The European Platform for Roma Inclusion will hold its next meeting on Thursday under the auspices of the European Commission focusing on the opportunities of Roma children and youth, the involvement of Roma leaders, and process monitoring on the ground in the field of Roma inclusion and integration.

Zoltán Kovács, State Secretary for Social Inclusion of the Ministry of Human Resources will represent the Hungarian Government in Brussels, who will conduct talks with EU Commissioners Viviane Reding and László Andor responsible for the implementation of the European Roma framework strategy.

In addition to representatives from the Member States, the eighth European Platform for Roma Inclusion will also be attended by representatives of international organisations, civil society, academics and local and regional authorities from all over Europe. Participants will cover four main topics during the course of the day concerning the tasks and expectations necessary for successful Roma integration.

As the first step towards creating opportunities, it is imperative to make a change for Roma children from birth to compulsory school age, as part of which it is essential to involve the entire family. This is followed by the promotion of their transition from school to employment and their presence on the labour market. Integration is, however, a two-way process, and the European Union itself regards the involvement of stakeholders and Roma leaders as partners as a key priority; the panel discussion concerning this topic will be opened by Lívia Járóka, Member of the European Parliament. Following this, attendees will discuss the practical implementation of legal rules and directives and the shaping of these legal frameworks on the basis of experiences obtained on the ground. Following Commissioner Viviane Reding, State Secretary for Social Inclusion Zoltán Kovács will make a presentation on this topic.

During the course of the day, Zoltán Kovács will have a meeting with Viviane Reding, Commissioner responsible for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship and László Andor, Commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion.

The first meeting of the Roma Platform was held during the Czech Presidency of the EU in 2009. Its purpose is to create a common platform for national governments, the European Union, international organisations and Roma civil society. With the consultations and exchanges conducted under its auspices, the Roma Platform intends to create a strong and coherent cooperation forum for experts who are working towards the inclusion and integration of Roma people.

(State Secretary for Social Inclusion)