Launching of ROMACT and ROMED2 in Hungary

The new ROMACT and ROMED2 Programmes were launched in Hungary on Friday 4 October at a national conference attended by over 100 national and international players. Laszlό Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Zoltàn Kovàcs, Hungarian Secretary of State for Social Inclusion, and Jeroen Schokkenbroek, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomed and underlined the importance of these new activities. The launching event will be followed by a workshop where mediators, staff members of local authorities and mayors will gather together with ROMACT/ROMED2 trainers to work on the inclusion of Roma in democratic governance on the 18th of October 2013 in Budapest.

Focus on ROMACT

ROMACT is an initiative of the Council of Europe, the European Commission functioning within the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion (set up in March 2013 by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities) and is jointly implemented in the same locations as ROMED2 in municipalities in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and Slovakia. The aim of ROMACT is to assist European local and regional authorities frame and implement strategies and policies to promote Roma inclusion. It complements the ROMED2 Programme in boosting participation of Roma communities in democratic governance through mediation and thus aiming to produce a real change in their every day life.

Strasbourg 15/10/2013