Efficacy of Strategic Frameworks on Addressing Environmental Racism against Roma in the European Union: A Comparative Analysis

It has been 15 years since the European Union’s first call for member states to create national strategic frameworks on Roma inclusion. Environmental racism, discrimination, and segregation still impact the daily lives of Roma living in Europe. Limited progress marks the halfway point of the second round of strategic frameworks, set to end in 2030. This paper critically analyzes the efforts of the EU to address these issues, focusing on environmental racism. Using a comparative analysis of reports on member states’ progress and conducting an independent review of all 26 frameworks, this study analyzes the design and efficacy of the strategic frameworks and their ability to adequately address environmental injustices. The main findings are: only three member states have frameworks that encompass environmental justice, the EU has failed to provide structural guidance on implementation of strategies, and that there is an overall failure to acknowledge and address environmental racism against Roma constituents.