As part of its contribution to 2010, the European Year Against Poverty and Social Exclusion, DG Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth (EAC) is organising a conference and exhibition to discuss how EU programmes help the Roma minority.

500 people will meet at the Charlemagne building, in Brussels, for the event which is based on a selection of Education, Culture and Youth best examples of projects related to the Roma communities funded through the DG EAC programmes and structural funds run by DGs EMPL and REGIO.

The Roma population is one of the biggest ethnic minorities in the EU with millions living in many Member States. Their situation is characterized by persistent discrimination and far-reaching social exclusion; they are at greatest risk of being poor and unemployed. European and national opinion surveys show that many Europeans have negative views on this group which are often based on stereotypes and prejudice. Other traditional European ethnic minorities in Member States share their situation.

Many of the key areas for Roma inclusion - education, employment, social inclusion, health services, gender equality or infrastructure and urban planning - are mainly or entirely national responsibilities. The Commission is committed to supporting Member States in implementing policies to improve the situation of the Roma Community.

Spain has one of the largest Roma communities in the EU, numbering 700 000 and, as elsewhere in Europe, they suffer persistent discrimination and high levels of poverty and unemployment.

In 2000, the EU co-funded the Acceder (Access) project to help the unemployed in Spain find work by adapting vocational training to employers' needs. By June 2009, nearly 34 000 people, most of them Roma, had found jobs through the programme.

The Spanish example was one of 30 projects featured at an EU-organised conference showcasing successful efforts to help the Roma. The 500 attendees included policy-makers from various levels of government. Their goal was to identify best practice in Roma-related projects funded by the EU and find ways to share that knowhow with schools, NGOs and companies.

The EU has long supported member countries in their efforts to put in place effective Roma policies. The Roma conference was organised as part of the European year for combating poverty and social exclusion. The results will be discussed at the second EU Roma summit in April.

The conference "EU Projects in Favour of the Roma Community" will take place in the Charlemagne building, 170 Rue de la Loi, Brussels, in the framework of 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.