemning the restrictive laws and to civil society organisations across the EU to stand up for civic participation, democratic principles and European values.

During the annual conference on the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a special day was dedicated to the situation of Roma and Sinti, as well as other minorities. On the same day (09.10.2024). OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights also organized two side events – on Roma in Ukraine and Roma women in Europe. Teodora Krumova presented the threats to civil society organizations posed by the possible adoption of the Foreign Agents Law. She stressed that despite the multiple discrimination that Roma women across Europe often face, there has been an increase in their educational status in recent years. Early marriages and discrimination/ prejudice against Roma, which hinder the fulfilment of educated Roma women, remain a problem.