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
Date: 2023-06-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU aid, EU financing, EU programme, administrative reform, coronavirus disease, economic reform, epidemic, institutional reform, structural adjustment

EN 

  EN 

   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}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

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

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

2.1. 

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

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

2.3. 

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

2.4. 

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

2.5. 

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

3. 

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

3.1. 

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

3.2. 

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

3.3. 

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

3.4. 

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

3.5. 

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

3.6. 

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

4. 

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

4.1. 

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

4.2. 

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

4.3. 

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

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

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

6.1. 

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

6.2. 

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

6.3. 

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

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

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

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

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 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION 

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:1 “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 Instrument2, 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  period3.  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 request4, 
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. 

1 https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/eus-structural-reform-support-programme-achieving-its-objectives-2020-sep-30_en 
2  Regulation  (EU)  2021/240  of  the  European Parliament  and of  the  Council  of  10  February  2021  establishing  a  Technical 
Support Instrument 
3 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). 
4 Article 7 of the SRSP Regulation. 

2 

 
                                                           
The  Commission  monitors  how  support  measures  financed  by  the  programme  are 
implemented  and  provides  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  with  an  annual 
monitoring report5 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: 
a) 
b) 

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 measures6. 

c) 
d) 
e) 
f) 

2.  BACKGROUND 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)7.  The  budget 
available for the SRSP 2020 was EUR 84.9 million8. 

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 States9. 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.  

5 Article 16 of the SRSP Regulation 
6 Point (f) of Article 16 was added by Regulation (EU) 2018/1671, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/825 (see below). 
7 Regulation (EU) 2017/825, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2018/1671.  
8  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]. 
9 Article 4 of the SRSP Regulation. 

3 

 
 
 
                                                           
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 programme10 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 
areas11:  

a)  revenue administration and public financial management; 
b)  governance and public administration; 
c)  growth and business environment (including energy and climate action); 
d)  labour market, education, health and social issues; and  
e)  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 value12. 

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. 

10 Article 5(1) of the SRSP Regulation. 
11 For the full list, please refer to Article 5(2) of the SRSP Regulation. 
12 Article 3 of the SRSP Regulation. 

4 

 
 
                                                           
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 of13: 

 

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.  SELECTION OF SUPPORT MEASURES FUNDED BY SRSP 2020 BUDGET 

3.1. 

Introduction  

2020 was the fourth  and  final  year of activities under the SRSP14 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 202015, 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 
202016.  

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. 

13 The full list of actions eligible for funding is included in Article 6 of the SRSP Regulation. 
14  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 
15 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]. 
16 Article 13(5) of the SRSP Regulation. 

5 

 
 
 
                                                           
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  Regulation17,  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  201918, 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:  

a)  problem/need to be addressed by the requested support measures;  
b)  the breadth of the problems identified (impact on other areas in the economy);  
c)  and depth of the problems identified (severity);  
d)  the urgency of the request for support;  
e)  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 circumstances19 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 
in  particular  of  European  Semester  country-specific 

governance  processes, 
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  authorities20,  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. 

17  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. 
18 Article 7(1) of the SRSP Regulation. 
19 Article 7(3) of the SRSP Regulation. 
20  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. 

6 

 
 
                                                           
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

0

580

660

444

271

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

 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 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

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%

5%

0%

15%

14%

30%

26%

27%

24%

23%

22%

10%

9%

Financial Sector and
Access to Finance

Governance and
Public Administration

Growth and Business
Environment

Labour Market,
Education, Health and
Social Services

Revenue
Administration and
Public Financial
Management

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

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. 

8 

 
 
 
 
0%

2%

4%

Preparation, implementation and amendment
of Recovery and Resilience Plans

14%

Implementation of Union law (e.g.
infringements)

Implementation of Economic adjustment
programmes

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.)

32%

49%

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 elements21:  

  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:  

a)  screening for eligibility and analysis of requests; and  
b)  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

3.Prioritisation

4.Selection

Consultation 

Figure 5 - SRSP requests assessment process 

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

9 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
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 criteria22 were applied in the following way: 

i.  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: 

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

10 

 
 
 
                                                           
  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 assessment23. 

v.  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. 

23 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. 

11 

 
 
 
                                                           
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 high scores (at least 4 As, no Cs) 

- requests with only high and medium scores and a majority of medium 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,  or  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%

0%

11%

10%
8%

71%

17%

12%

13%

58%

12%

12%

13%

62%

12%

10%

12%

65%

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

High scores min 4 As, no Cs

Medium scores at least 4 Bs, no Cs

One major weakness at least 1 C

Several major weaknesses more than 1 C

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

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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.  

263

287

159

146

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

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). 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
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. 

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

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: 

19%

17%

18%

17%

28%

27%

23%

21%

15%

14%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Financial Sector and
Access to Finance

Governance and
Public Administration

Growth and Business
Environment

Labour Market,
Education, Health and
Social Services

Revenue
Administration and
Public Financial
Management

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

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

14 

 
 
 
 
 
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. 

5% 2% 1%

5%

30%

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

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%

3%

5%

4%

88%

1%
2%

97%

3%

3%

93%

1%
0%

99%

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

High scores min 4 As, no Cs

Medium scores at least 4 Bs, no Cs

One major weakness at least 1 C

Several major weaknesses more than 1 C

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

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
3.4.  Cooperation and support plans 

Once  the  requests  for  support  had  been  selected,  the  Commission  concluded  a  cooperation 
and support plan24 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 measures25. 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  

Estimated global 
contribution26  

Indicative timeline of delivery of 
support measures 

 Austria  
 Belgium  
 Bulgaria  
 Croatia  
 Cyprus  
 Czech Republic  
 Denmark  
 Estonia  
 Finland  
 France  
 Germany  
 Greece  
 Hungary  
 Ireland  

                  €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  
                  €12,240,50027  
                  €2,450,000  
                  €3,147,500  

 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  

24 Article 7(2) of the SRSP Regulation. 
25 The content of the CSPs is further defined in section 18.2 and in part VII of the cooperation and support plans. 
26 The estimated global contribution per Member State is purely indicative. The final amounts will depend on how contracts, 
withdrawals, cancellations, etc.develop. 
27 This estimate amount includes the EUR 5 million voluntary contribution from the application of Article 11 

16 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
 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 reform28. 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 measures29 in 
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 below30.  

28 Article 9 of the SRSP Regulation 
29 Article 13(6) of the SRSP Regulation. 
30 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. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
25

20

15

10

5

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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 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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  States31.  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.  

1%

18%

42%

39%

Grants
Indirect management
Public procurement
Administrative Arrangement

Figure 14 – SRSP 2020 Breakdown of the means of implementing projects as % of budget32 

Grants and indirect management 

For projects selected for funding under the 2020 round, by 31 August 2022, the majority of 
projects  being  implemented33  throught  grants  and  indirect  management  were  awarded  to 
international organisations (72%).  

31 Article 13(2) of the SRSP Regulation. 
32 Values based on contracted amounts 
33 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. 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
5% 3%

6%

14%

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 
management34 

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: 

International Organization for Migration 
International Labour Organization 

  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 
  Council of Europe  
  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 
  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
 
 
  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 TAIEX35 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).  

34 Values based on contracted amounts 

35  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 

20 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
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 36 

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)  

4. 

PROGRESS 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;  

36 Values based on contracted amounts 

21 

 
 
 
                                                           
 

 

 

 

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.  

22 

 
 
 
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 

Activities 

•  Action plan, roadmap  
•  Guidelines, handbook  
•  Recommendations  
•  Terms of reference  
•  Analysis, report  
•  Training, training material, workshops (including material) 
• 
•  Communication (including material) and other events  

Study visit reports  

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; 
• 
•  Communication activities 
•  Compilation/dissemination of material (including through information 

Study, research, evaluation; 

technology systems) 

•  Organisation of local operations 

Figure 17 – Intervention logic of the Structural Reform Support Programme 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 follows37: 

  43% of support measures contribute to the design of reforms. 
  60% contribute to the formulation, development and implementation of reforms; 
  53%  contribute 
methodologies; 

implementation  of  processes  and 

the  definition  and 

to 

  7% 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;  

  5%  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. 

37 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%. 

24 

 
 
 
                                                           
Support  measures  implemented  under  the  SRSP  2020  were  expected  to  generate  European 
added value, as the following examples illustrate38. 

  16% of support measures were expected to have an impact on cross-border or EU-

wide challenges 

  37% were expected to complement other EU programmes39: 
  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 

5. 

SUPPORT 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

50

0

143

164

5

120

139

222

36

SRSP 2017

SRSP 2018

SRSP 2019

SRSP 2020

Cancelled

Merged

Started

On the ground

Closed

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

38 Each support measure can contribute to more than one element relevant to European added value. 
39 Other Union funds or programmes, such as the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). 

25 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
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. 

6. 

EVALUATION 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 funds40. 

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 reforms41 
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 objective42.  

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 

40 In accordance with Article 4 of the SRSP Regulation. 
41 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. 
42 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. 

26 

 
 
                                                           
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  Regulation43,  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 Council44. 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 evaluation45, was supported by an independent external study46, 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 

43 In accordance with Article 16 of the SRSP Regulation 
44https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5ab25276-1dee-11eb-b57e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-
PDF/source-search 
45https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/1831-Midterm-evaluation-of-the-Structural-
Reform-Support-Programme-2017-2020_en 
46 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e7dccc57-02c2-11eb-8919-01aa75ed71a1/language-en 

27 

 
                                                           
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

50

0

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. 

28 

 
 
 
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). 

through  outcome 
Since  summer  2021,  DG  REFORM  gathers  systematic  feedback 
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. COMMUNICATION  

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. 

29 

 
 
 
 
8. CONCLUSION 

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 27 
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 Instrument47 - 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. 

47 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. 

30 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

DEPLOYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AT FLANDERS 
INVESTMENTS AND TRADE IN BELGIUM 

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. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
INTEGRATING GENOMICS INTO HEALTHCARE (GENOMDE) 

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. 

32 

 
 
 
MODERNISING THE CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES IN CYPRUS 

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  19th,  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. 

33 

 
 
 
 
ACCESS TO CAPITAL MARKET FINANCING FOR CZECH SMALL AND 
MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES 

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. 

34 

 
 
 
 
TACKLING EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING IN ROMANIA 

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 

in  a  comprehensive  methodology  addressing 

The  projects  resulted 
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. 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
ESTABLISHING A DIGITAL JUSTICE STRATEGY FOR THE MALTESE 
JUSTICE SECTOR 

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. 

36 

 
 
 
 
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. 

37 

 
 
 
BARNAHUS SLOVENIA: SUPPORTING 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 

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

38 

 
 
 
MODERNIZATION OF THE NATIONAL DATA-INFORMATION 
INFRASTRUCTURE - STATISTICS POLAND 

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

39 

 
 
 
 
GLOSSARY 

Meaning or definition 

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

capital markets union 

cooperation and support plan 

Country-Specific Recommendations 

Term or 
acronym 

AMI 

CMU 

CSP 

CSR 

DG REFORM 

European Commission Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support 

EBRD 

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 

EFSI 

ESIF 

EU 

PPP 

SMEs 

SRSP  

SRSS 

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 

TAIEX 

Technical Assistance and Information Exchange 

EU Member States acronyms 

AT  Austria 

ES  Spain 

BE  Belgium 

FI 

Finland 

LV  Latvia 

MT  Malta 

BG  Bulgaria 

FR  France 

NL  Netherlands 

CY  Cyprus 

HR  Croatia 

PL 

Poland 

CZ  Czech Republic 

HU  Hungary 

PT 

Portugal 

DE  Germany 

IE 

Ireland 

RO  Romania 

DK  Denmark 

IT 

Italy 

SE 

Sweden 

EE 

Estonia 

LT  Lithuania 

SI 

Slovenia 

EL  Greece 

LU  Luxembourg 

SK 

Slovakia 

40 

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

41 

General CallArticle 11Dedicated callTrainingSpecial measuresAustria01216181834Belgium011173713855Bulgaria15121716111841Cyprus19533930113276Czech Republic16192629113159Germany0186614Denmark0004155Estonia5109141425Greece34143369141185169Spain0304632113494Finland016611814France107101017Croatia22404437113987Hungary06191211333Ireland08172212340Italy11153353115589Lithuania18213623112561Luxembourg012224Latvia1228282112252Malta1819312612759The Netherlands003558Poland18434027112969Portugal4122428113055Romania32603737113981Sweden01321147Slovenia2412211711841Slovakia221517271113047United Kingdom00101Total27144458061014181716601337Total submitted requests SRSP 2017-2020SRSP 2020Member StatesTOTALSRSP 2017TOTALSRSP 2018TOTALSRSP 2019TOTAL SRSP 2020 
 
 
 
ANNEX 2 - SRSP 2017-2020 - REQUESTS SELECTED FOR FUNDING PER MEMBER STATE 

42 

General CallArticle 11Dedicated callTrainingSpecial measuresAustria0476617Belgium07151011133Bulgaria9589111133Croatia13171816111866Cyprus1410814111648Czech Republic1071011111340Denmark0002133Estonia368101027Finland013411610France1076614Germany012225Greece94182013113566Hungary03761717Ireland0510911025Italy981916111854Latvia107141011142Lithuania1851410111249Luxembourg012114Malta1371081939Netherlands003447Poland117168111044Portugal451111111333Romania15141211111354Slovakia7811101111339Slovenia137121011143Spain061613111537Sweden01211136Grand Total1591462632381318171287855Total selected requests SRSP 2017-2020Member StateTOTALSRSP 2017TOTALSRSP 2018TOTALSRSP 2019SRSP 2020TOTAL SRSP 2020 
 
 
ANNEX 3 – SRSP 2020 – TYPE OF BENEFICIARY AUTHORITIES 

43 

Member StateCentral governement/MinistryPublic agencyRegulatory authorityRegional/Local authorityOther public bodiesGrand TotalAustria4116Belgium54211Bulgaria7310Croatia1411117Cyprus14115Czech Republic10212Denmark112Estonia1010Finland415France66Germany22Greece266234Hungary617Ireland611210Italy1123117Latvia82111Lithuania9211Luxembourg11Malta4228Netherlands314Poland819Portugal74112Romania713112Slovakia11112Slovenia63110Spain102214Sweden0112Grand Total2003121117270 
 
 
Multicountry 
Greece, 
Romania 
Austria 

ANNEX 4 - LIST OF SUPPORT MEASURES IMPLEMENTED 

UNDER SRSP 2020 

HORIZONTAL POLICIES AND MIGRATION 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

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  

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

Greece 

Greece – Art11 

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)  

REVENUE ADMINISTRATION & PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 

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

Belgium 
Belgium 

Croatia 
Croatia 
Croatia 
Croatia 

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 
(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 
Cyprus 
Implementation of the new Integrated Tax Administration System  
Czech Republic  Effective processing and use of the data on tax matters automatically received by 

Cyprus 
Cyprus 

in  Belgium 

Czech Republic 
Denmark 
Finland 
Greece 
Greece 
Greece 

Greece 
Greece 

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 

44 

 
 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Ireland 
Italy 
Italy 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Lithuania 

Poland 
Poland 
Portugal 
Portugal 
Portugal 
Romania 

Romania 

Romania 
Slovakia 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 

Spain 
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  

GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 

Austria 

Austria 
Belgium 
Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Bulgaria 
Croatia 
Croatia 

Croatia 
Croatia 
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 

45 

 
 
Cyprus 

Cyprus 
Cyprus 

Cyprus 
Czech Republic 

Estonia 
Estonia 

Finland 
France 

France 

France 

Greece 
Greece 

Greece 
Greece 

Ireland 
Italy 
Italy 

Italy 
Latvia 
Latvia 

Latvia 
Lithuania 
Lithuania 
Netherlands 
Poland 

Portugal 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovakia 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
Spain 

the 

for  and 

the  second  phase  of 

the  State:  Accompanying 

transformation  of  French  administrations  —  preparing 

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 
transformation of the Directorate-General for the Treasury 
Digital 
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 

46 

 
Greece - Art.11  Transformation  of  the  General  Secretariat  of  Information  Systems  of  Public 
Administration to an ICT Service Provider for the Public Sector  

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH & BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 

Austria 
Belgium 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Bulgaria 
Bulgaria 

Croatia 

Croatia 
Croatia 

Croatia 
Cyprus 
Cyprus 
Cyprus 

promotion 

framework 

investment 

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 
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  

enhance 

to 

Czech Republic  Support for the Preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plans 
Czech Republic  Better use of EU programmes under direct management in the Czech Republic  
Czech Republic  Simplifying  the  reporting,  monitoring  and  verification  of  energy  efficiency 

Estonia 
Estonia 
Estonia 
Estonia 
Finland 
France 

Greece 
Greece 
Greece 
Greece 
Hungary 
Hungary 

Hungary 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Ireland 
Ireland 
Italy 

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 

47 

 
 
Italy 
Italy 
Italy 

Latvia 
Latvia 

Lithuania 
Lithuania 
Lithuania 

Netherlands 
Poland 
Poland 

Poland 
Poland 
Poland 
Portugal 
Portugal 
Romania 
Romania 
Romania 
Slovakia 
Slovakia 
Slovakia 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 

Slovenia 
Slovenia 
Spain 
Spain 
Spain 
Spain 

Spain 
Spain 
Sweden 
Greece- Art11 
Greece- Art11 
Greece- Art11 
Greece- Art11 

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  

48 

 
LABOUR MARKET, EDUCATION, HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICE 

Belgium 
Belgium 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 

Bulgaria 
Bulgaria 
Bulgaria 
Croatia 
Croatia 
Cyprus 
Cyprus 
Czech 
Republic 
Czech 
Republic 
Denmark 
Estonia 
Estonia 

Estonia 

France 
France 

Germany 

Germany 
Greece 

Greece 
Greece 
Greece 
Hungary 
Ireland 

Ireland 
Italy 

Italy 

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  

49 

 
 
 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Lithuania 

Luxembourg 
Poland 

Portugal 
Portugal 

Romania 

Slovakia 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
Slovenia 
Slovenia 

Spain 
Spain 

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  

Spain 
Spain 
Greece- Art11  Support for the Reform of Primary and Secondary Education Funding in Greece  
Greece- Art11  Modernizing Vocational Education and Training Services of OAED in Greece  
Greece- Art11  Support  to  the  operational  modernisation  of  the  Labour  Inspectorate  and  the 

Mediation and Arbitration Service (OMED) in Greece  

FINANCIAL SECTOR & ACCESS TO FINANCE 

Multicountry 
(Bulgaria,  Cyprus, 
Croatia,  Czechia, 
Spain, 
Greece, 
Finland, 
Italy, 
Lithuania,  Malta, 
Poland 
Portugal, 
Romania,  Sweden, 
Slovenia,  Slovakia 
and Denmark) 
Austria 
Belgium 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

Targeted training on insurance supervision  

National strategy for financial literacy 
Supporting PMV in  potentially becoming an  InvestEU implementing partner : 
Pillar assessment and dissemination  
Implementation of European standards for Corporate Action Processing into the 
securities settlement infrastructure of Central Depository & Clearing Company 
– Phase II (software architecture)  
Addressing  issues  of  money  laundering  and  financing  of  terrorism  from 
Societies and Institutions (NPO)  

50 

 
 
Czech Republic 

Czech Republic 

Czech Republic 

Estonia 
Finland 
Finland 
Greece 

Greece 
Hungary 

Ireland 

Italy 
Italy 
Italy 
Latvia 

Latvia 
Lithuania 
Netherlands 

Portugal 
Portugal 
Romania 
Romania 
Romania 
Romania 

Slovakia 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
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)  
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  

51