Ahead of the finalisation of 2021 municipal budgets, the joint EU/CoE ROMACTED Programme organised seven consultative webinars with partner municipalities on Roma Responsive Budgeting, in cooperation with the Albanian School of Public Administration (ASPA), Ministry of Health and Social Protection and Ministry of Finance and Economy.

The webinars aimed at facilitating the virtual participatory budgeting process and the interaction between the local Institutional Working Group and Community Action Group representatives in each municipality on the inclusion of the priority needs and projects foreseen under the Local Action Plans for the Integration of Roma and Egyptian Minorities in the 2021 local budgets. The development of the consultative webinars took place from 10 December 2020 until 22 December 2020.

These events built upon the previous technical support and guidance on Roma responsive budgeting provided to the seven partner municipalities and Municipal Task Force Group meetings organised in August-September 2020 during the drafting of the 2021 annual budget and the medium-term budgeting program for 2021-2023. The Local Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Finance and Economy welcomed the ROMACTED recommendations and Roma Responsive Budgeting was reflected as a priority and requirement for the local government units.

The phase 2 of ROMACTED Programme, commencing on January 2021, will continue its support towards effective implementation and monitoring of Roma local plans in close partnership with relevant public institutions and other local partners.