Grant scheme under the EU Support to Roma Inclusion program

The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) awarded 36 contracts to towns and municipalities that received grants under Component 2 of the Program "Support to EU Roma Inclusion - Strengthening Local Communities for Roma Inclusion". The total value of the Grant Scheme is EUR 2 million, the value of the grants is EUR 40 to 60 thousand, and the duration of the projects is 9 to 15 months. The program is implemented by the SCTM and is funded by the European Union.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs Svetozar Aleksov said that Serbia had enabled the national framework for Roma inclusion by adopting the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma for the period 2016-2025.

"This year, within the framework of this EU project, we have already equipped 30 teams for Roma social inclusion, and now they will be able to carry out the operational implementation as planned", said Aleksov. He also pointed out that the share of Roma in the total number of unemployed in Serbia is twice as high as their share in the population, so the number of Roma registered with the National Employment Service has been around 25,000 for several years, which means that additional motivation for young people from this population is needed to actively seek employment in the legal labor market.

"However, a slight but constant increase in the number of Roma employed every year is encouraging, which has exceeded the number of 5,000 annually", said Aleksov. He stressed that the state wants to change the image of Roma as secondary raw material collectors, as well as suppress auto stigma in young Roma.

"We are working on amendments to the Law on Anti-Discrimination, which will be adopted by the end of the year, and Roma will have their place in the new strategy for prevention and protection against discrimination, which is under development", said Aleksov.

Head of Cooperation in Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia Yngve Engstroem pointed out that EU reforms are largely local reforms related to education, health, environment, minority protection and inclusion, noting that Roma integration is one of the priorities in EU programs.

Engstroem said that the money from the project was also invested in the establishment of joint mobile Roma inclusion teams consisting of five members dealing with the issue of Roma inclusion at the local level, comprising municipal Roma coordinators, pedagogical assistants, health mediators, as well as representatives of centers for social work and the National Employment Service.

The President of the National Council of the Roma National Minority Dalibor Nakic emphasized that the projects, which will be implemented in 36 local self-governments, are of great importance for the Roma community, because they are focused on those areas where the greatest progress is needed - employment and anti-discrimination. He invited representatives of local self-governments to use the potentials of the Roma community, i.e. local Roma organizations, pedagogical assistants, health mediators, Roma coordinators, i.e. their experience, knowledge of the terrain and the final beneficiaries of the projects.

SCTM Secretary General Djordje Stanicic said it was important that mobile teams for Roma inclusion in local self-governments will be strengthened through this donation. He stated that political support was provided for the implementation of these projects in all local self-governments by forming coordinating bodies, which would enable smooth work in the field.

"In this way, we have ensured that the future of the Roma population in these local self-governments becomes better, more certain, and that there is a clear way in which new employment of the Roma population can be obtained and that it gets everything that other citizens of Serbia do", Stanicic said.

The Grant Scheme supports projects aimed at strengthening the position of the Roma population in local communities through the implementation of priority national and local strategic measures in the field of employment, combating discrimination, and promoting equality of the Roma population.

Within Party 1 - Initiative for Active Employment of Roma Population - EUR 1.4 million of funds for employment of Roma population were allocated to the following local self-governments: Zemun, Stari Grad, Odzaci, Bac, Vranje, Novi Sad, Smederevo, Vladicin Han, Pozarevac, Nis, Novi Pazar, Veliko Gradiste, Vrsac, Opovo, Novi Beograd, Valjevo, Vrnjacka Banja, Apatin, Bela Palanka, Pozega, Red Cross - Nis, Kraljevo, Zvezdara and Zabalj.

Within Party 2 - Combating Discrimination and Promoting the Equality of the Roma Population - the allocated funds of € 600,000 for projects that support the fight against discrimination and promote equality of the Roma population were allocated to the following local self-governments: Pirot, Kragujevac, Koceljeva, Prokuplje, Sabac, Bor, Doljevac, Backa Palanka, Novi Sad, Lebane, Smederevska Palanka and Subotica.