The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) was founded in 2003 as a non-profit organisation under Belgian law, working with an international and European scope. In spite of the role that they play in the advocacy of Roma rights at the European level, they do not seek to replace any other Roma organisations. As an informational platform, ERIO ensures that the voices of all European Roma are heard by EU and governmental officials. Their work currently focuses on anti-discrimination policies in the fields of education, employment, healthcare and housing.
ERIO is an international advocacy organisation that promotes political and public discussion on Roma issues by providing factual and in-depth information on a range of policy issues to European Union institutions, Roma civil organisations, governmental authorities and intergovernmental bodies. They cooperate with a large
network of organisations and act to combat racial discrimination and social exclusion by raising awareness, lobbying and developing policy.
They aim to combat racist discrimination against Roma and to contribute to an improved public awareness of the problems faced by Roma communities. They advocate for the rights of Roma people by designing and promoting policies which are oriented towards the improvement of the socio-economic situation and social inclusion of Roma in Europe. Moreover, they promote the participation of Roma communities in decision-making processes at European, national and local levels. They work to sensitise EU institutions to the importance of developing and ensuring the accessibility of equal opportunities for Roma in EU member states as well as in candidate countries.
ERIO is a member of the Policy Making Committee of the
European Network Against Racism (ENAR),
Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP),
Civil Society Europe and European Coalition to End Violence against Women & Girls. Previous memberships included: Social Platform, European Year of Citizens Alliance (EYCA), European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC) and Platform for Intercultural Europe.