Activity status: Findings available
Start of activity: 2010
In 2011, FRA carried out a survey of Roma in 11 Member States in response to the need to collect comparable data on the socio-economic situation of Roma in the EU. The same information was collected on non-Roma living in areas close by to allow for meaningful comparison.
The EU and international organisations have identified a paucity of data in regard to the socio-economic situation of Roma. FRA research has also shown that Roma are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and human rights violations in the EU. Of all the groups surveyed by FRA in its European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS), the Roma emerged as the group most likely to face intolerance and social exclusion.
The Roma Pilot Survey, conducted in close collaboration with a parallel survey by the UNDP and the World Bank and funded by the European Commission, produced important data that serve as a baseline for targets to be set by the EU’s framework for Roma integration strategies. This survey and subsequent follow-up work is one of the basic pillars of FRA’s multi-annual Roma Programme.
The survey applied a similar methodological approach as EU-MIDIS: individuals who identified themselves as Roma were randomly selected and interviewed on the composition of their households, the basic characteristics of household members and their own experiences in key areas related to fundamental rights, for example with respect to social inclusion and integration. Simultaneously, non-Roma living close by were asked the same questions.
Contact: Sabine Springer, Activity manager romaprogramme@fra.europa.eu
