This roundtable took place online on 19 June 2025. It was aimed at experts from Equinet members and other stakeholders addressing racism, Roma inclusion, and initiatives on equal access to education.
Background
Roma communities remain one of the most marginalized and discriminated groups in Europe, facing systemic barriers to education that reinforce cycles of poverty, social exclusion, and discrimination. Despite legal frameworks promoting equality, segregation, discrimination, and unequal access to quality education persist across many European countries. The lack of inclusive policies, the presence of discriminatory practices, and the absence of targeted interventions significantly impact Roma children’s ability to complete their education and access opportunities for social and economic mobility.
Equality Bodies play a crucial role in promoting equal educational opportunities by monitoring and addressing discrimination in education, advocating for inclusive policies and systemic reforms, and providing legal support and strategic litigation where needed. However, challenges persist in ensuring that Roma children have access to mainstream quality education, free from discrimination and exclusion.
This roundtable builds upon previous Equinet initiatives, including the 2023 perspective Equality Bodies’ Interventions for Equality in the Field of Education, which examined challenges and good practices in addressing educational inequalities. It also follows Equinet’s joint Third-Party Intervention with the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights in 2024 before the European Court of Human Rights, focusing on Roma school segregation. Furthermore, Equinet has been actively engaged in supporting the implementation of the EU Roma Strategic Framework for 2020-2030, particularly its objective of ensuring equal access to quality, inclusive education.
This online roundtable will provide Equinet Members and relevant stakeholders an opportunity to exchange experiences and tools to strengthen their efforts in promoting equal access to education for Roma people, helping to close the significant educational gap.
Objectives
- Strengthen Equality Bodies’ capacity to address equal access to education for Roma people.
- Share best practices and strategies for addressing educational barriers faced by Roma communities
- Equip participants with tools to identify and challenge discriminatory practices in the education system
- Enhance collaboration between Equality Bodies and other stakeholders to improve educational outcomes for Roma people
Participants
The target audience of this roundtable is experts from Equality Bodies and other stakeholders addressing racism, Roma inclusion, and initiatives on equal access to education.
Agenda
09:30 – 09:35 Welcome & opening remarks
09:35 – 09:50 Keynote speech: Promoting Equal Access to Education for Roma Persons in Europe
This keynote will provide a perspective on the importance of ensuring inclusive, quality education for Roma people as a fundamental right and a key component of EU equality and inclusion efforts.
- Jelena Jovanovic, EP ARDI’s coordinator
09:50 – 10:20 EU Legal and Policy Framework on Roma Education
This session explores the current EU legislative and policy landscape aimed at advancing Roma inclusion in education. It will examine how key frameworks – such as the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020-2030 and the Racial Equality Directive – are being implemented across Member States.
- Hristina Petkova, European Commission, DG EAC
- Marek Hojsik, Central European University
10:20 – 10:50 Key Challenges and Tools to Address Discrimination in Education for Roma Children
This session will provide an analysis of the challenges Roma children face in accessing education, while showcasing tools and practices to address structural discrimination.
- Eleni Tsetsekou, Council of Europe
- Pietro Vulpiani, UNAR, Italy
- Cristina de la Serna, Fundación Secretariado Gitano
10:50 – 11:10 Open discussion
11:10 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:00 Enforcing Rights through Litigation and Collaboration
This session focuses on litigation as a powerful tool to combat segregation and uphold Roma children’s right to education. Highlighting the landmark Salay v. Slovakia and X and Others v. Albania cases, speakers will discuss the collaborative role of Equality Bodies and CSOs in strategic litigation, legal support to victims, and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws at national and European levels.
- Marian Mesároš, Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, Slovakia
- Vilfrida Bushati, Commissioner for the Protection from Discrimination, Albania
- Michal Zalesak, European Roma Rights Centre
12:00 – 12:20 Open discussion
12:20 – 12:30 Closing
Resources
- Equinet Reading List
- Hristina Petkova, European Commission, DG EAC, “Towards high-quality and inclusion education for all“
- Marek Hojsik, Central European University, Roma Civil Monitor, “RCM’s work and findings on education“
- Marian Mesároš, Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, “Litigation effect of the ECHR case Salay v. Slovakia”
- Vilfrida Bushati, Commissioner for the Protection from Discrimination, “Enforcing Rights through litigation and Collaboration“
For further information, contact Ilaria De Capitani ([email protected]) and Daris Lewis Recio ([email protected]).