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. This decline is an alarming signal of a profound loss of faith in the capacity of national authorities to protect Roma, alongisde the weakening of the Roma civil society organisations - a trend that continues into 2026. 

Against this background, it is striking that the European Commission and the Council of Europe still lack 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 specialised representatives on combating Antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, they have yet to appoint equivalent representatives dedicated to combating Antigypsyism and protecting Romani communities. This omission is particularly concerning given that Roma are Europe's largest minority, comprising an estimated 10 to 12 million people and living in virtually every European country. The Romani people have been heavily affected by the Holocaust, the wars in Yugoslavia, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The absence of dedicated European bodies on combating Antigypsyism stands in stark contrast to the scale of the challenge and the size of the population affected.

Consequently, Roma activists, politicians and civil society organisations have no designated institutional body to address at European level on the issues of Antigypsyism and Roma security, leaving them in a state of institutional limbo between European, national, and local authorities that continue to shift responsibilities among themselves - as experience demonstrates. 

Our Demands 

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

• 5 October 2026: GRASS submitted an open letter to EU Commissioners Lahbib and Brunner demanding urgent measures, based on collected data about ongoing securitisation of the Romani communities in Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Hungary; 
• 6–7 October 2026: representatives of GRASS presented this critical topic at the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Europe Dialogue with Roma and Traveller civil society in Strasbourg and initiated a Call for a Special Representative of the CoE Secretary General on Roma Security;

• 8 October 2026: a high-level meeting was initiated by GRASS representatives with officials from DG Migration and Home Affairs in Brussels on the situation of Roma refugees from Ukraine and the general security situation of Roma in the EU;

We are formally calling upon the European institutions to recognise the need of comprehensive protection of the Romani people - spanning the preservation of the Romani language, cultural heritage, physical safety, and socio-economic integrity - as an urgent human security priority:

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, radicalization, and threats directed against the Roma are systematically treated as critical security-relevant signals across Union mechanisms.
3. The new European Security Strategy proposed by the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen 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 in the EU Member States.
5. The European Commission and EU Member States to establish an emergency rapid-response funding mechanism within the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme to directly support grass-roots Roma civil society organisations, enabling them to assist victims, monitor local securitisation trends, and safely report anti-Roma hate crimes without fear of administrative or financial retaliation.
6. The European Parliament to establish an inter-institutional Working Group on Roma Security and Antigypsyism to hold regular hearings, review implementation of EU security frameworks, ensuring the meaningful participation of Romani civil organisations and political parties in European policy discussions on internal security, particularly in light of the absence of Roma representation in the current European Parliament.

Security, human rights, equality, and the rule of law must apply equally to all people living in Europe. As Europe's largest ethnic minority, Roma must not be left without dedicated institutional protection at a time of growing social polarisation and hostility. By signing this petition, you support concrete action, clear accountability, and a stronger commitment from European institutions to combat Antigypsyism and safeguard the security and dignity of Romani people across Europe.