The European Technical Support Instrument for Reform (TSI) for the 2021-2027 period, in place since the beginning of the year, is increasingly focusing its interventions on the development of reforms included in Member States’ recovery plans under the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan (see EUROPE 12669/22).
Compared to the previous instrument, the methodology is now “demand-driven”, EU Cohesion and Reform Commissioner Elisa Ferreira told the European Parliament’s committees on Budgets and Economic Affairs on Monday 14 June.
She referred to a record number of “706 requests” from all Member States, of which more than 220 will be subject to technical support in 2021. Of these 220 projects, 99 will aim to strengthen the digital transition, particularly in the health and education sectors, 68 will stimulate the environmental transition (sustainable mobility, green budgeting, etc.), 40 will strengthen administrative capacities (judicial system, public procurement, training of civil servants) and around 20 will have a social impact (gender equality, support for migrants and vulnerable communities).
Of these projects, 140 are directly linked to the National Recovery Plans that Member States must submit to the European Commission.
In May, thanks to the flexibility introduced in EU law (see EUROPE 12624/4), the European Commission also launched a new call for tenders of EUR 9 million completely dedicated to supporting reforms in the Next Generation EU framework. According to Ms Ferreira, there are currently 38 requests under consideration in a wide range of areas such as energy efficiency, the deployment of 5G technology, and the strengthening of administrative capacity to ensure rigorous monitoring of national plans.
To Joachim Kuhs (ID, Germany), who wondered why Germany and France make very few requests to the instrument compared to other countries such as Greece, Ms Ferreira admitted that this is the case, while noting that Germany, like other countries, also participates in the instrument by sending experts to other Member States.
Responding to a question from Isabel Benjumea (EPP, Spain) on the absorption capacity of EU funds by public administrations, the Commissioner acknowledged the “challenge” posed to public authorities, which will receive two to three times more funding than they would normally. She differentiated between the mobilisation of the EU budget, which is long term, and the mobilisation of aid through Next Generation EU, which will be spent over a shorter period.
“For the first time, we have the possibility of financing a reorganisation of the public administration” at the central and regional levels, Ms Ferreira said.
She also announced the presentation on 22 June of a working document on the role of public administrations.
More information on the technical support instrument for reforms: https://bit.ly/3iBYDHT (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)