TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................... 7 Preface .............................................................................................. 9 A. Executive summary and recommendations .................................. 13 Executive summary ......................................................... 14 Recommendations ........................................................... 15 B. Overview .................................................................................... 19 Introduction .................................................................... 20 1. Background ............................................................... 23 1.1 Central Government bodies ............................... 23 1.2 Funding the Strategy .......................................... 24 1.3 Roma NGOs and the Strategy ........................... 26 1.4 The Strategy and new international initiatives .... 27 2. Findings from local-level monitoring ......................... 29 2.1 Administrative bodies ........................................ 29 2.2 Housing ............................................................. 34 2.3 Social protection ................................................ 36 2.4 Health ............................................................... 37 2.5 Economic initiatives ........................................... 39 2.6 Justice and public order ..................................... 40 2.7 Child protection ................................................ 41 2.8 Education .......................................................... 42 2.9 Culture and denominations ............................... 44 2.10 Public participation ........................................... 44 2.11 Communication and civic participation ............. 45 3. Conclusions ............................................................... 47 Brăila County ................................................................................. 49 Background ..................................................................... 50 1. Executive summary .................................................... 50 2. Local implementation ................................................ 50 2.1 Administrative bodies ......................................... 51 2.2 Housing ............................................................. 52 2.3 Social protection ................................................ 53 2.4 Health care ........................................................ 54 2.5 Economic initiatives ........................................... 55 2.6 Justice and public order ..................................... 55 3 MONITORING LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY – ROMANIA 2.7 Child protection ................................................. 56 2.8 Education ........................................................... 56 2.9 Culture and denominations ................................ 58 2.10 Public participation ............................................ 59 2.11 Communication and civic participation............... 59 Cluj County .................................................................................... 61 Background ..................................................................... 62 1. Executive summary .................................................... 62 2. Local implementation ................................................. 63 2.1 Administrative bodies ......................................... 63 2.2 Housing ............................................................. 68 2.3 Social protection ................................................. 70 2.4 Health care ......................................................... 71 2.5 Economic initiatives ........................................... 72 2.6 Justice and public order ...................................... 74 2.7 Child protection ................................................. 75 2.8 Education ........................................................... 75 2.9 Culture and denominations ................................ 76 2.10 Public participation ............................................ 77 2.11 Communication and civic participation .............. 77 Dolj County .................................................................................... 79 Background ..................................................................... 80 1. Executive summary .................................................... 80 2. Local implementation ................................................. 81 2.1 Administrative bodies ......................................... 81 2.2 Housing ............................................................. 83 2.3 Social protection ................................................. 84 2.4 Health care ......................................................... 85 2.5 Economic initiatives ........................................... 86 2.6 Justice and public order ...................................... 88 2.7 Child protection ................................................. 89 2.8 Education ........................................................... 89 2.9 Culture and denominations ................................ 92 2.10 Public participation ............................................ 93 2.11 Communication and civic participation .............. 93 Jaşi County ...................................................................................... 95 Background ..................................................................... 96 1. Executive summary .................................................... 96 2. Local implementation ................................................. 97 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2.1 Administrative bodies ........................................ 97 2.2 Housing ........................................................... 102 2.3 Social protection .............................................. 102 2.4 Health care ...................................................... 104 2.5 Economic initiatives ......................................... 105 2.6 Justice and public order ................................... 106 2.7 Child protection .............................................. 106 2.8 Education ........................................................ 107 2.9 Culture and denominations ............................. 108 2.10 Public participation ......................................... 109 2.11 Communication and civic participation ........... 109 Timiş County ............................................................................... 111 Background ................................................................... 112 1. Executive summary .................................................. 112 2. Local implementation .............................................. 113 2.1 Administrative bodies ...................................... 113 2.2 Housing ........................................................... 116 2.3 Social protection .............................................. 117 2.4 Health care ...................................................... 117 2.5 Economic initiatives ......................................... 117 2.6 Justice and public order ................................... 119 2.7 Child protection .............................................. 119 2.8 Education ........................................................ 119 2.9 Culture and denominations ............................. 120 2.10 Public participation ......................................... 120 2.11 Communication and civic participation ........... 121 Participating Organisations ............................................................ 123 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements The Open Society Institute would like to acknowledge the primary role of the following individuals in researching and drafting the local monitoring reports. Final responsibility for the content of the reports rests with the Open Society Institute. Brăila County Anton Gina and Parnica Anisoara Cluj County Maria Ursu and Adrian Moldovan Dolj County Costache Marcel and Silviu Bratu Iaşi County Laura Constantin and Daniela Rusu Timiş County Valentin Pepenel and Carmen Marcu A joint project of: THE RESOURCE CENTER FOR ROMA COMMUNITIES (RCRC), CLUJ NAPOCA, ROMANIA Florin Moisă Executive President THE EU MONITORING AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM (EUMAP), OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE, BUDAPEST Penelope Farrar Program Director Miriam Anati Deputy Program Director Alphia Abdikeeva Program Officer Katy Negrin Program Officer Andrea Gurubi Watterson Program Assistant THE ROMA PARTICIPATION PROGRAM (RPP), OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE, BUDAPEST Rumyan Russinov Program Director Bernard Rorke Deputy Program Director Iulius Rostas Program Manager Links: http://www.romacenter.ro http://www.eumap.org http://www.soros.org/initiatives/roma/focus_areas/rpp 7 8 PREFACE Preface With the expansion of the EU in May 2004, an estimated 1.5 million Roma in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) became EU citizens. When Bulgaria and Romania join, scheduled for 2007, that number will increase to some 4.4 million.1 What will this mean in practice for the majority of CEE Roma, who continue to experience discrimination in every aspect of their lives and on a daily basis?2 Roma constitute the largest and most marginalized ethnic minority group in Europe; and its biggest civil rights issue. Although most people agree that the enlargement process is likely to bring positive changes for Roma in the region, the impact of EU membership can only be assessed in the years ahead