kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

Europaudvalget 2023
KOM (2023) 0352
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EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

Brussels, 29.6.2023

SWD(2023) 222 final

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

Accompanying the document

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND

THE COUNCIL

Annual Monitoring Report on the implementation of the 2020 Structural Reform

Support Programme

{COM(2023) 352 final}

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Contents

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 2

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ...................................................................................................... 3

2.1.

2.2.

2.3.

2.4.

2.5.

Budget of the programme ....................................................................................................... 3

Objectives and scope of the programme ................................................................................ 3

European added value............................................................................................................. 4

Implementation of the programme and forms of support ..................................................... 5

Data collection......................................................................................................................... 5

SELECTION OF SUPPORT MEASURES FUNDED BY SRSP 2020 BUDGET ............................... 5

3.1.

3.2.

3.3.

3.4.

3.5.

3.6.

Introduction............................................................................................................................. 5

Requests for support submitted by the Member States......................................................... 6

Application of the assessment criteria .................................................................................... 9

Cooperation and support plans ............................................................................................. 16

Reform partners and special measures ................................................................................. 17

Implementation of support measures .................................................................................. 17

PROGRESS TOWARDS THE PROGRAMME’S OBJECTIVES ..................................................... 21

4.1.

4.2.

4.3.

Progress in achieving the specific objectives ........................................................................ 24

Expected outcomes of SRSP activities ................................................................................... 24

European added value........................................................................................................... 24

SUPPORT MEASURES DELIVERED UNDER THE PROGRAMME ............................................ 25

EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAMME .......................................................................................... 26

6.1.

6.2.

6.3.

SRSP mid-term evaluation ..................................................................................................... 27

SRSP ex-post evaluation ........................................................................................................ 27

DG REFORM feedback mechanism ........................................................................................ 28

COMMUNICATION .......................................................................................................................... 29

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 30

PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT ............................................................................................................... 31

GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................................................. 40

ANNEX 1 – SRSP 2017-2020 - SUBMITTED REQUESTS PER MEMBER STATE ............................... 41

ANNEX 2 - SRSP 2017-2020 - REQUESTS SELECTED FOR FUNDING PER MEMBER STATE ....... 42

ANNEX 3 – SRSP 2020 – TYPE OF BENEFICIARY AUTHORITIES ..................................................... 43

ANNEX 4 - LIST OF SUPPORT MEASURES IMPLEMENTED UNDER SRSP 2020 ............................ 44

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1. I

NTRODUCTION

2020 was marked by the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown

measures taken by EU Member States, although necessary for limiting the spread of the virus,

inevitably had grave economic and social impacts. In this context, the Structural Reform

Support Programme became even more relevant to help Member States make fundamental

reform efforts to boost their economies and create the foundations of a sound recovery. The

operational and logistic restrictions imposed in the Member States, as well as the reduced in-

person meetings with the national authorities implied that the foreseen timeline to implement

most projects had to be extended.

Together with investments, reforms should aim to have a high-level impact, by addressing

macroeconomic imbalances, low employment levels or GDP growth rates. At the same time,

it contribute to people's daily lives, for instance by improving social security services,

ensuring sustainable pension systems and stimulating the inclusion of disadvantaged groups

in the labour market. They can also support the transition towards green technologies to fight

climate change. In practice, they really do serve an economy that works for people – from

improving the efficiency of public administrations and tax systems, to ensuring optimal

access to finance.

As stated by Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira:

“Well-designed

reforms keep our economies competitive and improve the quality of our public services. The

Structural Reform Support Programme efficiently helps all EU Member States carry out these

reforms. Member States appreciate it because of its flexibility, simple implementation and the

absence of co-financing requirements. The Commission stands ready to continue supporting

them in the future.”

Building on the success of the SRSP and the need for Member States to implement reforms

and investments quickly and effectively, the European Commission tabled in December 2020

the legislative proposal for the Technical Support Instrument

, as successor programme to the

SRSP, which was adopted in on 10 February 2021. While remaining demand driven, the TSI

has a reinforced mandate and policy-driven approach, as well as an increased budgetary

framework spanning over the period of the new multiannual financial framework (MFF) for

2021-2027.

The Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), established in May 2017 with a budget of

EUR 222.8 million, covered the 2017- 2020 period

Its objective was to strengthen the

Member States’ capacity to prepare and implement growth-enhancing reforms, including by

providing assistance for the efficient and effective use of EU funds. The final decisions on the

design, structure and implementation of the reforms wereas always in the hands of the

Member States. Support from the SRSP was available to all EU Member States upon request

required no co-financing and involved a very little administrative burden for Member States.

In 2020, the SRSP also helped Members States to design and prepare their national Recovery

and Resilience Plans. Since 2020 the SRSP was managed by the Commission’s newly created

DG REFORM.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/eus-structural-reform-support-programme-achieving-its-objectives-2020-sep-30_en

Regulation (EU) 2021/240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 February 2021 establishing a Technical

Support Instrument

Under Regulation (EU) 2017/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 129, 19.5.2017, p. 1–16, as amended

by Regulation (EU) 2018/1671, OJ L 284, 12.11.2018, p. 3–5 (the SRSP Regulation).

Article 7 of the SRSP Regulation.

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The Commission monitors how support measures financed by the programme are

implemented and provides the European Parliament and the Council with an annual

monitoring report

for each year of implementation. This report provides an overview of the

measures supported under the SRSP 2020. It describes the process of selecting and

implementing projects and gives an account of the results achieved by the programme.

Article 16 of the SRSP Regulation

Monitoring and evaluation

[…]

2. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with an annual

monitoring report on the implementation of the Programme. That report shall include

information on:

requests for support submitted by Member States, referred to in Article 7(1);

analyses of the application of the criteria, referred to in Article 7(2), used to

analyse the requests for support submitted by Member States;

cooperation and support plans, referred to in Article 7(2);

participation of reform partners, referred to in Article 9;

special measures adopted, referred to in Article 13(6); and

implementation of support measures

2. B

ACKGROUND INFORMATION

2.1.

Budget of the programme

The budget for the implementation of the Programme over the 2017-2020 period was EUR

222.8 million (following the amendment to the original SRSP Regulation)

The budget

available for the SRSP 2020 was EUR 84.9 million

In addition, in 2020,

Greece made a additional contribution of EUR 5 million

to the SRSP

to finance additional support actions for Greece, in line with Article 11 of the SRSP

Regulation and Articles 25 and 59 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 (the Common

Provisions Regulation), which enables the programme to be financed through additional

voluntary contributions from Member States, using resources provided for technical

assistance at the initiative of the Member States under the European Structural and Investment

Funds (ESI Funds).

2.2.

Objectives and scope of the programme

The

general objective

of the SRSP was to contribute to institutional, administrative and

growth-sustaining structural reforms in the Member States

. This was achieved by providing

support to national authorities with the aim of reforming and strengthening institutions,

governance, public administration, and economic and social sectors in response to economic

and social challenges.

Article 16 of the SRSP Regulation

Point (f) of Article 16 was added by Regulation (EU) 2018/1671, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/825 (see below).

Regulation (EU) 2017/825, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2018/1671.

Article 2 of the Commission Implementing Decision of 26.2.2020 on the financing of the Structural Reform Support

Programme and the adoption of the work programme for 2020 and repealing Commission Implementing Decision

C(2019)8197, [C(2020) 1026 final].

Article 4 of the SRSP Regulation.

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The overarching goal was to enhance cohesion, competitiveness, productivity, sustainable

growth, job creation, investment and social inclusion, and to contributing to real convergence

in the EU, which may also prepare for participation in the euro area, in particular in the

context of economic governance processes, including through assistance for the efficient,

effective and transparent use of the EU funds.

The

specific objectives

of the programme

were to:

a) support the initiatives of Member States’ national authorities to design their reforms

according to their priorities;

b) enhance the national authorities’ capacity to formulate, develop and implement reform

policies and strategies and pursue an integrated approach;

c) support the efforts of national authorities to define and implement appropriate

processes and methodologies; and

d) assist the national authorities in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of human

resources management.

In addition, with a view to pursuing the general and specific objectives, the Programme could

finance actions and activities also in support of reforms that may help Members States in their

preparation to join the euro area.

The support therefore covered all stages of reform, from inception to implementation and

evaluation of results.

Support could be provided for reforms which fall under the following main broad

policy

areas

revenue administration and public financial management;

governance and public administration;

growth and business environment (including energy and climate action);

labour market, education, health and social issues; and

financial sector and access to finance.

2.3.

European added value

The Commission should ensure that actions and activities selected for funding are likely to

produce results that show a clear European added value

European added value was ensured in particular by:

a) the development and implementation of solutions that address local, regional or

national challenges that have an impact on cross-border or EU-wide challenges, and

which may also contribute to social, economic and territorial cohesion;

b) their complementarity and synergy with other EU programmes and policies at

regional, national, EU and international level, as appropriate;

c) their contribution to the consistent and coherent implementation of EU law and

policies, as well as the promotion of European values, including solidarity;

d) their contribution to the sharing of good practices, also with a view to increasing the

visibility of the reform programmes, and to building a EU-wide platform and network

of expertise; and

e) the promotion of mutual trust between beneficiary Member States and the

Commission and of cooperation among Member States.

Article 5(1) of the SRSP Regulation.

For the full list, please refer to Article 5(2) of the SRSP Regulation.

Article 3 of the SRSP Regulation.

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2.4.

Implementation of the programme and forms of support

The support provided under the SRSP was tailored to the country’s needs. Experts

accompanied national authorities throughout different stages of the reform process (scoping,

prioritising, designing, road mapping, implementing, evaluating). The project were selected

for support on the basis of criteria linked to the nature of the reform, the urgency of action, the

resources available and the obligations deriving from the EU Financial Regulation.

In concrete terms, the technical support have taken the form of



long-term or short-term presence of experts,

and cooperation on the ground with

the national authorities throughout the reform process or at certain stages;

actions to help address specific needs

– diagnostic analyses, recommendations on

how to address the situation, a strategy, draft of a new law/act or modification of an

existing one; proposals for (new) working and organisational procedures; and/or

wider actions that increase administrative capacity

– seminars, training, working

visits, development of methodologies, collection of data, establishment of

benchmarks, etc.

2.5.

Data collection

All data on the implementation of the SRSP is stored by the European Commission in an

internal IT tool managed by DG REFORM. The tool facilitates monitoring and reporting on

the implementation of SRSP projects. It has provided data for this report.

3. S

ELECTION OF SUPPORT MEASURES FUNDED BY

SRSP 2020

BUDGET

3.1.

Introduction

2020 was the fourth and final year of activities under the SRSP

with a budget for support

measures of EUR 84.9 million, available to all EU Member States. On 26 February 2020, the

Commission adopted the annual work programme for the SRSP 2020

, setting out priorities

for the year, objectives, expected results and outlined actions to be implemented. The annual

work programme for 2020 was sent to the European Parliament and the Council on 30 April

2020

In 2020, requests for technical support were gathered through different calls:

a) The general SRSP 2020 call for requests.

b) A specific call for interest to participate in the insurance training provided by EIOPA,

the European supervisor charged with the protection of insurance consumers and

supervisory consistency across Europe.

c) A dedicated call for supporting the EU Member States prepare their Territorial Just

Transition Plans.

The full list of actions eligible for funding is included in Article 6 of the SRSP Regulation.

Regulation (EU) 2017/825 of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 May 2017 on the establishment of the

Structural Reform Support Programme for the period 2017 to 2020 entered into force on 20 May 2017

Commission Implementing Decision of 26.2.2020 on the financing of the Structural Reform Support Programme and the

adoption of the work programme for 2020 and repealing Commission Implementing Decision C(2019)8197, [C(2020 1026

final].

Article 13(5) of the SRSP Regulation.

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Furthermore, Croatia and Slovakia both submitted a request for support under the special

measure’s mechanism to support the preparation and implementation of their national

Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs).

Finally, on 1 July 2020, the Commission adopted the dedicated annual work programme for

the actions funded by EUR 5 million additionnal volontary contribution from Greece in 2020

under article 11 of the SRSP Regulation

, setting out priorities for the year, objectives,

expected results and outlined actions to be implemented.

3.2.

Requests for support submitted by the Member States

With regards to the SRSP general call and to the specific call for insurance training, Member

States were invited to submit their requests for support by 31 October 2019

, while for the

dedicated call for the preparation of the Territorial Just Transition Plans, the deadline for

submission of request was set as 1 April 2020.

Following a similar procedure applicable to all calls, Member States were invited to provide

information on the following elements:

problem/need to be addressed by the requested support measures;

the breadth of the problems identified (impact on other areas in the economy);

and depth of the problems identified (severity);

the urgency of the request for support;

relevant socio-economic indicators to be taken into consideration when analysing the

request, the indicative duration and estimated cost;

f) expected results/use of the results of the support measures requested;

g) information on the administrative capacity of the Member State to implement the

results of the support measures and potential providers.

In their requests for support, Member States also identified the relevant circumstances

under

which they were submitting the requests:

a) the implementation of reforms undertaken by Member States at their own initiative, in

particular to achieve sustainable economic growth and job creation;

b) the implementation of economic adjustment programmes (for Member States that

receive EU financial assistance); and

c) the implementation of growth-sustaining reforms in the context of economic

governance processes, in particular of European Semester country-specific

recommendations, or of actions related to the implementation of EU law.

The requests for support from interested Member States were submitted centrally by

designated coordinating authorities

, i.e. authorities responsible for submitting requests on

behalf of a Member State. The requests for support could come from the national authorities

of the Member States, i.e. authorities at central, regional or local level, or independent

authorities.

Commission Implementing Decision of 1.7.2020 on the financing of the request of the Hellenic Republic pursuant to

Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2017/825 of the European Parliament and the Council as amended by Regulation (EU)

2018/1671 and on the adoption of the related 2020 work programme for operational technical support managed by the

Commission, C(2020) 4290 final.

Article 7(1) of the SRSP Regulation.

Article 7(3) of the SRSP Regulation.

The role of the coordinating authorities is defined in section 18.2 of the cooperation and support plans signed with all

Member States benefiting from the programme.

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Once the requests for support were selected for funding, the Commission then concluded a

cooperation and support plan with the coordinating authority of each beneficiary Member

State (see section 3.5).

Coordinating authorities

To ensure proper coordination and efficient communication with the Commission, Member

States designate a coordinating authority to act as the interlocutor of the DG REFORM for the

overall implementation of the country’s cooperation and support plan. The coordinating

authorities are responsible at national level for coordinating and prioritising the requests for

support submitted by the Member State, and for coordinating the effective implementation of

the measures envisaged and the achievement of the objectives set out in their cooperation and

support plan. The coordinating authority is also encouraged to initiate corrective actions if

needed.

For the 2020 selection round, a total of

660 requests for support were submitted by the 27

EU Member States,

which demonstrated a growing interest for the programme since its

adoption in 2017. The detailed number of requests submitted for funding under the SRSP

2017–2020 rounds, per Member States can be found in Annexe 1.

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

271

444

580

660

SRSP 2020

Figure 1 – SRSP - Number of submitted requests per year

The 660 requests were submitted for a estimated total amount of EUR 202.4 million,

i.e;

more than twice the SRSP’s 2020 budget of EUR 89.9 million. The requests responded to

different calls for proposals and to different financing possibilities along the year:



609 requests were submitted via the general SRSP 2020 call

17 requests were submitted under the special call for a targeted training on insurance

supervision

18 requests were submitted under the dedicated call to support Member States for the

preparation of their Territorial Just Transition Plans

14 requests were submitted by Greece in line with Article 11 of the SRSP Regulation

2 requests were submitted by Slovakia and Croatia as a special measures in the event

of unforeseen and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring an immediate response,

in line with Article 13(6) of the SRSP Regulation

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AT BE BG CY CZ DE DK EE EL ES FI FR HR HU IE IT LT LU LV MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK

General Call

Article 11

Dedicated call

Training

Special measures

Figure 2 - SRSP 2020 – Number of submitted requests per Member States

As in previous years, the submitted requests covered the main broad policy areas. Compared

to 2019, more requests were submitted in the area of growth and business environment (+4%),

and less in the area of labour market, education, health and social services (-3%). Requests in

the other areas have remained overall stable.

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

Financial Sector and

Governance and Growth and Business

Labour Market,

Revenue

Access to Finance Public Administration

Environment

Education, Health and Administration and

Social Services

Public Financial

Management

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

14%

15%

10%

23% 22%

30%

26%

27%

24%

Figure 3 – SRSP 2019 and SRSP 2020 percentage of submitted requests by broad policy areas

Close to half of the requests submitted by the Member States for the SRSP 2020 round related

to the EU economic governance process (49%), while 32% of the requests concerned the

implementation of EU priorites, and 14% the implementation of Member States’ priorities. To

a lesser extend, the submitted requests also related to the implementation of economic

adjustment programmes (4%), and to the implementation of EU law (e.g. infringements)

(2%). Three requests submitted by Croatia, Czechia and Slovakia were linked to the

preparation of Recovery and Resilience Plans.

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14%

Preparation, implementation and amendment

of Recovery and Resilience Plans

Implementation of Union law (e.g.

infringements)

Implementation of Economic adjustment

programmes

49%

32%

Implementation of Member States’ own reform

priorities

Implementation of Union priorities (e.g. CMU,

Energy Union, Customs Union, etc.)

Reforms in the context of economic governance

process (e.g. CSR, Country reports, etc.)

Figure 4 - SRSP 2020 Percentage of submitted requests according to circumstances

3.3.



Application of the assessment criteria

The Commission’s assessment of submitted requests was based on two sets of elements

general principles:

transparency, equal treatment and sound financial management;

and

criteria for the analysis of requests:

urgency, breadth and depth of the problems,

support needs in the policy areas concerned, analysis of socio-economic indicators and

general administrative capacity of the Member State.

The Commission analysed the requests for support submitted by the Member States in terms

of their

eligibility

and

compliance

with these principles and criteria.

A practical two-step approach was undertaken:

screening for eligibility and analysis of requests;

and

prioritisation of requests for selection.

As part of the assessment, the Commission undertook a

broad internal consultation

with all

relevant Commission services in order to ensure complementarity and to avoid duplication of

efforts and overlaps with several EU funds/programmes (in particular, the ESI Funds). The

process (including the broad consultation with other Commission services which fed into the

assessment) resulted in the steps described below:

1.Screening

2.Analysis

Consultation

3.Prioritisation

4.Selection

Figure 5 - SRSP requests assessment process

In accordance with Article 7(2) of the SRSP Regulation.

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Step 1 - Screening

Prior to assessing the requests submitted under the SRSP 2020 round, the Commission first

established whether the requests met the legal requirements of the SRSP Regulation

(eligibility check). Requests which included elements that were not ‘eligible actions’ under

the SRSP Regulation (see Article 6) such as the purchase of equipment, provision of IT

software, budget support measures, measures consisting of paying for running costs, etc.,

were excluded from further assessment.

As a result of the first screening, the 660 sumitted requests were found eligible.

Step 2 - Analysis of the requests for support

Following the exclusion of ineligible and/or withdrawn by Member State requests, the

purpose of the analysis was to identify the requests that merited support under the SRSP. The

analysis was based on the principles and criteria set out in Article 7(2) of the SRSP

Regulation.

A. General principles

Throughout the selection process, the

general principles

of the EU financial management

rules (transparency, equal treatment and sound financial management) were applied.

Transparency:

The Commission maintained a dialogue with the Member States prior to the submission of

their requests. This allowed clarifications to be provided and the Member States’ requests to

be refined, and adequate feedback on the assessment process after selection, in particular for

requests which had not been selected.

Equal treatment:

The Commission applied the assessment criteria equally to all requesting Member States.

There was no set pre-allocation of funding per Member States. The amount of funding

allocated was the result of the requests selected on the basis of the principles and assessment

criteria and on the quality, focus and expected result of the support measures. In order to

ensure equal treatment, a scoring system was put in place (see sections below).

Sound financial management:

The principle of sound financial management requires that EU financial resources are used in

accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The Commission

used the principle of sound financial management to prioritise requests based on quality,

focus and expected results of eligible submitted requests.

B. Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria

were applied in the following way:

Urgency of the request

The Commission assessed the urgency of a request, as initially presented by the Member

State. It also took account of the following elements:

As defined in Article 7(2) of the SRSP Regulation.

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

whether the urgency was linked to a crisis;

whether the urgency was related to a deadline or a time-bound schedule derived from

EU law, or from EU/Commission policy priorities (e.g. European Semester, Economic

Adjustment programmes, capital markets union (CMU), energy union, digital single

market, etc.).

ii.

Breadth and depth of the problems identified

The Commission assessed the severity (breadth) and extent (depth) of the problem, as

presented by the Member State. It also took account of the following elements:



the Commission's own knowledge and assessment of the prevailing situation in the

Member State;

country reports, country-specific recommendations, annual reports on the application

of EU law and other relevant documents related to EU/Commission priorities (energy

union, CMU, etc.), as well as to Member States’ own reform priorities, where known.

iii.

Support needs in respect of the policy areas concerned

The Commission analysed support needs, as described in the requests by the Member States.

It also took account of the following elements:



at which stage of the reform process the support would be required (the design phase

or the implementation phase) and how appropriate the solution proposed by the

Member States would be to address it;

whether the requested support measures were covered by already existing support

measures/instruments (under national or EU - e.g. ESI Funds - programmes).

iv.

Socio-economic indicators

The Commission took account of relevant socio-economic indicators related to the requests

for support to support the assessment

General administrative capacity of the Member State

The Commission also assessed the capacity of the Member State (i.e. of the national

authorities requesting support) to implement and absorb the support measures to be provided,

and ensure adequate follow-up. The following elements were particularly taken into account:



existence of a structure in the requesting Member State that would coordinate and

follow up on the support measures;

staff that would be made available to follow up on the support measures;

capacity (also based on past experience) to manage support measures/projects.

Rating system

In order to ensure equal treatment, a rating system was put in place to assess how the eligible

requests complied with the criteria indicated above.

These socio-economic indicators may be macro-economic indicators, general indicators or indicators related to the policy

area concerned, such as unemployment rate, number of early education leavers, number of people in or at risk of poverty and

social exclusion, investment rates, non-performing loans rates, etc.

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Analysis based on general principles and criteria: rating system

Every request for support that was considered eligible received ratings (A to C) that evaluated

how well the assessment criteria and the principle of sound financial management were

fulfilled. Scores were attributed for each of the following criteria: (i) urgency of the request,

(ii) breadth and depth of the problems identified, (iii) support needs in respect of the policy

areas concerned, (iv) general administrative capacity of the Member State, (v) maturity, (vi)

focus and (vii) expected results of the requested support measures.

- requests with only high and medium scores and a majority of high scores fell into the

category

medium scores

(at least 4 Bs, no Cs)

- requests with one low score fell into the category

one major weakness

(at least 1 C)

- requests with more than one low score and medium scores for the rest fell into the category

several major weaknesses

(more than 1 C)

During the analysis phase,

3 submitted requests were withdrawn

by the requesting Member

States, and another

6 submitted requests were merged

with others as they were duplicates.

65% of the 651 requests analysed in the SRSP 2020 round received

high scores,

12%

medium scores,

and around 22% had either

one major weakness,

several major

weaknesses.

While in line with the ratings scores of the previous years, this trend reflects an

improved quality of the requests submitted by Member States, which was supported by

intense communication efforts towards member States Coordinating Authorities and potential

beneficiaries.

The chart below shows the breakdown in percentages:

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

71%

58%

62%

65%

11%

10%

17%

12%

13%

12%

13%

12%

10%

12%

High scores min 4 As, no Cs

One major weakness at least 1 C

Medium scores at least 4 Bs, no Cs

Several major weaknesses more than 1 C

Figure 6 - SRSP 2017-2020 Evolution of ratings for submitted requests

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Requests with

high scores

had in general the following characteristics:



the problems/needs identified were sufficiently relevant/important and not covered by

other EU funds/programmes;

the solutions proposed were suitable for addressing the problems/needs;

relevant socio-economic indicators underpinned the problems/needs at stake;

the requesting Member State had sufficient administrative capacity to follow-up the

support measures funded by the SRSP.

Step 3 – Prioritisation of the requests for support

The results of the screening and analysis stage were used to select requests for funding under

the budget of the SRSP 2020 cycle.

The requests were prioritised based on the principle of sound financial management (in

particular taking into account their maturity, focus and expected results).

Without undermining the assessment criteria, the following aspects have also been considered

and the priority has been given to:



measures that were mature enough to allow for quick delivery of support and rapid

implementation of reforms on the ground;

targeted measures addressing defined objectives (as opposed to requests that were

more generic or preparatory); and

measures with strong expected results on the ground.

Step 4 - Selection of requests

After the analysis and prioritisation of the 651 eligible requests for technical support,

287

requests from 27 Member States were selected for funding under the available SRSP

2020 budget of EUR 89.9 million.

350

300

250

200

150

100

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

159

287

263

146

Figure 7 - SRSP 2017-2020 Number of selected requests

With a steady budget increase from EUR 20.5 million in the SRSP 2017, to EUR 30.5 million

in the SRSP 2018, EUR 79.3 million in the SRSP 2019, and EUR 89.9 million in the SRSP

2020, the overall number of requests selected for funding under SRSP 2020 was higher than

under the previous SRSP rounds, and also distributed across more Member States (27).

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The distribution of selected requests by Member State is as shown below. The detailed

number of requests selected for funding under the SRSP 2017–2020 rounds per Member State

can be found in Annexe 2.

AT BE BG CY CZ DE DK EE EL ES FI FR HR HU IE IT LT LU LV MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK

General Call

Article 11

Dedicated call

Training

Special measures

Figure 8 - SRSP 2020 Number of selected requests by Member States

The overall distribution of selected requests across the broad policy areas remains relatively

stable compared to SRSP 2019, with the exception that the highest number of requests

selected for funding under the SRSP 2020 were related to growth and business environment,

whereas in 2019, most selected requests were in the area of labour market, education, health

and social services.

The distribution across the main broad policy areas is as shown below:

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

Financial Sector and

Governance and Growth and Business

Labour Market,

Revenue

Access to Finance Public Administration

Environment

Education, Health and Administration and

Social Services

Public Financial

Management

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

17%

19%

18% 17%

23%

21%

15%

14%

28%

27%

Figure 9 - SRSP 2019 and SRSP 2020 Percentage of selected requests by broad policy areas

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The following chart shows the breakdown of the requests selected under the SRSP 2020

budget and split according to relevant circumstances.

In 2020, the SRSP provided general support to Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece,

Slovenia and Slovakia for the preparation of their national Recovery and Resilience Plans.

The technical support provided depended on the specific request and needs of each Member

State, and it took the form of: (i) administrative capacity building actions aimed for example

at defining methodologies (e.g. for costing), (ii) harmonising the ‘Do No Significant Harm’

assessment, or (iii) coordinating stakeholders’ input into the drafting of the RRP.

2% 1%

Reforms in the context of economic governance

process (e.g. CSR, Country reports, etc.)

Implementation of Union priorities (e.g. CMU, Energy

Union, Customs Union, etc.)

Implementation of Member States’ own reform

priorities

30%

Implementation of Economic adjustment

programmes

Implementation of Union law (e.g. infringements)

57%

Preparation, implementation and amendment of

Recovery and Resilience Plans

Figure 10 - SRSP 2020 Percentage of selected requests according to circumstances

99% of requests selected for funding under SRSP 2020 round were given

high scores.

The

chart below shows the distribution of the scores of the selected requests for the SRSP 2020,

compared to the previous years, which demonstrates that the quality of the submitted requests

has increased overtime.

100%

98%

96%

94%

92%

90%

88%

86%

84%

82%

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

88%

97%

93%

99%

High scores min 4 As, no Cs

One major weakness at least 1 C

Medium scores at least 4 Bs, no Cs

Several major weaknesses more than 1 C

Figure 11 - Distribution of the scores of the selected requests - SRSP 2017-2020

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3.4.

Cooperation and support plans

Once the requests for support had been selected, the Commission concluded a cooperation

and support plan

with each Member State benefiting from the programme.

Cooperation and support plans

Member States and the Commission work closely together to carry out actions financed under

the SRSP. After a Member State submits its request for support, the coordinating authority of

the requesting Member State and the Commission agree on the priorities and objectives, an

indicative timeline, the scope of the support measures and the estimated financial contribution

for such support. This agreement is reflected in a cooperation and support plan (CSP). The

CSPs are multiannual documents, signed and amended each year (if need be) by the

Commission and Member States requesting support from the SRSP.

Implementation of the support measures requires full involvement and ownership by the

Member State. Through the CSP, the Commission and the Member States express their

commitment to engage in the implementation of the support measures

With the consent by

the Member States, the CSPs are transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council.

In 2020, 27 cooperation and support plans were concluded between the Commission and the

Member States, and were transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council in April

2020, in line with Article 8 of the SRSP Regulation. Following a late selection of projects, 8

cooperation and support plans were amended. The amended versions were transmitted to the

European Parliament and the Council in April 2020.

Member State

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Estimated global

contribution

€1,640,000

€3,290,000

€4,125,000

€5,531,500

€4,130,000

€4,239,000

€670,000

€3,750,000

€1,665,000

€2,890,000

€1,010,000

€12,240,500

€2,450,000

€3,147,500

Indicative timeline of delivery of

support measures

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q2 2020 - Q3 2022

Q1 2020 - Q1 2023

Q1 2020 - Q4 2022

Q1 2020 - Q2 2023

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q1 2020 - Q3 2022

Q1 2020 - Q2 2022

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q3 2020 - Q3 2023

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q2 2020 - Q4 2022

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q2 2020 - Q1 2022

Article 7(2) of the SRSP Regulation.

The content of the CSPs is further defined in section 18.2 and in part VII of the cooperation and support plans.

The estimated global contribution per Member State is purely indicative. The final amounts will depend on how contracts,

withdrawals, cancellations, etc.develop.

This estimate amount includes the EUR 5 million voluntary contribution from the application of Article 11

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Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

€6,340,000

€2,968,000

€3,610,000

€320,000

€2,521,000

€1,700,000

€4,605,000

€4,745,000

€5,160,000

€4,035,000

€3,265,000

€5,347,500

€550,000

Q2 2020 - Q3 2022

Q2 2020 - Q1 2022

Q2 2020 - Q4 2022

Q2 2020 - Q1 2022

Q1 2020 - Q4 2021

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q1 2020 - Q1 2023

Q2 2020 - Q3 2022

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q2 2020 - Q3 2022

Q2 2020 - Q1 2022

Q2 2020 - Q2 2022

Q1 2020 - Q3 2021

Figure 12 - SRSP 2020 estimated budget and timeline of support measures per Member States

3.5.

Reform partners and special measures

In coordination with the Commission, the beneficiary Member State may enter into

partnership with one or more other Member States which will act as reform partners to

support specific areas of reform

. In 2020, none of the requesting Member States entered into

such a partnership.

Every year, a limited part of annual work programme is earmarked for special measures

the event of unforeseen and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring an immediate

response for a maximum period of 6 months. In 2020, Slovakia and Croatia requested support

under special measures for the preparation and/or implementation of their national Recovery

and Resilience Plans.

3.6.

Implementation of support measures

The 287 requests selected under SRSP 2020 resulted in 270 projects,

as some selected

requests were later withdrawn by Member States while others were merged into one project

for implementation purposes. The list of 270 selected SRSP 2020 support measures are listed

in Annex 4.

As of 31 August 2022, 44% of the SRSP 2020 projects were closed, 52% were started or still

on the ground, and 4% were cancelled or merged. While the average duration of a project can

vary, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the overall implementation of projects, therefore

increasing their length. The status of the SRSP 2020 projects per Member State is shown in

the table below

Article 9 of the SRSP Regulation

Article 13(6) of the SRSP Regulation.

Changes,as compared with the Annual Monitoring Reports for the previous years of SRSP implementation, occurred in the

overall number of technical support projects due to various reasons – withdrawal of requests by Member States, merging of

projects for implementation purposes, etc.

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Netherlands

Denmark

Romania

Finland

Hungary

France

Austria

Croatia

Cyprus

Latvia

Italy

Bulgaria

Greece

Poland

Germany

Malta

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Ireland

Luxembourg

Lithuania

Portugal

Slovenia

Belgium

Estonia

Spain

Sweden

Cancelled

Merged

Started

On the ground

Closed

Figure 13 - SRSP 2020 Project status per Member State as of 31/08/2022

As illustrated below, SRSP 2020 support measures adressed specific actions in each policy

areas in the Member States.



Migration:

The SRSP 2020 provided support measures in 4 Member States, in particular

in relation to migration and border management

Resilience and Recovery Plans:

Support measures under the SRSP 2020 contributed to

the preparation but were also linked to the implementation of reforms included in the

national Recovery and Resilience Plans in 15 Member States.

Revenue administration and public financial management:

The SRSP 2020 provided

support measures in 20 Member States, in particular in relation to revenue administration,

tax policy, budget preparation and spending reviews, budget implementation and

transition towards accrual accounting, and fiscal framework.

Governance and public administration:

The SRSP 2020 provided support measures in

22 Member States in the fields of overall public administration, procurement, e-

Government/Digital Public Administration, the functioning of the justice system, the fight

against fraud, and corruption and money laundering. Certain measures could contribute to

a better implementation of EU funds and programmes.

Sustainable Growth and business environment:

The SRSP 2020 provided support

measures in 24 Member States, in particular in the fields of investment climate,

management of natural resources and resource efficiency, and the Energy Union.

Labour market, education, health and social services:

The SRSP 2020 provided

support measures in 23 Member States, in particular in the fields of healthcare systems,

education, training and research, labour markets and social policies, migration and social

welfare systems.

Financial sector and access to finance:

The SRSP 2020 provides support measures in 25

Member States, in particular in the fields of capital market diagnostics and strategies,

sustainable capital market development, insolvency, anti-money laundering, financial

literacy and reinforcing financial stability.



270 beneficiary authorities were recipients of support measures

funded under SRSP 2020,

out of which 203 were central government or ministries, 18 were public agencies, 13 were

Art. 11 Greece

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regional or local authorities, 22 were regulatory authorities, 14 were other types of public

bodies. See Annexe 3 for details per Member States.

Means of implementation

The programme’s support measures can be implemented either directly by the Commission or

indirectly by entities and persons other than Member States

. Financing of the support

measures can take the form of grants, including grants to the Member States’ national

authorities, public procurement contracts, reimbursements of costs incurred by external

experts, contributions to trust funds set up by international organisations, and actions carried

out in indirect management.

By 31 August 2022, the SRSP 2020 budget of EUR 89.9 million was being implemented as

follows.

18%

42%

Grants

Indirect management

Public procurement

Administrative Arrangement

39%

Figure 14 – SRSP 2020 Breakdown of the means of implementing projects as % of budget

Grants and indirect management

For projects selected for funding under the 2020 round, by 31 August 2022, the majority of

projects being implemented

throught grants and indirect management were awarded to

international organisations (72%).

Article 13(2) of the SRSP Regulation.

Values based on contracted amounts

In accordance with the Commission Implementing Decision on the adoption of the work programme for 2020, direct grants

may be awarded to international organisations, Member States ministries, agencies or other bodies, as well as to other bodies

with a public service mission which, in view of the nature of the action, have recognised and relevant technical competence,

high degree of specialisation or administrative power in various thematic areas under the SRSP.

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5% 3%

International Organisation

Public law bodies

Government bodies

Bodies governed by private law with

a public service mission

NGO

72%

Figure 15 - SRSP 2020 Types of technical support providers implementing grants and indirect

management

14%

International organisations managing projects via indirect management have undergone an ex-

ante (pillar-) assessment of their procedures and systems, guaranteeing a level of protection of

the EU financial interests equivalent to that guaranteed by the Commission in direct

management.

In 2020, the following entities implementing EU funds under indirect management:



Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Council of Europe

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

International Organization for Migration

International Labour Organization

World Health Organization

World Bank - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Expertise France

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH

Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas

The British Council

Public procurement and TAIEX

By 31 August 2022, the highest proportion of procurements for SRSP 2020 projects were

specific contracts based on framework contracts (94%).

3% of the 2020 funding has been implemented through a Service Level Agreement entered

into with DG NEAR to utilise the TAIEX

instrument under a programme entitled TAIEX

SRSP Peer to Peer, which provided for expert exchange between Member States'

administrations, and 3% through open tenders for small value contracts, and 1% through

simplified expert contracts for private sector experts (AMI list).

Values based on contracted amounts

TAIEX is the Commission’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument. TAIEX supports public

administrations in the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation as well as facilitating the sharing of EU

best practices,

https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/tenders/taiex_en

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3% 3%1%

Framework contracts

TAIEX

Small Value Contracts

AMI list (Call for expression of interest)

94%

Figure 16 - SRSP 2020 Types of procurement contracts and TAIEX actions

Administrative arrangements

By 31 August 2022, five SRSP 2020 support measures were implemented through

administrative arrangements with:



the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission

the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)

ROGRESS TOWARDS THE PROGRAMME

’

S OBJECTIVES

Institutional, administrative and growth-sustaining structural reforms are, by their very nature,

complex processes. Designing and implementing these reforms requires highly specialised

knowledge and skills at every stage. In some Member States, the capacity to initiate and

implement structural reforms is not always adequate to address the challenges ahead.

Inadequate responses to economic and social challenges could hamper competitiveness,

growth, employment, and investment. That is equally important for Member States whose

currency is not the euro, in their preparation to join the euro area.

Considering the European dimension of these challenges, the SRSP aimed to reinforce

administrative capacity in the Member States and, by doing so, help the Member States

implement institutional, administrative and structural reforms. Better administrative capacity

can make administrative structures more efficient, benefiting the public and business.

To this end, through its support measures, the SRSP aimed to achieve the following results:



improved ability of national authorities to identify and address economic and

structural weaknesses;

strengthened ability to develop, design and implement reform policies according to

priorities;

Values based on contracted amounts

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

improved capacity of national authorities to define processes and methodologies to

support the design, management and implementation of reforms, and/or the efficiency

and effectiveness of human resources;

increased professional knowledge, skills and adaptability to change management

processes;

improved channels of communication with the Commission, Member States and

international organisations in order to improve communication and coordination of

reform efforts; and

improved capacity to ensure progress of reforms recommended within the European

Semester cycle, economic adjustment programmes and Member States’ own-initiative

reforms, and to ensure consistent and coherent implementation of EU law.

Against this background, the intervention logic of the programme can be illustrated in the

chart below: the activities under the programme produced outputs, which in turn generate

outcomes. The outcomes then contributed to the achievement of the specific objectives at the

project and programme level. This in turn fed into progress towards the general objective of

the programme, which was to support growth-sustaining structural reforms in the Member

States.

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General objective of

the Programme

Contribute to institutional, administrative and growth-sustaining reforms in the

Member States by providing support to national authorities for measures aimed

at reforming and strengthening institutions, governance, public administration,

and economic and social sectors in response to economic and social challenges,

with a view to enhancing cohesion, competitiveness, productivity, sustainable

growth, job creation, investment and social inclusion and to contributing to real

convergence in the Union, which may also prepare for participation in the euro

area, in particular in the context of economic governance processes, including

through assistance for the efficient, effective and transparent use of the Union

funds.

Specific objectives

of the

programme/projects

•

Support in designing reforms

Support for the development and implementation of reform policies

Support for the definition and implementation of processes and

methodologies

Support for more efficient and effective human resource management

Expected outcomes

•

Adoption of a strategy

Adoption of a draft of a new law, act or modification of an existing one

Adoption of (new) procedures and actions to enhance the

implementation of reforms

Improved internal working procedures, methodologies and

processes/organisation

Organisational change, change management, improved human resource

management

Outputs

•

Action plan, roadmap

Guidelines, handbook

Recommendations

Terms of reference

Analysis, report

Training, training material, workshops (including material)

Study visit reports

Communication (including material) and other events

Activities

•

Short term expert mission(s);

Long term expert (resident expert and similar);

Study visit (of officials of the beneficiary MS);

Workshop/conference/seminar;

Training activity;

IT expertise/advice;

Collection of statistics;

Study, research, evaluation;

Communication activities

Compilation/dissemination of material (including through information

technology systems)

Organisation of local operations

Figure 17 – Intervention logic of the Structural Reform Support Programme

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4.1.

Progress in achieving the specific objectives

Support measures financed by the SRSP 2020 budget were contributing to the specific

objectives of the programme as follows



43%

of support measures contribute to the

design of reforms.

60%

contribute to the

formulation, development and implementation of reforms;

53%

contribute to the

definition and implementation of processes and

methodologies;

of support measures aim to help improve

efficiency and effectiveness of human

resources management.

4.2.

Expected outcomes of SRSP activities

In line with the intervention logic of the programme, the support measures financed under the

SRSP 2020 budget were expected to achieve outcomes that will ultimately contribute to the

achievement of the general and specific SRSP objectives as follows



36%

of support measures were expected to lead (or have led) to

adoption of a

strategy, draft of a new law or act, or modification of an existing one;

55%

of support measures were expected to lead (or have led) to

adoption of (new)

procedures and actions to enhance the implementation of reforms;

54%

of support measures strived to deliver (or have delivered)

improved internal

working procedures, methodologies and processes/organisation;

12%

of support measures aimed to bring about

organisational change, change

management and improved human resource management;

of support measures were expected to lead (or have led) to

other results

(assessment of software landscape, evaluation of public policies, etc.).

4.3.

European added value

Actions selected and implemented under the SRSP 2020 round were designed to ensure

complementarity and synergy with other programmes and policies at national, EU and

international level, contribute to further promoting mutual trust and cooperation between

beneficiary Member States and the Commission, and ensure consistent and coherent

implementation of EU law. In addition, some actions should allow for the development and

implementation of solutions that address national challenges but also have a positive cross-

border impact and/or impact on the EU as a whole.

The Commission is in a better position than any single Member State to identify and channel

good practices. In many instances, therefore, support measures delivered to the Member

States have been improved by the exchange of good practices among the Member States and

between Member States and international organisations. This also enabled efficiency gains, as

positive results in one Member State could be implemented in another.

Each support measure can contribute to more than one specific objective, which is why the sum of the figures appear to

amount to more than 100%.

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Support measures implemented under the SRSP 2020 were expected to generate European

added value, as the following examples illustrate



16%

of support measures

were expected to have an impact on cross-border or EU-

wide challenges

37%

were expected

to complement other EU programmes

38% were expected to

contribute

to the consistent and coherent implementation of

EU laws and policies

31% of

support

measures were expected to contribute to the sharing of good

practices,

also with a view to increasing the visibility of the programme

6% were

expected

to promote mutual trust

between the beneficiary Member State

and the Commission and between Member States

UPPORT MEASURES DELIVERED UNDER THE PROGRAMME

By 31 August 2022, 72% of support measures funded under the SRSP 2017-2020 rounds had

already delivered concrete results, while 20% are still on the ground and 7% were cancelled

or merged with similar projects.

While the average implementation period of support measures varies between 1 and 2 years, a

majority of support measures was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limited

possibilities to travel and meet in person. Since summer 2022, normal pace of project delivery

has resumed.

300

250

200

150

100

SRSP 2017

Cancelled

SRSP 2018

Merged

Started

SRSP 2019

On the ground

Closed

SRSP 2020

164

143

139

222

120

Figure 18 - SRSP 2017-2020 Project status as of 31/08/2022

Each support measure can contribute to more than one element relevant to European added value.

Other Union funds or programmes, such as the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).

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Figure 19 - SRSP 2020 Project status per Member State as of 31/08/2020

With regards to the SRSP 2020 round, by end of August 2022, 44% of the projects were

closed, and by end of 2022, more than 60% of projects were closed. Of the remaining still on

the ground, a large porportion is due to close in the coming months.

VALUATION OF THE PROGRAMME

The general objective of the programme is to contribute to institutional, administrative and

growth-sustaining reforms in the Member States by providing support to national authorities

for measures aimed at reforming and strengthening institutions, governance, public

administration, and economic and social sectors in response to economic and social

challenges, with a view to enhancing cohesion, competitiveness, productivity, sustainable

growth, job creation, investment and social inclusion and to contributing to real convergence

in the EU, which may also prepare for participation in the euro area, in particular in the

context of economic governance processes, including through assistance for the efficient,

effective and transparent use of the EU funds

According to the ex-ante evaluation of the SRSP, the programme was expected to address the

following three main needs: (i) limited administrative and institutional capacity; (ii)

challenges in the application and implementation of EU law; and (iii) challenges in the design

and implementation of structural reforms in line with the EU’s economic and social goals.

While it is not within the remit of this report to illustrate the ultimate effects of the reforms

on which a Member State may have embarked and for which some support may be or is being

provided under the SRSP, it can be said that overall the SRSP is on track when it comes to

delivering on its general objective

The support measures implemented under the SRSP have provided assistance to national

authorities in the design and implementation of a whole range of institutional, administrative

and structural reforms. The activities under the programme and the outputs already delivered

In accordance with Article 4 of the SRSP Regulation.

According to Article 16 of the SRSP Regulation, the Commission shall provide an independent mid-term evaluation report

with information on the achievement of the programme's objectives, the efficiency of the use of the resources and the

programme’s European added value, as well as the continued relevance of objectives and actions.

Some external factors, such as changes in the political priorities of Member States, may influence the implementation of

the support measures and there is therefore a risk that reforms for which support had been provided are not implemented in

the end. For this reason, the causal link between the support measures provided under the programme and the achievement of

the general objective has to be determined on a case-by-case basis and by taking account of external influencing factors.

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under the SRSP 2017–2020 rounds help strengthen the overall capacity and sound governance

of the requesting Member States.

6.1.

SRSP mid-term evaluation

In line with the SRSP Regulation

, the programme was subject to a

mid-term evaluation,

which was finalised in September 2020, with the related report tabled to the European

Parliament and the Council

. The purpose was to examine how the SRSP had performed so

far against five evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and EU

added value) and draw lessons for possible future improvements.

The

SRSP mid-term evaluation

, was supported by an independent external study

, covered

the programme’s 2017 and 2018 budgetary cycles, and analysed over 300 technical support

projects in 24 Member States. At the time of the mid-term evaluation, 22% of the projects had

been completed.

The SRSP mid-term evaluation concluded that the SRSP activities addressed adequately the

needs of Member States and the programme remained relevant and needed. Further, the SRSP

was appreciated for its high degree of flexibility, low administrative burden and the absence

of co-financing. SRSP projects were generally well-designed with few delays and in line with

the specific objectives of the SRSP, and the Member States’ needs and socio-economic

impacts taken into account in the project design. The evaluation also concluded that the SRSP

was progressing towards achieving its results, even though it was facing challenges such as

weak collaboration among stakeholders, political changes, political instability, and resource

constraints. Delivered on time, the SRSP technical support fed adequately into the European

Semester and its coordination mechanism was largely adequate, in particular by enabling the

exchange of good practices and lessons learned among Member States.

The mid-term evaluation identified scope to improve the internal IT system, to better

understand the formal monitoring responsibilities of national Coordinating Authorities, and to

further facilitate exchange of information between beneficiary authorities in different Member

States, where relevant. Member States could also increase capacity to perform more in-depth

double funding checks.

Since the launch of the mid-term evaluation 2020, and building on its conclusions, DG

REFORM has put in place a set of measures to adress the suggestions for improvements.

6.2.

SRSP ex-post evaluation

The ex-post evaluation report of the SRSP was launched in September 2021 with the aim of

concluding on the results of the entire programme and including information on its longer-

term impact. The ex-post evaluation was postponed to ensure that a large proportion of SRSP

projects would be closed, so as to allow for evaluation of their outcome and impact. It is

expected to be published by mid-2023.

The ex-post evaluation will build on an external supporting study, conclusions of which rely

on evidence collected through extensive desk research, stakeholder consultation activities, in

In accordance with Article 16 of the SRSP Regulation

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5ab25276-1dee-11eb-b57e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-

PDF/source-search

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/1831-Midterm-evaluation-of-the-Structural-

Reform-Support-Programme-2017-2020_en

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e7dccc57-02c2-11eb-8919-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

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particular the Open Public Consultation, a targeted survey, a wide-ranging interview

programme and focus group discussions, as well as in-depth case studies.

6.3.

DG REFORM feedback mechanism

In addition to the evaluation performed at programme level, since 2019, DG REFORM has

put in place a mechanism that systematically collects feedback, assesses the extent to which

the aims of our technical projects are met, and identifies circumstances that lead to both high

and low levels of success. For this purpose, two types of questionnaires are sent to the

stakeholders (1) to measure their satisfaction, and (2) to assess the level of achievement of the

expected outcomes.

Satisfaction questionnaires

are sent after project closure to the beneficiary authorities,

providers, and the policy officers to gather feedback on the project across a range of

dimensions (e.g. effectiveness of the design and implementation, satisfaction with the

interactions, level of expertise, timing, etc.).

As of September 2022, 474 satisfaction questionnaires were sent out, with a 69% response

rate from the beneficiary authorities and a 67% response rate from the providers of technical

expertise.

300

250

200

150

100

SRSP 2017

Article 11

2018

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

Article 11

2020

SRSP 2020

Total number of projects

Number of satisfaction question sent

Figure 20 – SRSP 2017-2020 Number of satisfaction questionnaires sent compared to the total

number of projects for a given funding year

Based on the feedback collected until September 2022, the Member States’ satisfaction with

DG REFORM is very high (score of 9.3 out of 10). Member States also express high

satisfaction with the providers contracted by DG REFORM (score of 8.7 out of 10). Overall,

the Member States consider the projects delivered by REFORM as being very successful

(score of 8.9 out of 10).

The beneficiaries appreciate the commitment, expertise and professionalism of DG REFORM

policy officers in designing the projects and activities, bringing on board the right expertise at

the right moment, and being able to build from experience for other Member States. The

results of the survey also identified some scope for improvement in the administrative

capacity of the beneficiaries - score of 8.1/10 as assessed by DG REFORM policy officers - ,

and in the beneficiary capacity to follow up on the reform process after the end of the project

- score of 8.5/10 as assessed by DG REFORM policy officers and 8.1/10 by providers.

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Outcomes questionnaires

are sent to beneficiary authorities 6, 12 or 18 months after project

closure to measure the achievement of the expected outcome of the project (to which extent

the beneficiary authorities have used the support provided, e.g. to adopt a law or a strategy, or

improve working procedures).

Since summer 2021, DG REFORM gathers systematic feedback through outcome

questionnaires. Based on the 120 questionnaires collected so far, 73% of the results expected

from the technical support projects where actually implemented by Member States.

The main reasons indicated by Member States for not following up on the technical support

provided are (i) the length of the reform process (the reform process was still ongoing at the

time of the questionnaire, the project was a first step in the reform process) and (ii) external

reasons independent from the project (the change in the political reform priorities, notably due

to the COVID crisis).

7. C

OMMUNICATION

In June 2021, DG REFORM launched the

Reform Support website,

including a rich online

library of more than 175 SRSP project examples, illustrating the 9 main policy areas, and

accessible via an

interactive map.

Thanks to the built-in translations tool, all webpages are

accessible in the 24 EU languages. Statistics show an increase from a monthly 7,000 page

views in June 2021 to 33,000 page views in May 2022.

On a regular basis, DG REFORM identifies SRSP projects to be featured as part of the

Project in the Spotlight

series on the basis of their results on the ground and their potential to

be replicated by other Member States to ensure the highest visibility through all DG

REFORM communication channels, and via the EC Representations in the Member States

and the national press.



Blue print for Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption at Flanders Investment & Trade (SRSP

2019)



Integrating genomics into healthcare (genomDE)

in Germany (SRSP 2020)



Modernising the Civil Procedure Rules in Cyprus

(SRSP 2019)



Access to capital market financing for Czech Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

(SRSP 2020)



Developing Innovative Mobility Solutions in the Brussels-Capital Region

(SRSP 2020)



Tackling Early School Leaving in Romania



Establishing a digital justice strategy for the Maltese Justice Sector

(SRSP 2019)



Barnahus Slovenia: Supporting children victims of violence

(SRSP 2019)



Modernization of the national data-information infrastructure - Statistics Poland

(SRSP

2020)

Regular communication on projects is also performed through the DG REFORM

@EU_reforms

Twitter account.

Since its launch in December 2020, more than 1000 tweets

were posted, and followers take-up is increasing regularly, now is beyond 3,000 followers.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

8. C

ONCLUSION

Reforms are crucial to modernise the economies of the Member States, encourage investment,

create jobs, and raise living standards. The successful implementation of reforms requires

good administrative capacity

and

a strong sense of ownership of the reform process by

the Member State concerned.

The SRSP aims to help Member State authorities in their

efforts to design and implement growth-enhancing reforms. The COVID-19 pandemic had

grave economic and social impacts across the EU. In this context, the Structural Reform

Support Programme activities became even more relevant than ever to help Member States

make fundamental reform efforts to boost their economies and create the foundations of a

sound recovery.

In its fourth and last final year, in 2020, the SRSP saw

another increase in demand,

with

Member States

submitting

660 requests for support,

out of which 287 were selected,

resulting in 270 projects to be implemented.

Overall, during the 2017-2020 period, the SRSP was the subject of growing interest from

Member States. In 2017, 16 Member States requested and received technical support to

address their reform agenda under the programme. By 2020, all 27 Member States are part of

the programme. The SRSP has demonstrated its capacity to support national authorities

identify and overcome structural weaknesses and bottlenecks when designing and

implementing reforms.

However, while although the SRSP’s measures aim to support the reform process,

the

recipient Member State is responsible for both effective follow-up of the actions and

actual implementation of the reforms.

With a view to continuing to provide technical support to Member States after the end of the

SRSP in 2020, the European Parliament and the Council adopted a Regulation establishing

the successor to the SRSP - the Technical Support Instrument

- which has a similar scope

and objectives, but a larger budget.

While results of the support actions carried out under the SRSP contribute to the reform

processes,

effective follow-up of such actions in terms of concretisation of reforms

remain the prerogative of the recipient Member State.

The Commission will continue to monitor the uptake of the support measures and the

implementation of institutional, administrative and growth-enhancing reforms in the years to

come.

Regulation (EU) 2021/240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 February 2021 establishing a Technical

Support Instrument, OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 1 – 16.

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PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

EPLOYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AT

LANDERS

INVESTMENTS AND TRADE IN

ELGIUM

The Commission provided support to Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) to develop a

deployment framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI)

with a well-defined practice for

conducting enterprise analysis, design, and planning for the implementation of AI.

Context

FIT needed to develop and implement an AI strategy. This would help FIT not only to adapt

to customer needs but also to inspire both the public and private sector in discovering the

potential of AI.

Support delivered

The Commission provided support over a 12-month period in the form of technical

advisory services by entities with substantial experience in the development of

blueprints for AI for public administrations.

The support measures consisted of:



Development of an AI maturity assessment;

Recommendations on the target state architecture for AI deployment, including a

roadmap, adapted to an organisation-wide use of AI technology and industry best

practices;

Proposal with the required curricula for AI-related training of FIT staff.

Results achieved

The support improved FIT’s capacity to design and plan for the development of AI

applications and its necessary data assets, and improved the AI awareness and in-house

capabilities at FIT.

Drawing on the results of the project,

FIT has started developing its new IT strategy,

prepared plans for digitalisation, conducted a management review of the personnel plan,

and taken steps to improve data governance.

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

NTEGRATING GENOMICS INTO HEALTHCARE

(

GENOM

DE)

The European Commission is supporting Germany’s efforts to

design a framework for the

wider rollout of genomics in healthcare service delivery,

specifically in cancer and rare

diseases.

Context

Since the Human Genome Project was launched in 1990, it was said that genetics will

revolutionize healthcare. It took 13 years, hundreds of scientists and more than 2 billion EUR

globally to unveil the complete sequence of our human DNA back in 2000. Now, it takes one

or two days to sequence an entire genome for an affordable price. We are now at a point

where genomic sequencing is ready to be implemented in routine healthcare. 22 Member

States including Germany have signed a declaration on '1+ Million Genomes' Initiative to

sequence at least one million genomes in the EU by 2022. '1+ Million Genomes' Initiative is

catalysing the uptake of genomics and integration of personalised medicine in the European

healthcare systems. More than 40 countries joined forces in the International Consortium for

Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed), with a common goal of aligning and supporting efforts

on personalised medicine research and implementation into healthcare. ICPerMed is

supported by the European Commission and managed by Germany.

The German Federal Minister of Health set an ambitious plan to establish a national genome

initiative (genomDE) to coordinate numerous existing excellent initiatives to improve the

opportunities for care and research in the area of cancer and rare diseases. With genomDE,

Germany has the objective to position itself as a competitive

player at the highest

international level and to implement and establish medical genome sequencing into

healthcare. In addition, genomDE will enable optimal use of genomic data for research,

thereby realizing the full potential of genome sequencing for scientific progress in

biomedicine.

Support to be delivered

genomDE will entail a legal and ethical framework, including a concept for organisation,

data infrastructure and reimbursement,

as well as a communications campaign aimed at

both the public and healthcare professionals.

Expected results



The capacity of national stakeholders to implement a functional and sustainable

genomDE is improved

The legal and regulatory framework of the genomDE initiative is defined and agreed

(Stakeholder’s) awareness about the benefits of the genomDE initiative is improved

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

ODERNISING THE

IVIL

ROCEDURE

ULES IN

YPRUS

The European Commission has supported the Supreme Court of Cyprus to

modernise the

civil procedure rules

through a sequenced project starting with a detailed review of the old

Cypriot civil procedure rules against modern and more efficient approaches, followed by a

public consultation on the areas of intervention and concluded by a joint drafting of the new

rules by international experts and national stakeholders.

Context

Since 2016, the Cypriot authorities and more specifically the Supreme Court of Cyprus, have

been implementing a significant, multi-faceted and complex reform of the court system. In

this context, the Supreme Court of Cyprus highlighted the need to modernise the civil

procedure rules, which have been in place for over 60 years and were outdated, despite three

attempts to modernise them.

According to the EU Justice score-board Cyprus has been repeatedly encouraged over the past

number of years to significantly improve its performance in terms of length of court

proceedings and level of backlogs in litigious civil and commercial cases. The modernisation

of the rules should support this improvement.

Support delivered

The Commission provided support in two consecutive phases mobilising different groups of

experts to advise and assist the Supreme Court in this endeavour. The cooperation consisted

of:



Review the old Cypriot civil procedure rules against modern and more efficient approaches;

Organise public consultation on the areas of intervention;

Draft the new rules;

Organise joint design and approval processes of the new rules by the national stakeholders

(judges, lawyers, court registrars) through targeted communication activities.

Results achieved

The support led to the approval of the new Civil Procedure Rules by the Supreme Court of

Cyprus on May 19

, 2021. The Commission continues cooperating with the Cypriot

authorities in preparing the ground for implementation through training activities to all key

stakeholders (judges, lawyers, court registrars). The implementation of the new rules will

contribute to a fairer and more efficient justice system, which will contribute to strengthening

the rule of law in Cyprus and speeding-up justice, ensuring favourable investment conditions

and sustainability of growth.

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

CCESS TO CAPITAL MARKET FINANCING FOR

ZECH

MALL AND

EDIUM

-S

IZED

NTERPRISES

The European Commission supported the Czech authorities in developing a comprehensive

guide for SMEs about capital market financing options.

Context

A well-developed capital market is essential for the efficient functioning of an advanced

market economy. The SMEs in Czech Republic use predominantly traditional bank financing.

To stimulate an increase of capital market financing, simple and reliable information needs to

be available to SMEs. Improved access to capital market financing options for SMEs is a key

priority of the Capital Markets Union.

Support delivered

The support measures consisted of:



Creating of a dedicated information platform (capital guide) for SMEs about capital

market financing options

Drafting information about basic financial tools available for SMEs on capital markets

Producing video tutorials as well as video testimonials of success stories

Launch event of the (capital guide) with public and private stakeholders

Result achieved

The capital guide will increase awareness of SMEs about the Czech capital market and the

financing opportunities that are available to them. Czech SME should get inspired through

featured stories of SMEs that have successfully taped into capital markets, for examples

through crowdfunding or other innovative platforms, through private investors or via the

START market of the Prague Stock Exchange. Ultimately, increased access to information

and guidance will help SMEs identify suitable opportunities that capital market offers for

growth and development of their businesses.

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

ACKLING

ARLY

CHOOL

EAVING IN

OMANIA

Two successive projects, which were implemented in cooperation with the World Bank,

developed an early warning methodology for early school leaving

and piloted it in 10

Romanian counties. The central administration and schools were supported to develop their

capacity for prevention, intervention, and compensation for early school leaving.

Context

The projects were launched following successive country-specific recommendations on

improving the inclusiveness of the Romanian education system. They contribute to the

national reform agenda (notably the National Reform Programme and the strategic framework

for education). The early warning mechanism has been embedded in the Romanian Recovery

and Resilience Plan (RRP), which will extend its implementation at a national level and offers

to further strengthen the capacity of schools to apply the methodology developed with the

European Commission support.

Support delivered

The first project focused on developing a methodology for tackling early school leaving at the

national, regional, and local (school) levels. The methodology included an early warning

mechanism and extensive guidance addressed in particular to schools. The second project is

ongoing and builds upon the results of the first by piloting the early warning mechanism in 10

counties and offering hands-on support to more than 150 schools. It builds the capacity of the

central and local levels to support the roll-out of the mechanism at a national level, through

the planned RRP interventions.

Result achieved

The projects resulted in a comprehensive methodology addressing the prevention,

intervention, and compensation phases of early school leaving. This was accompanied by

hands-on support for participating schools and written guidance addressed to central land

local stakeholders. The methodology will be rolled out nationally with RRP support.

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

STABLISHING A DIGITAL JUSTICE STRATEGY FOR THE

ALTESE

USTICE

ECTOR

The European Commission supported the co-ordination of past and future IT initiatives while

preparing for a Digital Justice Strategy in line with European good practices, as well as the

development of a digital justice strategy and an accompanying action plan through a

comprehensive consultation process of all stakeholders and targeted and operational

recommendations. The final beneficiary of the project was the Ministry for Justice and

Governance of Malta (MJG).

Context

In the recent years, the court administration in Malta had made several attempts to modernise

its services with a view to enhance the efficiency of the justice system through several ICT

initiatives by shifting from a paper-based system to an electronic one. However, these

attempts have been sporadic and not based on a pre-established, concrete and evidence-based

strategy. In addition, the so far undertaken ICT initiatives with a view to digitalisation of the

justice system were not based on synergies among the different entities/offices/stakeholders

working within the field of justice, so as to ensure better coordination and efficiency.

In this context, the Maltese authorities sought support from the Commission in order to

develop a digital justice strategy that would allow the coordination of past and future IT

initiatives in line with European good practices based on synergies among the co-competent

entities/stakeholders. The Digital Justice Strategy should act as a blueprint for the ICT

initiatives to be undertaken by the Maltese Ministry of Justice and Governance in the future,

enabling Malta to apply for future funds for the implementation of the strategy's actions, thus

contributing to the improvement of the efficiency of the Maltese justice system.

Support delivered

The

technical support consisted

of:



collection, understanding, and analysis of all IT initiatives in the Maltese justice

sector, by performing desktop research and in-depth interviews with all relevant

stakeholders;

co-creation of a draft digital justice strategy and corresponding action plan by the

beneficiary authority, national stakeholders and international experts;

guidelines on change management, training initiatives, governance, and broadly how a

modern, efficient, and high-quality justice sector should function.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

The

main strategic goals

of the action plan are:



Digital by default: digitalisation of records and processes while ensuring

interoperability at European level

Access to justice: user centered online services

Analytical capabilities: judicial statistical data analytics

Building digital skills and competencies, training

The target groups included civil servants in MJG, judges, court managers, judicial trainers,

and court staff.

Results achieved

The new Digital Justice Strategy has been adopted by the Ministry of Justice and Governance

while its official launch was announced over an event opened by the Minister of Justice and

Governance.

The strategy will be implemented in the period of 2022-2027, while the majority of the

actions included in the strategy will be funded by the RRF.

The progress regarding the implementation of the new strategy will be regularly reported in

the related website created by the Maltese Ministry of Justice and Governance.

The new Digital Justice Strategy shall finally benefit to court users and ultimately the entire

population of Malta, which will benefit directly and indirectly from the digitalisation and

improved efficiency and quality of the Maltese judicial system.

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

ARNAHUS

LOVENIA

: S

UPPORTING CHILDREN VICTIMS OF

VIOLENCE

The European Commission has supported Slovenia to set up its first “House for Children”.

The Barnahus officially opened on 27th May 2022 and will provide support to children

victims of violence.

Context

The purpose of the project was to support the Slovenian authorities in setting up and

implementing the Barnahus (children’s house) response model for child victims and witnesses

of violence. The Barnahus model is designed to coordinate parallel criminal justice and child-

welfare assessment processes in suspected cases of children’s sexual abuse. It does this in a

child-friendly way, providing all necessary services to child victims under one roof. This

model builds-up upon the Lanzarote Convention and the EU directives on victims’ rights and

child sexual abuse.

Support delivered

The Commission supported Slovenia for 5 years (from 2017 to 2022) , carrying out two

technical support project, in cooperation with the Council of Europe. The Ministry of Justice

of Slovenia was the main beneficiary. Support included:



Drafting a situation analysis and recommendation report to prepare an action plan to

implement the Barnahus

Engaging stakeholders and preparing an inter-ministerial agreement to develop the Barnahus

Designing Barnahus operations and training the staff

Preparing a draft law on children-friendly justice

Preparing the application to the EEA Norway grants in order to finance the renovation of the

building that hosts the Barnahus.

Carrying out communication activities to inform and engage citizens in violence prevention

Results achieved

The Barnahus opened on 28 May 2022 following:



The design of operation and the conclusion of an inter-ministerial agreement in October 2018

to implement the Barnahus with the Ministry of Justice; The Ministry of the Family, Labour

and Equal Opportunities, Interior, the State Prosecutor-General, the police and the Supreme

Court.

The preparation of a draft law on child-friendly justice in Slovenia that was adopted in June

2021 and allows for a clear legal set up of the Barnahus.

A nation-wide communication campaign and inclusion of children in the design of the

Barnahus.

Opening of the Barnahus in May 2022 following the training of staff and the approval of the

application to the EEA Norway Grant for the renovation of the building



More about the project

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kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

ODERNIZATION OF THE NATIONAL DATA

INFORMATION

INFRASTRUCTURE

- S

TATISTICS

OLAND

The Commission provided technical support to Statistics Poland for a new organisational

model with the view to quickly responding to challenges of a changing world, while

strengthening and modernising its institutional capacity.

Context

Timely, relevant and usable data are fundamental and the most reliable source for a country’s

decision-making process. Reliable data is key for the accountability of public institutions,

which is pivotal for building trust between citizens and decision-makers. Data-driven policy-

making is a political priority at EU level as well.

The project addressed the need of Statistics Poland for efficient technology-enabled delivery

of high-quality and tailor-made statistics and analytical outputs in a timely manner in

response to specific needs of external data users.

Support delivered

The support provided included a diagnostic analysis of Statistics Poland, the definition of the

business requirements and the to-be solutions, the development of recommendations,

including an implementation roadmap and targeted training ranging from lean management

methods to protection of personal data and change management.

Results achieved

The project achieved an organisational and cultural change in Statistics Poland enabling it to

embrace innovation and to deliver high quality statistic data in a timely manner. Thanks to the

co-design approach applied by the contractor, Statistics Poland has developed a

comprehensive plan for modernisation efforts in the institution allowing it to implement the

recommendations for a new organisational model enhancing Statistics Poland’s role in data-

driven policy-making, while upskilling its employees.

More about the project

Find out more on this project via this QR-code.

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

LOSSARY

Term or

acronym

AMI

CMU

CSP

CSR

DG REFORM

EBRD

EFSI

ESIF

PPP

SMEs

SRSP

SRSS

TAIEX

Meaning or definition

Appel à manifestation d'intérêt (call for expressions of interest)

capital markets union

cooperation and support plan

Country-Specific Recommendations

European Commission Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

European Fund for Strategic Investments

European Structural and Investment Funds

European Union

public private partnerships

small and medium-sized enterprises

Structural Reform Support Programme

Structural Reform Support Service

Technical Assistance and Information Exchange

EU Member States acronyms

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Germany

Denmark

Estonia

Greece

Spain

Finland

France

Croatia

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Latvia

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Sweden

Slovenia

Slovakia

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ANNEX 1 – SRSP 2017-2020 - SUBMITTED REQUESTS PER MEMBER STATE

SRSP 2020

General Call

610

Article 11

Dedicated call

Training

Special

measures

Total submitted

requests SRSP

2017-2020

169

1337

Member States

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Germany

Denmark

Estonia

Greece

Spain

Finland

France

Croatia

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Latvia

Malta

The Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Sweden

Slovenia

Slovakia

United Kingdom

Total

TOTAL

SRSP 2017

271

TOTAL

SRSP 2018

444

TOTAL

SRSP 2019

580

TOTAL

SRSP 2020

660

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ANNEX 2 - SRSP 2017-2020 - REQUESTS SELECTED FOR FUNDING PER MEMBER STATE

TOTAL

SRSP 2017

159

TOTAL

SRSP 2018

146

TOTAL

SRSP 2019

263

SRSP 2020

General Call

238

Article 11

Dedicated call

Training

Special measures

TOTAL

SRSP 2020

287

Total selected

requests SRSP

2017-2020

855

Member State

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Grand Total

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ANNEX 3 – SRSP 2020 – TYPE OF BENEFICIARY AUTHORITIES

Central governement/

Ministry

200

Regional/Local

authority

Member State

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Grand Total

Public agency

Regulatory authority

Other public bodies

Grand Total

270

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ANNEX 4 - LIST OF SUPPORT MEASURES IMPLEMENTED

UNDER SRSP 2020

ORIZONTAL POLICIES AND

IGRATION

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Greece

Greece – Art11

Technical support for the design and implementation of Croatian Recovery and

Resilience Plan under the proposed Recovery and Resilience Facility

Cyprus Regional Intercultural Networks: Establishing migrants' integration

networks at a regional level in Cyprus

Multi-criterial points-based system of preferential migration in the framework of

foreign employment policy

Strengthening the capacity of the Greek social integration directorate (SID) for

the implementation of nationwide policies and mechanisms for the integration of

migrants

Developing the operational and institutional capacity of the Greek state in the

field of reception (ESTIA transition)

EVENUE

DMINISTRATION

& P

UBLIC

INANCIAL

ANAGEMENT

Multicountry

Greece,

Romania

Austria

Belgium

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

Greece

Support for PFM reforms: accounting reform in Greece and public spending

efficiency reform in Romania

Technical support to improve the capacity for assessing and benchmarking the

efficiency of public spending

Preparing the introducing of spending reviews in the Brussels-Capital-Region

Implementing a unified digital platform for debt collection in Belgium

(MyFinAccount)

Tax Administration’s IS, IS strategy and IS investments

Customs’ IS, IS strategy and IS investments

Expenditure Review in the areas of water and waste management

Improvement of quarterly national accounts and estimates related to the size of the

informal economy

Implementation of the OECD guidelines on transfer pricing

Strengthening the capacity of the Cyprus Tax Department to analyse and

implement court decisions on tax matters

Implementation of the new Integrated Tax Administration System

Effective processing and use of the data on tax matters automatically received by

Czechia from other countries

Introducing Spending Reviews in the Czech Republic

Strengthened governance in relation to fiscal risks

Improving Project Portfolio Management in the Finnish Customs

Capacity building and support for core tax system replacement

Development of the risk management framework within IAPR

Implementation of the accrual accounting reform in all general government

entities

Upgrade of the system for the property value determination

Streamlining of Budgeting, Forecasting and Monitoring Procedures of the Public

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Greece

Investment Budget

Transfer pricing capacity building and management based on best practices

Sustainable budgeting and financial management in Ireland

Evaluation of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council

Assistance for the assessment of environmental tax reforms

Modelling of Equitable and Sustainable Well-Being Indicators for Policy Use

Fiscal Discipline Council: review and technical support

Improvement of high net worth individuals control in Lithuania

Micro enterprise and self-employed tax & regulatory assessment for removing

hurdles to growth

Technical support to build capacity for spending reviews

Budgetary system reform in Poland

Enhancing IS/IT governance models of the Tax and Customs Administration

Security Forces and Services Reform

Tax expenditure review and framework for permanent technical body

Microsimulation tools to assess the impact of fiscal and labour policy on social

indicators

Developing tools to increase tax compliance in the area of personal income tax in

Romania

Monitor and evaluate impact of spending review measures

Development of a microsimulation tool of the Slovak tax and transfer system

Capacity building for the preparation of the Slovak Recovery and Resilience Plan

Technical support to improve the Ministry of Finance's analytical capacity on

macro-fiscal risks analysis and monitoring

Development of Public spending evaluation in Spanish regions

Alignment of the General State Budget with the Sustainable Development Goals of

Agenda 2030

Technical support for accompanying IAPR in its core reforms

OVERNANCE

& P

UBLIC

DMINISTRATION

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Support for the preparation work for implementing an electronic file system in

Burgenland

Better Regulation in Austria - phase 2

Modernising single e-Services for the Wallon Public Service

Enhancing Belgium cross-border assistance services in scope of the single-digital-

gateway with artificial intelligence and cognitive technologies

Technical Assistance for Digitalisation and Knowledge Management in the Social

Security Archive

Driving Public Administration Reform Forward

Improving costing in government policy making and strategic planning processes

Raising awareness and standards of fighting bribery in international business

transactions

Support to the implementation of e-communication in Croatian judiciary

Measuring Performance in Public Procurement in Croatia

Development of specific training programme for senior public officials in Croatia

Capacity building and assistance for the running of the newly established General

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Cyprus

Czech Republic

Estonia

Finland

France

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Secretariat for European Affairs of Cyprus

Implementation of the National Horizontal Action Plan against Corruption in

Cyprus

Designing the institutional structure for eGovernment and digital transformation

Enhancing the capacity of the justice system by an effective implementation of the

reform recommendations and processes

Design and Development of a Legislation Preparation Platform

Introducing a systematic approach to financing smart solutions in the Czech

Republic

Preparing judicial sector for future cybercrimes- phase 2

Effective referral and assistance mechanisms of victims of crime for reducing the

harm of victimization

Implementing Structural Innovation in the Finnish Public Sector

Transformation of the State: Accompanying the second phase of the

transformation of the Directorate-General for the Treasury

Digital transformation of French administrations — preparing for and

accompanying the deployment of secure digital identity in France

Transformation of the State: support for the establishment of a Digital Directorate

at the Ministry of the Interior of the French Republic

Enhancing the reform of the court system in Greece and the efficiency of justice

Technical support to enhance integrity to the national transparency authority in

Greece

Digital Transformation and Simplification of Administrative Processes

Technical support to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum policy in designing an

integrated Information Management system (IMS) and enhancing its procurement

capacity

Review of the organisational structure of the Irish civil service

Design and dissemination of IT systems for civil and criminal justice

Coordinate and streamline the implementation of the public sector digital strategy

nationwide

Strengthening the coordination for the prevention of corruption in Italy

Development of the Shared Services Centre system for Public Sector in Latvia

Further development of internal control system and internal audit in the public

sector

Increasing the efficiency of the interior sector institutions (Phase 3)

Evidence Based Policy Making and Policy Evaluation at the Centre of Government

Establishment of legal, institutional and financial framework at the regional level

Integrated nature area management

Capacity building programme for Sustainable Development Goals and sustainable

development

Consignments in the professional services sector

Healthcare Fraud Detection and Investigation

Strengthening the administrative capacity of the Civil Service Agency

Action Plan for Research and Innovation ESIF Implementation

Delivering good governance in Slovakia - phase II

Improving consistency of sentencing in criminal proceedings

Improving the fisheries inspection and control system to align to the Common

Fisheries Policy

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Greece - Art.11

Transformation of the General Secretariat of Information Systems of Public

Administration to an ICT Service Provider for the Public Sector

USTAINABLE

ROWTH

& B

USINESS

NVIRONMENT

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Strengthening Environmental Crime Enforcement in Austria

Developing innovative mobility solutions in the Brussels-Capital-Region

Improving the public-private partnership policy model in Belgium

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Preparing and Launching a Digital Reform of the Bulgarian Construction Sector

Improving Bulgaria’s investment promotion framework to enhance

competitiveness and foster economic recovery

Improving the corporate governance in State-owned Enterprises by revising and

aligning legislation in accordance with the OECD Guidelines on Corporate

Governance of SOE

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Implementation of new financial mechanisms under the revised EU ETS Directive

for period 2021-2030

Business Environment Reform III

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Implementation of the EU regulatory framework in the area of electricity in Cyprus

Implementation and mainstreaming of the Sustainable Development Goals in the

national policy framework

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Better use of EU programmes under direct management in the Czech Republic

Simplifying the reporting, monitoring and verification of energy efficiency

measures in Czechia

Adapting to shrinkage and ageing through spatial interventions

Transitioning to a climate-neutral electricity generation

Estonian waste system analysis

Analyses and action plan towards sustainable water services in Estonia

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Develop strategies for the internationalisation of regions in terms of export and

attractiveness

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Reengineering of the Archaeological Resources Fund

Technical support for clean electricity in Greece

Improving land uses and correlating them with the Business Activity Object Codes

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Technical Support for the development of the National Circular Economy Strategy

(NCES) and Action Plan

Promoting Nature Based Solutions in Municipalities in Hungary

Support for the implementation of Hungary's SME strategy

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans in Ireland

Intrapreneurship in Irish regions

Achieving renewable energy targets in the electricity sector

Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development: mainstreaming the SDGs in Italian

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Estonia

Finland

France

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Greece- Art11

decision making

Support for the preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Innovative assessment of public real estate investments

An enhanced monitoring system and a programme management dashboard for

public investments in Italy

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Developing an efficient and effective regulatory framework for setting tariffs for

energy utilities

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Support to improve effectiveness of lithuania’s innovation policy

Reform of the Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Sector of Lithuania by

Consolidation of Utilities

Capacity building of municipalities to support faster implementation of car sharing

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Effective use of Industrial Property in the Innovative Economy – Strategy

Assessment and Development

Rural development through renewable energy sources

Technological readiness and management skills – productivity growth drivers

Implementation of the highspeed rail system in Poland

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle: 3 Roads to a Circular Economy

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Romania: Startup Ecosystem Strategy

Internal energy market and energy transition in Romania

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Evaluation of the position and performance of the National Productivity Board

Technical Support for the preparation of circular economy roadmap for the Slovak

Republic

Rehabilitation of land and assets and development of sectors with improved

environmental impacts in the Upper Nitra coal region

Improving the organisation and management of public transport and

alternative fuels infrastructure in Slovenia

Strengthening the innovation ecosystem in Slovenia

Support for sustainable energy and mobility in the Slovenian defence sector

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

National strategic plan for coastal protection

Impact of competition advocacy and market unity reforms in Spain

Public engagement and change management for a safe, sustainable and connected

mobility strategy in Spain

Strategic governance plan for rural depopulation in RESOE

Supporting economic diversification of coal region of Asturias

Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans

Promote Greece as a global logistics and value added services hub

Restructuring and reforming Economic Diplomacy in Greece

Rail - Restructuring of the rail system

Supporting the reform of the tourism education system in Greece and improving

the administrative capacity of the competent body for its implementation

Industrial Parks’ Reform

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

ABOUR

ARKET

, E

DUCATION

, H

EALTH

& S

OCIAL

ERVICE

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech

Republic

Czech

Republic

Denmark

Estonia

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Implementing an effective induction system for novice teachers in Flanders

Labour market integration of newcomers in the Brussels-Capital-Region

The future directions and evolutions of e-Health in Belgium

Reform and design of measures for the inclusion of inactive persons in the labour

market

Building analytical capacity of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI)

Setting up a National Quality Framework on Early Childhood Education and Care

Strengthening Disability System in Bulgaria

Support to curricular reform in Croatia - Phase 4

Improving the provision of social services

Capacity Planning for the Cyprus Healthcare System

Support to design Lifelong Learning Strategy in Cyprus

Strengthening Capacity of the Ministry of Health to establish National eHealth

Centre – Follow-up

Support to reform education policy-making in the Czech Republic

Integrating mental health services for adults

Estonian health ICT governance framework

Improving the system of professional development of teachers and school leaders in

Estonia

Supporting young people to succeed - Building capacities to better integrate non-

formal and formal learning

Ensuring availability of off-patent antibiotics

Support to improve the quality and effectiveness of the French Centres of

Vocational Excellence - “Campus des métiers et des qualifications"

Analysis and advice for a renewed tertiary education strategy for Brandenburg and

guidance on categorisation of scientific continuing education

Structural support for national genome initiative (genomDE)

Development of Social Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training (Pilot

Model EPAL)

Implementation of DRG system in Greece

Reform of counseling services

Implementation of the Greek Auxiliary Pension System Reform

Support for the Digital Transformation of Hungarian higher education

Implementation of a new ‘Automatic Enrollment’ workplace retirement savings

system

Local community engagement with education policy

Support to strengthening the inter-institutional governance in the field of labour

exploitation - second phase

Improving the recognition of competences and development of individual learning

pathways by the Provincial Centres for Adult Education in Italy

Incentivizing business’ investment in skills

Latvia: Academic Career Model

kom (2023) 0352 - Ingen titel

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Greece- Art11

Further development of hospital services, telemedicine and integrated care

Supporting school principals as leaders in the curriculum reform

Development of country-specific Health System Performance Assessment (HSPA)

framework

Towards a strategy taking VET to a new level

A single knowledge transfer strategy for institutes of the Łukasiewicz Research

Network

Reconfiguring the hospital networks of the Portuguese National Health Service

Design a system to monitor the implementation of the law on inclusive education in

Portugal

Developing an integrated system of prevention, intervention and compensation in

order to increase school participation

National strategy for artificial intelligence in healthcare

Analysis of the tertiary education system

Modernisation of payment models for outpatient healthcare in Slovenia

Review of the pension and disability insurance system

Building analytical capacity at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and

Equal Opportunities

Road Map to foster cooperation between universities, research and businesses

Implementing a new approach to the management of statistical and analytical

information in the Spanish labour and social security administration

Reform of the national framework for the provision of social services.

White Book for Families

Support for the Reform of Primary and Secondary Education Funding in Greece

Modernizing Vocational Education and Training Services of OAED in Greece

Support to the operational modernisation of the Labour Inspectorate and the

Mediation and Arbitration Service (OMED) in Greece

INANCIAL

ECTOR

& A

CCESS TO

INANCE

Multicountry

Targeted training on insurance supervision

(Bulgaria, Cyprus,

Croatia, Czechia,

Greece,

Spain,

Finland,

Italy,

Lithuania, Malta,

Poland Portugal,

Romania, Sweden,

Slovenia, Slovakia

and Denmark)

Austria

National strategy for financial literacy

Belgium

Supporting PMV in potentially becoming an InvestEU implementing partner :

Pillar assessment and dissemination

Croatia

Implementation of European standards for Corporate Action Processing into the

securities settlement infrastructure of Central Depository & Clearing Company

– Phase II (software architecture)

Cyprus

Addressing issues of money laundering and financing of terrorism from

Societies and Institutions (NPO)

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Czech Republic

Estonia

Finland

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Greece- Art11

Enhancing capital markets literacy for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

(SMEs) – follow-up

Capacity-building for the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank

(CMZRB)

Enhancing effectiveness of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering

Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) regime in the Czech Republic

Regional Capital Markets Development Accelerator Fund

Implementing an Early Warning Tool in Finland

Developing Finland’s Sustainable Finance Ecosystems

Supporting Greece to strengthen the framework governing insolvency and

restructuring

Establishing a Regulatory Sandbox to facilitate FinTech and Innovation

Designing recommendations for a sustainable capital markets strategy and

action plan

Enhancement of the investment firm supervisory framework in respect of the

new prudential regime

Support to supervision on market conduct in the insurance sector in Italy

National Strategy to Promote Electronic Payments

Sustainable finance and investments for the transition to a green economy

Strengthening supervision capacity of the financial and Capital Market

Commission

Regional Capital Markets Development Accelerator Fund (CMDAF)

Support for the Dutch National Promotional Institute Invest-NL for a future

pillar assessment

Financial literacy for investors in the securities market

Digitalisation of insolvency proceedings in Portugal

Money laundering and terrorism financing risks compliance

Early warning tools and preventive restructuring frameworks in Romania

Developing a capital market strategy for growth in Romania

Identifying a solution for implementing EBA Guidelines on credit risk

management

Supporting Slovakia to reform the framework for insolvency and restructuring

Bank resolution tools operationalisation

Capital Market Enhancement and Development

The upgrade of the process and the tool linked with bank business model

analysis

Evaluation of the effectiveness of pre-insolvency procedures in Spain

Usage of machine learning in the supervision of the financial sector

Designing the Capital Market Development Strategy for Greece