ERGO Network

15/10/2026

From 11–18 October, the study session “Youth Ambassadors of the Decade Against Antigypsyism” took place at the European Youth Centre Budapest (EYC Budapest).

Together with ternYpe, we brought together 20 young people from 15 countries to explore antigypsyism, decolonisation, microaggressions, and many other important topics. Through sharing their own experiences, knowledge and perspectives, participants deepened their understanding and strengthened their commitment to challenging antigypsyism.

The study session was organised by ERGO Network and ternYpe - International Roma Youth Network, in cooperation with the Council of Europe Youth Department.

14/10/2026

📢 Don't cut Europe's investment in democracy!

ERGO Network has joined 31 European organisations in calling on the Council of the EU to increase, not reduce, the AgoraEU budget in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

At a time when democracy, fundamental rights and equality face growing challenges, the EU must strengthen its support for civil society, not weaken it.

✊ We call for a stronger AgoraEU budget and for the protection of CERV+ funding, which is essential for organisations defending fundamental rights, equality and democracy across Europe.

🔗 Read the joint letter:

Together with IPPF EN and 30 other European networks, we have written to leading figures in the Council of the European Union, urging them to increase the AgoraEU budget and saveguard CERV+ funding in the EU’s next long-term budget.

13/10/2026

🏆 A proud moment for ERGO Network!

Our Director, Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova, has been honoured with the 2026 Romani Excellence Award at the 33rd Amico Rom International Art Competition in Lanciano, Italy! 🇮🇹 It is given by President Alexian Santino Spinelli Tre, the President of Associazione Culturale Them Romano.

The award recognises outstanding contributions to Roma communities, and we are delighted to see Gabriela’s dedication to Roma rights, equality and empowerment celebrated internationally.

She says: "The Amico Rom award has been given out for 33 years. For all this time, the Roma community and institutions have worked together to build trust in each other - and this trust has resulted in successful and meaningful cooperation."

❤️ Congratulations, Gabriela! So well deserved!

🎥 Watch a moment from the award ceremony below.

06/10/2026

📣 Young people: share your experience of racism in education

Have you experienced racism while in primary or secondary school in the EU? Or have you been involved in anti-racist initiatives?

UNESCO Youth wants to hear from you.

As part of the UNESCO–EU project “Addressing Racism through Education”, UNESCO has launched a survey exploring young people’s experiences and perspectives on racism in education — and what needs to change.

The findings will help inform future policy recommendations on addressing racism in education.

👉 You can take part if you:
• are 18–30 years old
• are from an EU country
• have experienced racism in primary or secondary education in an EU country and/or have been involved in anti-racist initiatives

📝 The survey is in English and is open until 21 October 2026.

🔗 Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RXFSHT2

At ERGO Network, we know that racism and antigypsyism continue to shape the educational experiences of many young Roma across Europe. Policies designed to tackle racism must be informed by the voices and lived experiences of those directly affected.

Please share the survey with young people in your networks who may want to contribute.

More about the UNESCO–EU project:
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-launches-new-programme-address-racism-and-through-education-europe

Throughout history, racism and intolerance have been major drivers of war and destruction. Racism is, above all, a profound attack on universal values of human rights and a deliberate attempt to

01/10/2026

The ERGO Network staff team is growing! Last month, a new European Solidarity Corps volunteer, Donald Myrteli from Albania, joined us in Brussels.

He will stay with us until the end of June 2027 to learn more about how we work and support all our work areas.

Here is more about Donald in his own words:

https://ergonetwork.org/2026/09/new-european-solidarity-corps-volunteer-in-ergo-network-welcome-donald/

30/09/2026

This week in , we welcomed the first cohort of ROVA grantees for two days of networking. The group brought together 11 individual projects and coordinators from 14 national coalitions, creating a space for organisations with different experiences and contexts to learn from one another.

The conversations moved from project work and advocacy to the practical challenges organisations face every day: how to measure impact, how to strengthen our work at national and European levels, how to respond to hate speech, how to build sustainable partnerships and how to keep moving forward in a changing political and social environment.

We know what networking is really about: creating the connections that make our work stronger beyond the meeting room. We were so happy to see all our grantees!

29/09/2026

🇪🇺 The European Commission has released a new Communication on the European Pillar of Social Rights – but what’s in it for Europe’s Roma?

We looked closely at how the Communication addresses Roma inclusion, the EU Roma Framework, discrimination and antigypsyism, as well as the wider direction of the EU’s social policy agenda.

✅ The are explicitly mentioned, and the Communication gives stronger attention to discrimination, affordability, inequalities, essential services, and job quality.

⚠️ But the two Roma references are largely symbolic and once again focus mainly on employment, with no mentions about them regarding the other targets on education or poverty reduction.

🛑 is not mentioned, and the EU Roma Strategic Framework is only briefly referenced under the Union of Equality.
The Communication is also no longer presented as the Second Social Pillar Action Plan, raising questions about the level of political ambition behind the initiative.

👉 Read ERGO Network’s full analysis: https://ergonetwork.org/2026/09/european-commission-releases-new-communication-on-the-european-pillar-of-social-rights-whats-in-it-for-europes-roma/

28/09/2026

📢 Help us assess how National Roma Strategic Frameworks are being implemented across Europe

ERGO Network has launched its 2026 Civil Society Monitoring Survey on implementing National Roma Strategic Frameworks.

We want to hear from Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations, experts and academics about what is actually happening in practice: What progress has been made since 2021?

Where are the main implementation gaps? And what needs to change to achieve the 2030 objectives?

🇪🇺 EU Member States: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8GLXZ5T
🌍 Enlargement Countries: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YRPQPBM
⏱️ 15–20 minutes

📅 Deadline: 23 October 2026

The findings will contribute to ERGO Network's civil society assessment, helping us compare implementation across countries and identify priorities for action towards 2030.

Please take part and share the survey with relevant organisations and experts in your country!

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Isabela Mihalache at [email protected].

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

18/09/2026

📢 ERGO Network in The Brussels Times

How will we know whether EU is actually reaching Roma communities and improving their lives?

The Brussels Times looks at the proposed Performance Framework for the EU budget 2028–2034 and highlights why the way we measure results matters for Roma inclusion.

From ERGO Network, Carmen Tanasie stated that we appreciate important progress, including references to Roma in education, employment, skills and social inclusion, as well as the requirement for Member States to have a Roma inclusion framework.

But there are still significant gaps.

As Carmen underlines, “This is a start, not a complete system.” Housing is a clear example: despite major EU investment in housing and infrastructure, Roma remain largely invisible in the indicators. If Roma inclusion is not properly measured, it risks disappearing from implementation, and we cannot assess whether EU funding is delivering meaningful change.

👉 Read the full article in The Brussels Times: https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/2321661/why-the-performance-regulation-in-next-eu-budget-matters-for-roma-integration

"The gaps between the Roma minority and the majority population risk flying under the radar if they are not measured."