Western Balkans Growth at Risk Without Roma Inclusion, Roma Foundation for Europe Warns Ministers in London

London/Brussels, 16 October 2025 – As Western Balkan and EU ministers gathered in London for the Berlin Process Economy Ministers’ Meeting, the Roma Foundation for Europe called for economic policies that fully include Roma in the region’s growth agenda.

He welcomed the UK government’s leadership in convening this joint process, saying it signalled a recognition that “Roma inclusion is not only a social priority but an economic necessity.”

“Roma will soon make up a large share of new workers in some Western Balkan countries,” Jovanovic said. “Investment and growth strategies must reflect this demographic reality. At a time when the region faces a serious demographic decline, excluding Roma from the labour market is not only unjust—it is economically reckless. When Roma workers are trained and employed, economies grow faster. When Roma entrepreneurs thrive, they create jobs for others. Growth that leaves out Roma is not European growth.”

According to the Roma Foundation’s Boosting the Western Balkans’ Growth report, Roma will constitute between 14% and 29% of new labour-market entrants in Serbia by 2035, with similar demographic trends visible across the region. Exclusion of Roma workers costs hundreds of millions of euros in productivity and fiscal losses each year, while targeted training programmes can repay their investment in less than three years.

Despite some promising initiatives, Jovanovic cautioned that progress remains too slow. “Many officials and diplomats understand our message: investing in Roma education, jobs, and skills is not only a moral obligation—it is a matter of economic survival. But ministries for Roma affairs cannot achieve this alone. As Romania’s Labour Minister Florin Manole rightly warned at last week’s Ministerial Meeting in Tirana, the whole government must be mobilised to make progress.”

He also referred to the message of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the EU–Western Balkans Investment Forum, who called for deeper economic integration, investment, and shared prosperity between the EU and the region. Jovanovic noted that this vision “will only succeed if every part of its workforce and talent base can contribute” and stressed that “Roma inclusion must be treated as a core component of competitiveness, not as an afterthought.”

UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle said:

“The UK is proud to host this year’s Berlin Process Economy Ministers’ Meeting, bringing together partners from across the Western Balkans and the EU to strengthen regional economic ties. Through our Trade and Industrial Strategies, we’re committed to driving growth, investment and long-term prosperity—not just at home, but with our international partners.”

The Roma Foundation for Europe’s Boosting the Western Balkans’ Growth brief provides clear evidence that inclusive labour-market investments can accelerate the region’s competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and long-term stability.