Today, the European Commission has adopted its 2018 work programme and set the priorities for its Structural Reform Support Programme.
The Structural Reform Support Programme 2018 programme will provide technical support to 24 member states to support more than 140 projects. This is in addition to 150 projects selected for funding in 2017.
The projects which will be supported by the SRSP programme are subject to the programme’s priorities, and the commission has announced that the technical support for member states will be used to facilitate a number of projects in the following areas:
- Reforming budgetary systems;
- Modernising public administration;
- Enhancing national judicial systems;
- Better managing natural resources;
- Implementing energy union initiatives; and
- Combating fraud, corruption and money laundering.
After requests for funding from member states last year exceeded five times the available amount, a proposal was made in December to increase funding for the programme.
What has the commission said about the work programme?
European Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, Valdis Dombrovskis, welcomed recent efforts to strengthen the European economy, but emphasised that structural reforms are still necessary in many member states to continue to support growth.
He said: “While Europe’s economy has strengthened and is on a steady growth path, further structural reforms are needed to make our economies more stable, inclusive, productive and resilient. Today’s decision will enable us to continue providing support to EU member states to prepare, design and implement growth-enhancing reforms,”
What does the Structural Reform Support Programme do?
The Structural Reform Support Programme was established in 2015 to support member states in implementing institutional, structural and administrative social reforms. The programme has a budget of €142.8m over the period 2017-2020, and entered into force in May last year.
Among the functions of the programme include offering technical assistance to member states for the implementation of reforms to healthcare and social welfare systems. The broad number of areas covered by the programme have meant that applications for financial support have far exceeded the available funding.
