Bulgaria to Pour EU, State Funds into Roma Integration Plan

A gathering of Bulgarians and Roma at the Hristo Botev quarter in Sofia of the People against Racism initiative, October 2011. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's government has adopted the long-anticipated National Strategy for Integration of Roma in Bulgaria (2012-2020), and a respective Action Plan, the Cabinet press service announced.

The formal rationale for the adoption of the document says it is supposed to overcome the "existing negative socio-economic characteristics" of the Roma which would be a "prerequisite for the successful and sustainable development of the entire Bulgarian society."

The program is expected to provide equal opportunities and access to "rights, amenities, goods, services" in all public spheres based on equality before the law and non-discrimination of the Roma and other minority citizens of Bulgaria.

The National Roma Integration Program focuses on education, healthcare, and housing; other major integration areas are employment, rule of law and non-discrimination, and media.

The strategy Action Plan of the Bulgarian government is to be realized in two phases – the first one is 2012-2014, when Bulgaria's participation in the international initiative for a Roma Inclusion Decade 2005-2015 will be completed, and the second is 2014-2020, coinciding with the next seven-year EU budget framework.

Bulgaria's Roma integration measures are to be funded with EU money and funds from the state budget, the government points out.

It also stresses that the two documents for Roma integration were drafted based on the involvement of the civil society and several public discussions including on the website of Bulgaria's National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues.

Bulgaria's Roma population estimated at several hundred thousand remains largely in a destitute condition, with the reasons for that ranging from outright discrimination in the Bulgarian society to the role of Roma clan structures themselves.

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