The document, produced by the Consultative Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe, recognizes, however, the efforts of national authorities to combat ethnic and racial discrimination, through legislative changes, and of local authorities in promoting integration of these communities.

"Although the Advisory Committee welcomes these developments, there are problems that persist in terms of the concrete impact of existing legislation and policies on the living conditions of people who belong to Roma communities," the report reads.

The findings indicate that members of the Roma community continue to have lower levels of schooling, worse school performance, higher unemployment, worse housing conditions and shorter average life expectancy compared to the rest of the population.

The Advisory Committee argues that combating discrimination must involve making members of Roma communities aware of the legal rules and mechanisms available for making complaints of discrimination, and of greater investment in the bodies responsible for investigating and dealing with these complaints.

It is also recommended that the Intercultural Municipal Mediators Project, responsible for promoting the integration of the most vulnerable communities in Portugal, be extended to more municipalities and that the professional status of socio-cultural mediators be regulated, in order to guarantee certified training and employability of the Roma mediators.

Housing is highlighted as a priority issue that the national authorities must address, through measures that ensure adequate and accessible houses, and resettlement projects that avoid the segregation of these communities.

According to the Committee, which produced this report after visiting Porto, Figueira da Foz, Torres Vedras, Moura and Lisbon between 28 and 31 May 2019, public opinion on Roma continues to be “fuelled by distrust and prejudice” and it is therefore also important to promote Roma culture in society and include the presence of this community in Portugal in school curricula.

The report also recommends measures to prevent the spread of hate speech in the media and social networks, the training of security forces for human rights and the support of the State for local projects that promote the fight against racist and xenophobic prejudices and stereotypes.

The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities entered into force in 1998, but only in 2002 was it ratified by Portugal.