MEPs on the European Parliament’s regional development (REGI) committee voted by 26 to 11 on Tuesday 29 November to adopt a report backing the structural reform support programme.
The support programme will have a total budget of close to €143 million for the period from 2017 to 2020 and member states may, if they wish, use it. In other words, this instrument will operate on a voluntary basis. The objective of the new instrument, which will require amendment to be made to the regulation that lays down common provisions (Regulation 1303/2013), is to help member states implement structural reforms within the European semester.
More specifically, technical support to member states and their regional and local authorities could be provided in areas such as management of public finances, administration, the labour market, education and training, social security systems, migration and agriculture. It would take the form of seminars, working visits, training, collection of data and statistics, studies and research.
Unusually, the report was brought forward by two MEPs, Constanze Krehl (S&D, Germany) and Lambert van Nistelrooij (EPP, Netherlands). One of the main concerns of the two MEPs was that this programme should be in line with the objectives of cohesion policy, since its budget will come from the structural and investment (ESI) funds, as Krehl pointed out. The two MEPs also put great emphasis on improved transparency.
Trialogue talks can now be opened and Krehl and van Nistelrooij will lead the negotiations.
One of MEPs’ great fears over the support programme was that it might create a precedent in cohesion policy, and risk gradually becoming a reserve fund for other European programmes (see EUROPE 11619). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)