The theme devoted to the Gypsies was proposed after two meetings related to the minorities. It was a question of emphasising the concepts of cultural exchange and tolerance, particularly towards cultural minorities.

An ensemble of communities without territory, the Gypsies were the subject of reflection on behalf of the Council of Europe, who wished that their culture be at the same time protected and developed.

origin of the theme

A meeting in September 1992 on "Minorities in Europe: educational and cultural aspects" led a group of experts to consider in its conclusions the need for such a route and for the creation of a European network of Gypsy cultural centres. Moreover, the conclusions of the meeting organised by the Conference of Local and Regional Authorities in October 1992, "Gypsies in the community, debates, priorities and participants", reinforced this idea, which led the Conference to adopt a Resolution that proposes: "... to consider the possibility of launching a European Gypsy route within the framework of the cultural routes programme of the Council of Europe". It thus became the subject of an exploratory study in 1993, which was presented to the Advisory Committee in 1994. The Culture Committee elected this topic the same year.

european importance of the theme

"To speak about a route of the itinerants that are the Gypsies and the Travellers (whether their voyage is voluntary or enforced), it is to proceed in logical steps. Their history is constituted by routes rather than traces, and what emerges is the very essence of their culture, through social relations, language and other practices and through what outsiders perceive, such as music, dance, lifestyle; the use of the adjective European is in fact also clearly justified in the case of communities without territory, whose social and cultural bonds are woven beyond borders by European citizens for centuries" (Jean-Pierre Liégeois).

Joining the traditional concept of route, and based on the model developed for other routes, one can thus consider the historical signalling of the first great Gypsy migrations, from the eastern borders of Europe to Western Europe.

geographical and historical breadth

"There is practically no state which is not concerned with the cultural development of Gypsies and Voyagers. But by the very fact that Gypsies carry an itinerant culture, they were not, like other communities, builders of sites, cities or monuments. As providers of service for those around them, they hardly left behind them products to make it possible to recall a history, or even written traces of their own, since to this day they have an oral culture" (Jean-Pierre Liégeois). It is thus natural to conceive that the points to support this route would be easily found and exist right now: resource centres, museums, religious organisations, theatres, university departments.

relevance of the theme

The launching of such a route perfectly answers the fundamental missions of the Council of Europe in its priority fields (Humans Rights, Democracy, Education, Minorities ...) and results in a concrete and positive way in reflections and actions of exemplary value in a European situation where the questions of minorities are too often perceived in a negative way. The increase in the number of Member States of the Council of Europe involves at the same time an increasingly significant presence of the Gypsy question in the discussions of the various authorities.

However, the implementation of these actions by the Institute has to be supported by a solid political framing on behalf of the Council of Europe, or else they will remain, as is the case today, relatively specific: patronage of cultural activities and festivals such as "Rom-Som".