Roma inclusion has been an essential part of FRA’s work programme from
the beginning. In many respects FRA continues and builds on the work of ECRI
and other bodies of the Council of Europe. FRA has substantially contributed to
a process that has put Roma inclusion on the agenda of the EU by providing
empirical quantitative evidence on discrimination against and exclusion of Roma
minorities in the Member States. Despite an increasing attention for
discrimination against Roma, the FRA surveys of 2008, 2011 and 2015 show only
scant progress in their living conditions. Consequently, FRA has sought new
forms of action to improve knowledge of the Roma situation, such as new
research methods and monitoring systems that can provide data and evidence to
support policy-making processes at the EU, national and local levels. This
chapter describes and discusses the role of FRA in the promotion of the rights
of Roma and in supporting the effectiveness of EU and national policies. The
chapter discusses how the evidence produced by FRA has informed a broad
audience on the living conditions of the Roma and whether this evidence has
impacted policy-making.