There is a common agreement among member states of the Council of Europe on the principle “for Roma with Roma” and on the need of ensuring effective consultation, if not fully-fledged participation, of Roma and Traveller community representatives in Europe. Roma and Traveller should not only be the object of policies or target groups of projects; they should be the subject of these changes and active contributors to any policies or projects concerning their communities.

Very often, women and young people are the engines of changes in Roma and Traveller communities and are guiding lights and “allies” in the modernization process that would require special support from the side of authorities. Despite lower education level, lover familiarity with legal, institutional or administrative procedures which are basic for processes of contemporary life among the Roma and Traveller community, the steps and activities are taken by the governments should serve to Roma community not only in improving their socio-economic conditions but also for building their civic capacities in various fields. National strategies should become a kind of informal school of civic activity and civic responsibility of Roma and Travellers as the fully-fledged citizens.

Their active involvement and participation can and should become the element of change and a response to the common widespread negative about Roma and Travellers that they are the “only demanding” groups that are passively expecting public funding support. That is the reason why the authorities should create the mechanisms of active and responsible participation of Roma and Traveller communities in taken actions by empowering the Roma and Traveller communities’ capacities enabling them the active participation on an equal basis as partners of on-going processes of improving the Roma and Traveller situation in Europe and in the respective countries.