European Roma Security Petition for Institutional Response to Antigypsyism

Petition addressed to: Presdient of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset

Our Problem

We are witnessing an alarming surge in hate speech and violence against Romani people in Europe at a time of diminishing Roma representation in public and political life. Meanwhile according to the 2024 EU Fundamental Rights Agency survey, the percentage of Roma reporting discrimination dropped dramatically from 16% to 6% between 2016 and 2024. Far from representing a decrease in abuse, this decline is an alarming signal for a profound loss of faith in the capacity of national authorities to protect Roma - a trend that continues into 2026. 

It is striking that the European Commission and the Council of Europe still lack dedicated, high-level coordinators or special representatives to urgently address the growing discrepancy between rising anti-Roma sentiment across Europe and the inability or unwillingness of national and local authorities to adequately respond to this challenge. While both institutions have established specialized representatives on combating Antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, they have yet to appoint equivalent representatives dedicated to combating Antigypsyism and protecting Romani communities. Consequently, Roma activists, politicians and civil society organisations have no designated body to address at the European level, leaving them in a state of institutional limbo between European, national, and local authorities that continue to shift responsibilities among themselves. 

Our Demands 

Building directly upon the advocacy efforts of the Global Roma Alliance for Strategic Security (GRASS) including:

• 5 October 2026: The submission of an open letter to EU institutions by GRASS demanding urgent measures, based on collected data about securitization of the Romani communities in Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Hungary; 
• 6–7 October 2026: The presentation of this critical topic by GRASS representatives at the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Europe Dialogue with Roma and Traveller civil society in Strasbourg;
• 8 October 2026: High-level meetings initiated by GRASS representatives with officials from the European Commission in Brussels;

We are formally calling with this European Roma Security Petition initiated on 9 October 2026 for:

1. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe to appoint a dedicated Special Representative on Roma Security, tasked with monitoring, assessing, and coordinating proactive measures against rising threats and hate-fueled violence.
2. The European Commission to appoint an EU Coordinator on Combating Antigypsyism and Protecting Romani People, ensuring that incitement, online radicalization, and threats directed against the Roma community are systematically treated as critical security-relevant signals across Union mechanisms.
3. The new European Security Strategy to integrate the protection of Roma into its comprehensive long-term framework addressing internal resilience and social cohesion.
4. The EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034 to allocate dedicated financial resources to support targeted initiatives combating Antigypsyism and safeguarding Roma security.