McGill Journal of Political Studies 2014 April, 2014 | Page 78

Abstract
The Roma minority, particularly since the fall of Communism, has seen economic deprivation and intense social exclusion due to institutional racism. Since their accession to the
European Union, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have, at the behest of their European
partners, implemented Roma inclusion policies. Based on a review of the literature and
analysis of two relevant variables, this paper theorizes that Roma inclusion policies have
been broadly ineffective. This is related to problems in the use of conditionality in the
accession process, the European principle of subsidiarity, and the models of Eastern European welfare states.

The Effect of Accession to the
European Union on the Social
Inclusion of the Roma

By Alexander Langer

A

s recognized by the European
Commission’s (EC) 2010 report
on the social inclusion of Roma
in the member-states of the European
Union (EU), a significant percentage of the
10 to 12 million Roma in the European
Union are socially excluded and live in
poor socioeconomic conditions. This
phenomenon is not new; Romani peoples
have been discriminated against, persecuted
to varying degrees and even targeted for
extermination during their centuries-long
presence in the European continent. To
this day the majority of Roma lives at the
margins of society, with few prospects for
secure housing and social services, equitable
treatment by the state or opportunities for
socioeconomic advancement or integration.
These problems are most severe in the postCommunist countries of East and Central
Europe, where the majority of Roma lives
and where Roma make up a demographically
significant part of the population1.
The EU has attempted to address these
problems. In 2000, the Race Equality
Directive was implemented by the EC
focusing on ending discrimination in
employment, housing and other social
demands for all racial minorities, although
with a particular concentration on ending
discrimination towards Roma (Council
Directive 2000/43/EC)2. In 2005, the
UNDP (2003) Avoiding the Dependency Trap.
[report] Bratislava: United Nations Development
Programme.
2
Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 im1

Keywords: Roma, Social Inclusion, European Union, Subsidiarity, Conditionality

“decade of Roma Inclusion” was declared
among nine Eastern European states with
large Roma minorities, ostensibly making
Roma inclusion a political priority3.
This paper seeks to answer the question:
how, if at all, has the state of Roma inclusion
changed in Eastern Europe since accession
to the EU? What mechanisms have caused
change in measures of Roma inclusion? This
question is highly relevant in the study of
the European Union today. As the end of
the Decade of Roma Inclusion approaches,
the study of the outcomes of its policies
is important. In addition, as countries in
Southeastern Europe with large Roma
minority populations, such as Serbia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina, continue in their push
to gain official candidacy status for joining
the EU4, understanding the effects of EU
accession on policy towards Roma will be
vital in predicting outcomes.
This paper will first examine the literature
on Roma inclusion, both discussing the
available analysis and data, as w