On 17 March 2026, the roundtable on the Green Transition and the Position of Roma in the Labour Market took place in the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade. The event brought together representatives of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the National Employment Service, Delegation of European Union (DEU), civil society organisations and Roma entrepreneurs. Examples of good practice were shared, as well as challenges in raising the participation of Roma in labour market and in ensuring just green transition.

During the event, the findings of the regional analysis "Roma Inclusion in the Green Transition – Western Balkans and Türkiye" were presented, with a focus on opportunities and recommendations related to Serbia. The inputs from the analysis show that Serbia has developed policies for the inclusion of Roma, as well as for the Green Agenda implementation. However, a more direct link between these policies, through implementation in practice and cross-sectoral cooperation between relevant institutions, would be extremely beneficial. For the progress and better connectivity of these areas, local self-government units are extremely important, as they can enable synergies in action and financing through their local action plans.

By organising this roundtable within the joint EU-CoE “Roma Integration III” Programme, the dialogue on the contribution and opportunities for the Roma community within the Green Agenda has been supported. The recommendation of the Committee of Ministers on Human Rights and the Environment (CM/Rec(2022)20) stresses that climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are part of a "triple planetary crisis" that directly affects the exercise of human rights and particularly affects the most vulnerable categories of the population, including the Roma community. This formulation points to the need to integrate climate policy and human rights protection into the public policies of the Member States.