Czech Republic: Romani Expert Team warns co-financing requirements will keep NGOs from EU money

A group of Romani experts is warning against the introduction of rules requiring organizers to raise part of the money needed to co-finance EU-funded projects themselves so the state will not have to provide it. The experts believe many organizations would never access EU financing and services for the needy would decline as a result. 

The team is comprised of 11 Romani experts, both men and women. It was created this past January.

The focus of the team is opportunities for making use of EU funds for Romani inclusion. According to a proposal from the Czech Finance Ministry, those receiving EU money should raise at least 5 % of any budget for a project focusing on social inclusion. 

According to Markéta Melechovská of the Romodrom organization, that requirement could ultimately apply to more than half of the total funding available in Prague. She emphasized that the proposal concerns all projects, not just those aiming to support Romani people.

"Currently 958 projects worth CZK 4.2 billion (EUR 153 million) are being implemented. If the obligation to provide 5 % co-financing were to apply, nonprofit organizations would have to find CZK 212 million (EUR 7.7 million) from other sources. To find a donor who will give you just CZK 100 000 (EUR 3 600) to work with people in an excluded locality is impossible. Many organizations would therefore never access the EU money," she said.

According to the experts, the Czech Republic would, therefore, not make use of all the money allocated to it and services would go lacking. The state would most probably have to provide the services, which means it ultimately would not save any money anyway and would end up spending even more than if it were to simply provide the co-financing.

Now, for example, nonprofit organizations are working in the field on behalf of the state, running educational programs for children from ghettos or preparing the disadvantaged to find better jobs. The co-financing model has been introduced in Slovakia.

"There the money is ultimately provided by various consulting firms. However, the overall cost of the tenders is rising. The environment then becomes even more corrupt," said Marek Hojsík of the Open Society (Otevřená společnost) NGO.

The Romani team is not 100 % opposed to co-financing. In their view it should not be applied to social inclusion, but could be applied to social entrepreneurship.

The experts would also like to contribute to the design of how the money is to be accessed. They criticized the fact that there are no Romani people involved in the working groups of the various Operational Programmes.

The team is concerned that decisions will be made "about Roma without them". They are also asking that part of the EU money be targeted directly for Romani inclusion. 

"This is not because we want to privilege Romani people. We just want the money to have a clear target. That way it is also possible to better direct the money and monitor it," said Jan Husák of the Ústí nad Labem town hall. 

According to Jolana Šmarhovyčová of the Life Together (Vzájemné soužití) organization, if a direct sum for Romani people is not established, applicants will not be motivated to focus on Romani projects. The team says the money should mainly flow into social housing, into activities to improve relations between the minority and others, into support for talented Romani schoolchildren, and into the building of a Romani elite.