A premiere for the Roma community | The REF Foundation recognized by the Romanian Government as a public utility organization
Press release, December 30, 2025
On the occasion of National Minorities Day (December 18), the Government of Romania granted the Roma Education Fund Romania public utility status, marking a national first. This decision, published in the Official Gazette of Romania (Monitorul Oficial) on December 29, 2025, represents official recognition of the organization’s consistent and significant contribution to the field of education and social inclusion of Roma, with REF Romania becoming the first organization dedicated to Roma communities in Romania to receive such status.
This decision confirms the strategic role that Roma Education Fund Romania has played for over 16 years in supporting equal access to education, reducing school dropout, and promoting inclusive public policies. Granting public utility status reflects the real impact of the foundation’s programs and the authorities’ trust in its capacity to generate sustainable change.
“We are the first Roma organization to receive this recognition. Not because others were not qualified, but because those who identify themselves as Roma politicians have systematically blocked the recognition of Roma organizations and their public utility. So this is not just a recognition, but the beginning of changing an oligarchic political system that dominated Roma representation until December 18, 2025”, Ciprian Necula, REF’s Executive President.
The fact that this recognition was granted on National Minorities Day underscores the Romanian state’s commitment to respecting minority rights and to strengthening a society based on equal opportunities, diversity, and social cohesion. For Roma Education Fund Romania, this moment represents both a validation of the work carried out and an increased responsibility toward beneficiaries, partners, and vulnerable communities.
Recognition as a public utility organization comes at a strategic moment for the Roma Education Fund Romania, as it consolidates its course of action and implements a new strategy focused on long-term impact. The mission of the Roma Education Fund is to increase the resilience of Roma communities in the face of social, economic, environmental, health, and political changes and crises through education. This mission is grounded in the belief that education is an essential driver of social mobility, individual autonomy, and sustainable economic development, both for Roma communities and for society as a whole.
Within this framework, REF focuses on improving the quality and relevance of education for Roma children and young people through high-quality complementary educational programs adapted to social and technological developments. The strategy also includes investments in the development of Roma leadership and in strengthening the link between education and the labor market, through vocational training, career counseling, and support for sustainable labor market integration, as well as the promotion of data-driven, evidence-based public policies, in partnership with relevant authorities and organizations.
Through its programs, Roma Education Fund Romania annually supports thousands of children, young people, and adults from Roma communities, providing them with access to quality education, relevant skills, and real opportunities for development. Public utility status creates the conditions for expanding this impact and for closer collaboration with strategic partners.
We thank the Romanian Ministry of Education for its openness and support throughout a process that lasted nearly two years!
