ABSTRACT
Roma inclusion has been an essential part of FRA’s work programme from the beginning. In many respects FRA continues and builds on the work of ECRI and other bodies of the Council of Europe. FRA has substantially contributed to a process that has put Roma inclusion on the agenda of the EU by providing empirical quantitative evidence on discrimination against and exclusion of Roma minorities in the Member States. Despite an increasing attention for discrimination against Roma, the FRA surveys of 2008, 2011 and 2015 show only scant progress in their living conditions. Consequently, FRA has sought new forms of action to improve knowledge of the Roma situation, such as new research methods and monitoring systems that can provide data and evidence to support policy-making processes at the EU, national and local levels. This chapter describes and discusses the role of FRA in the promotion of the rights of Roma and in supporting the effectiveness of EU and national policies. The chapter discusses how the evidence produced by FRA has informed a broad audience on the living conditions of the Roma and whether this evidence has impacted policy-making.
