The European Commission has reached agreement with the European Parliament and Council of Ministers on the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP).
The programme provides financing for the technical support that the Commission makes available to member states at their request. The programme has a budget of €142.8 million to cover 2017-2020. This support is coordinated and offered by the Commission’s Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS).
Valdis Dombrovskis, vice-president for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, said: “The political agreement is a major new step towards enhancing the partnership between the European Commission and member states. It paves the way for the Commission to provide targeted and tailor-made expertise that helps member states carry out the reforms they consider necessary to make their economies more competitive and investment-friendly, resulting in stronger economic growth and creating more jobs. We look forward to a formal agreement by the two institutions soon so that work can start in earnest.”
The Commission set up the Structural Reform Support Service in July 2015 to help EU member states design and implement reforms, including by making efficient and effective use of EU funding. The SRSS currently promotes and assists with reforms in nine member states.
The technical support covers reforms that member states wish to implement, including the management of public finances and tax administration, reform of justice systems, fighting fraud, corruption and money laundering. It can also help member states with reforms that can improve the business environment, the labour market, as well as equip people with the right skills, education and training for today’s job market.
The expertise of the programme is drawn from good practices across Europe, shared among member states, international organisations and a range of Commission services to offer practical support and guidance on implementing state-of-the-art structural reforms across the EU. The programme’s service builds on the priorities identified in the European semester of economic policy coordination. Any member state can ask for such support.
The political agreement will be followed by further technical talks to finalise the text. The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) of the Council of Ministers is expected to endorse the agreement ahead of the European Parliament’s plenary vote.