Structural reforms are changes that modify – in a lasting way – the structure of the economy and the institutional and regulatory framework in which businesses and people operate. There is general consensus that well-chosen and implemented structural reforms can accelerate the process of upward social and economic convergence among the Member States, both inside and outside the euro area, and strengthen the resilience of their economies. Effective implementation of structural reforms is necessary to enhance cohesion, raise productivity, create jobs, encourage investment, and ensure sustainable growth. In line with the Structural Reform Support Program (2017-2020), the TSI objective consists in assisting national authorities in improving their capacity to design, develop and implement structural reforms by providing them technical assistance, including to address country specific recommendations issued in the context of the European Semester or actions related to the implementation of the Union law.
Given this context and the significance of the topic, CEPS will provide an analysis paper on the Future of the Technical Support Instrument illustrating the functioning of the TSI and the types of measures supported so far with a specific focus on analysing the extent to which:
- The TSI supports the implementation of EU legislation, of EU priorities, and of the CSRs in the European Semester as well as the recovery and resilience plans (Effectiveness);
- The reforms implemented with TSI support, which would not have taken place without the instrument (EU added value);
- The TSI is coherent with other EU instruments supporting structural reforms (Coherence)
Building on these initial findings, the analysis paper will provide a reflection on the future of the next MFF and on the TSI, addressing questions such as whether the next MFF should further strengthen the technical support for the implementation of structural reforms, which projects should be prioritised, whether technical support should be consolidated under one instrument, and whether technical support should be more systematically taken into account when designing EU instruments and policies.
