Despite the increasing number of policy measures and initiatives targeting the Roma in Europe, their position has continued to worsen, which requires answers from policymakers, activists and academics. The author sums up why Roma policies fail on European and national levels as follows: failure to define the target group
to provide good information and data
to establish a mechanism for effective participation of Roma
to allow adequate debate and consultation
to define the problems and to frame the issue
to coordinate between central and local level
to design policies without monitoring and evaluation
and finally failure of regulative framework. Each of the above is expounded in the book with a number of recommendations. These include conceiving the Roma as a "politically insular minority," giving greater consideration to the specificities of Romani ethnic identity and setting up mechanisms that ensure that the voice of Roma is heard during the decision-making processes.