COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Technical Support Instrument Annual Report 2021 and Annual Report 2022
Date: 2024-01-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU aid, EU financial instrument, EU financing arrangements, activity report, coronavirus disease, economic and social cohesion, economic recovery, epidemic, structural adjustment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.1.2024  SWD(2024) 17 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL  Technical Support Instrument Annual Report 2021  and Annual Report 2022 {COM(2024) 40 final}  
 
 
FOREWORD BY THE COMMISSIONER 

The European Union has set itself ambitious goals: the world’s first carbon neutral continent, 
competitiveness in an increasingly global (and digital) economy, and higher quality of life. For 
these goals, “business as usual” is not enough – we need profound changes in public policy 
and  public  administrations.  Investment  is  necessary,  but  not  sufficient.  We  also  need  new 
capacities, new skills, and new ways of doing things. In other words, reforms. 

The Technical Support Instrument (TSI) is the European Commission’s promise that we stand 
with  Member  States  in  these  reforms.  As  the  main  EU  instrument  for  technical  support  to 
reforms, the TSI has supported more than 600 projects, leading to some 900 reforms, across 
all 27 Member States. These have ranged from green budgeting, to digitising tax and customs 
systems;  from  new  curricula  for  teachers,  to  developing  the  skills  for  hospitals  and  public 
administrations to use artificial intelligence.  

This support is delivered through a demand-driven model, which puts the TSI at the service of 
the Member States – responding to their requests, fitting their reform agendas, and tailored 
to their specific needs. The added value of the TSI lies in the exchange of expertise across 
Member States, EU institutions and other international organisations. The TSI makes a unique 
contribution by promoting joint work, the exchange of best practices, and the development of 
common solutions across Europe. After all, Member States face many similar challenges.  

Reforms  enhance  the  resilience  of  Member  States  and  regions  when  facing  structural 
transformations,  but  also  unexpected  events.  The  TSI  has  been  particularly  effective  in 
responding to crises and new circumstances. Time and again the instrument has proved its 
worth, supporting the design and implementation of national Recovery and Resilience Plans, 
the integration of people fleeing Ukraine, and the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels.  

As  we  look  to  the  future,  the  TSI  has  an  increasing  focus  on  multi-level  governance  and 
technical support at every level – including the regional and local levels. This is crucial to ensure 
that reforms take account of the specific needs and opportunities of each territory. 

The Technical Support Instrument enables Member States and regions to carry out the reforms 
they need, to face the future with confidence. And in this way, the TSI helps deliver, not just 
on regional and national priorities, but on our ambitious European goals for the future.  

Elisa FERREIRA                                                     

European  Commissioner 
Reforms  

for  Cohesion  and 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FOREWORD BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL 

Thanks to the European Parliament and Council and the European Commission, the Technical 
Support  Instrument  (TSI)  has  been  operational  since  February  2021.  With  the  TSI,  the 
Commission and DG REFORM play a crucial role in helping Member States move forward with 
their reform agenda. The TSI helps Member States improve their administrative capacity, not 
only to design, develop and implement reforms, but also to prepare, amend and implement 
their national recovery and resilience plans. 

The TSI is demand-driven, easily accessible and flexible for the Member States. As has become 
apparent  following  the  pandemic  and  the  war  in  Ukraine,  it  is  also  able  to  swiftly  react  to 
changing  circumstances  and  adapt  to  address  more  effectively  both  EU  priorities  and  the 
needs expressed by the Member States to work in closer collaboration with each other.  

The  TSI  helped  the  EU  economy  to  recover  from  and  mitigate  the  medium  and  long-term 
effects of the COVID crisis, as well as face the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At 
the  same  time  we  have  helped  Member  States  to  build  resilience  and  implement  growth-
enhancing reforms.   

To address the challenges and opportunities to achieve sustainable growth and to ease the 
green and digital transitions, the TSI has become an increasingly important tool for the Member 
States. The TSI brought fresh resources and an innovative approach to become the ‘helping 
hand’ of the European Union towards Member States, as well as aiming to ensure that Member 
States have the necessary institutional and administrative capacity to design and implement 
administrative and institutional reforms, vital for promoting resilience and underpinning the 
recovery.  

The TSI is in demand by all Member States, at national, regional and local level, and it offers 
precious opportunities for multi-country cooperation in all possible areas of interest. 

I am confident that 2021 and 2022 were the first of many years in which the TSI will improve 
the  development  and  implementation  of  reforms  addressing  national  and  transnational 
challenges, and so having a clearly positive EU-wide impact. 

Mario NAVA 

Director-General DG REFORM 

2 

 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Foreword by the Commissioner ...................................................................................................................................1 

Foreword by the Director General ...............................................................................................................................2 

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................3 

The Technical Support Instrument ..............................................................................................................................4 

The TSI cycle 2021 .............................................................................................................................................................7 

The TSI cycle 2022 .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 

Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 

Communication .................................................................................................................................................................. 18 

Thematic Areas .................................................................................................................................................................. 21 

Statistical annexes ........................................................................................................................................................... 32 

3 

 
 
 
 
THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT INSTRUMENT 

General Overview 
Since 2021, the Technical Support Instrument1 (TSI) is the EU programme providing 
tailor-made  technical  expertise  to  EU  Member  States  to  design  and  implement 
reforms. Its general objective is to promote the EU's economic, social and regional cohesion 
by  supporting  Member  States'  efforts  to  implement  the  necessary  reforms  to  achieve 
economic and social recovery, resilience and upward economic and social convergence. The TSI 
builds on the success of its predecessor, the Structural Reform  Support Programme  (SRSP) 
2017-202, and benefits from a significantly increased budget. 

Managed by the European Commission’s DG REFORM, the TSI is available to any Member State 
facing challenges in the process of designing and implementing reforms. This includes both 
reforms  that  aim  to  address  challenges  identified  in  the  European  Semester  process  of 
economic  policy  coordination,  the  EU’s  policy  priorities  or  reforms  undertaken  at  the 
Member  State’s  own  initiative.  The  TSI  has  no  pre-allocation  of  funds  by  Member 
State or policy area.  

The technical support is provided to Member States in a wide range of policy areas. These 
include public financial and asset management, institutional and administrative reform,  the 
business  environment,  the  financial  sector,  markets  for  products,  services  and  labour, 
education  and  training,  sustainable  development,  migration,  health  and  social  welfare. 
Emphasis  is  given  to  projects  fostering  the  green  and  digital  transitions.  The  TSI  can  also 
support the preparation and the implementation of national recovery and resilience plans3 
(RRP). 

The TSI does not require co-financing from Member States. Its overall budget for 2021-27 is 
EUR 864.4 million (Figure 1). In addition, Member States may request additional technical 
support via a direct contribution4 or as part of their recovery and resilience plans. 

2021 

116.4 

2022 

118.7 

2023 

121.1 

2024 

123.5 

2025 

126.0 

2026 

128.5 

2027 

130.4 

Total 

864.4 

Figure 1 - TSI budget programming 2021-2027 (million euros) 

Smart,  sustainable  and  socially  responsible  reforms  help  to  strengthen  the  resilience  of 
Member  States’  economies  and  societies.  The  TSI  offers  beneficiary  authorities  in  Member 
States a unique project-based service to help them tackle reform challenges. Its support can 
take the form of – for example – strategic and legal advice, studies, training and expert visits, 
with each project combining more than one form. It can cover any phase in the reform process 
from  preparation  and  design  to  development  and  implementation.  In  this  way,  the  TSI 

1 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 (the “TSI Regulation”) 
2 Regulation (EU) 2017/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 on the establishment 
of the Structural Reform Support Programme for the period 2017 to 2020 and amending Regulations (EU) No 
1303/2013 and (EU) No 1305/2013, OJ L 129, 19.5.2017, p. 1–16 (the “SRSP Regulation”)  
3 Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the 
Recovery and Resilience Facility, OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17–75 (the “RRP Regulation” , Article 7.2 
4 TSI Regulation, Article 7 

4 

 
 
strengthens the institutional and administrative capacity of EU Member States. It is 
tailor-made  and  brings  to  each  project  a  unique  combination  of  expertise  provided 
through  the  Commission’s  in-house  expertise,  experts  from  EU  Member  States’  national 
administrations  (e.g.  via  TAIEX,  the  Commission’s  Technical  Assistance  and  Information 
Exchange instrument5), international organisations or the private sector. When external private 
expertise  is  needed,  entities  are  contracted  by  the  Commission  via  direct  or  indirect 
management6. DG REFORM staff  are fully  involved throughout the implementation of each 
project. 

By  providing  on-the-ground  support  to  overcome  reform  challenges  and  to  reinforce 
sustainable and inclusive growth, the TSI helps Member States recover from the social and 
economic  effects  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  face  the  impacts  of  the  Russian  invasion  of 
Ukraine and improve the quality of public services. 

The TSI cycle: a yearly process 
The TSI is a demand-driven instrument with yearly cycles (Figure 2) which aim to support 
the  highest  quality  requests  submitted  by  Member  States  that  respond  to  EU  and  national 
priorities. Its general calls for requests have a submission deadline on 31st October.  

The Commission can also organise additional dedicated calls for requests as appropriate, to 
respond to the specific emerging needs from Member States and provide support to Member 
States  with  special  measures  in  case  of  emergencies7.  Dedicated calls  were  organised  in 
both 2021 and 2022. 

5 https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-technical-assistance/taiex_en  
6 Entities implementing EU funds under indirect management for the Technical Support Instrument are listed on 
the Technical support Instrument website 
7 TSI Regulation, Article 12.7, “To ensure the timely availability of resources, a limited part of the work programme, 
not exceeding 30 % of the yearly allocation, shall be reserved for special measures in the event of unforeseen 
and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring an immediate response”. 

5 

 
 
Figure 2: the TSI annual cycle 

6 

 
 
 
 
The 2021 TSI cycle  

2021 was the first year of implementing the Technical Support Instrument (TSI).  Building 
on  the  experience  and  success  of  the  Structural  Reform  Support  Programme,  DG  REFORM 
successfully  raised  the  awareness  of  the  27  Member  States’  potential  beneficiary 
authorities regarding the TSI, thus ensuring a strong interest from the onset. 

Selection of TSI requests 
For 2021 (Figure 3), requests for projects were received from Member States in response to 
three calls for requests: 

•  The general TSI 2021 call for requests; 
•  A specific call for the green budgeting practices training; 
•  A dedicated call for helping the Member States prepare their resilience and recovery 

plans. 

Furthermore, in September 2021, Greece submitted a request for support, under the special 
measures’  mechanism,  to  address  the  urgent  post-fire  support  needed  for  the  restoration/ 
recovery of the biodiversity and the ecosystems in the burnt areas of the island of Evia. 

Number of  
submitted requests 

Number of  
selected requests 

General call 
Green budgeting practices training 
Dedicated call on RRP support 
Special measures 

TOTAL TSI 2021 

706 
18 
38 
1 
763 

232 
188 
26 
1 
277 

Figure 3 – 2021 TSI overview table 

Budget earmarked for 
the selected requests in 
EUR million  
104.3 
0.45 
10.49 
0.18 
115.42 

The 27 cooperation and support plans concluded with Member States in 2021 describe 
the  policy  areas  covered,  the  projects  selected  and  the  scope  of  support  measures  to  be 
implemented, as well as indicative timelines and estimated budgets.  

The series of Technical Support Instrument 2021 country factsheets, available in English and 
national languages, highlight the projects selected in the 2021 Technical Support Instrument 
round in each Member State, and illustrate, with concrete project examples, the reform support 
already  provided  via  the  Structural  Reform  Support  Programme  (the  TSI  predecessor 
programme).  

General call for requests 

Under the TSI 2021 general call, 706 requests for support were submitted by 27 Member 
States,  for  an  estimated  amount  of  EUR  271  million.  Of  the  submitted  requests,  2  were 
deemed  non-eligible  and  4  were  withdrawn  by  the  requesting  Member  State  during  the 

8 Another 5 Member States joined in the training in 2022 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
assessment  phase.  Another  30  requests  were  later  merged  as  they  covered  the  same 
requested support.  

As a result, 670 requests were assessed for selection (Figure 4). In line with Article 9 of 
the TSI Regulation and with the general principles of EU financial management (transparency, 
equal treatment and sound financial management), the requests are assessed across seven 
evaluation criteria:  

urgency of the request, 
breadth and depth of the problems identified, 
support needs in respect of the policy areas concerned,  
general administrative capacity of the Member State,  

i. 
ii. 
iii. 
iv. 
v.  maturity,  
vi. 
focus  
vii. 
expected results of the requested support measures. 

DG  REFORM  prioritised  the  assessed  requests,  also  taking  into  account  the  need  to  deliver 
support  and  implement  the  reforms  rapidly,  as  well  as  the  strong  expected  results  on  the 
ground and the link between requests and relevant country-specific recommendations. 

Following the assessment,  prioritisation and pre-selection phases – and taking into account 
the  number  of  high  quality  requests  and  limited  resources  available  to  DG  REFORM  to 
implement the programme – 232 requests were selected, with a budget of EUR 104.3 
million. 

The  assessed  and  selected  requests  covered  all  6  broad  policy  areas  under  the  TSI, 
confirming Member States' interest in these areas. 

670 
Assessed 
requests 

10

7

89

37

81

51

Horizontal Policies

117

42

232 
Selected 
requests 

145

Revenue Administration and Public Financial
Management
Governance and Public Administration

41

Growth and Business Environment

54

228

Labour Market, Education, Health and Social
Services
Financial Sector and Access to Finance

Figure 4 – TSI2021 Number of assessed and selected requests by broad policy area 

Among  the  232  selected  requests  under  the  TSI  2021  general  call,  key  EU  priorities  were 
covered as follows9:  

•  125 requests were related to the preparation or implementation of national recovery 

and resilience plans; 

9 A single request for technical support may contribute to several EU priorities. 

8 

 
 
 
•  102 requests were related to the digital transition; 
•  68 requests were related to the European Green Deal; 
•  16 requests were related to equality: addressing women, people with disability, Roma, 

migrants, older people, LGBTIQ+. 

in  different 
More  broadly,  requests  were  submitted  to  support  reforms 
circumstances, including Member States’ own reform priorities, reforms to tackle challenges 
identified  through  the  EU’s  economic  governance  process  and  those  linked  to  the 
implementation of EU priorities (Figure 5). 

identified 

Implementation of Member States’ own reform priorities

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.)

Preparation, implementation and amendment of Recovery
and Resilience Plans

300

175

224

232

169

158

150

125

Implementation of Union law (e.g. infringements)

23

18

Implementation of Economic adjustment programmes

10

0

4

50

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Non-selected requests

Selected requests

Figure 5 – TSI 2021circumstances of Member States’ requests 

Call to support green budgeting practices 

To respond to the need  identified in several Member States to adopt and implement green 
budgeting practices, and in parallel to the general call, the 2021 TSI offered EU Member States 
the possibility to take part in training on green budgeting practices, thereby strengthening 
their capacity to green public finances and contribute to the green transition, in line with the 
goals of the European Green Deal.  

By  establishing  connections  between  budget  tools  and  environmental  and  climate  change 
goals,  green  budgeting  can  help  to  ensure  green  budgeting  policies  and  processes  are 
embedded  across  the  board.  A  “green  budget”  promotes  efficiency,  accountability  and 
transparency  of  policies,  as  well  as  parliamentary  oversight  of  national  efforts  regarding 
climate action. 

18  EU  Member  States  submitted  a  request  to 
participate  in  the  training,  all  of  which  were  selected, 
with an estimated budget of  EUR  450 000. The first 
module  of  the  training  –  involving  more  than  350 
participants  –  took  place  in  summer  2021,  also 
triggering  interest  from  a  further  five  Member  States  to  join  the  project.  A  total  of  24 
organisations from 23 Member States had completed the 4 training modules by mid-2023, 

9 

 
 
 
 
for  a  total  cost  of  EUR  580  000.  The  project  was  featured  at  the  COP26  Conference’s  EU 
Pavilion on 4 November 2021.  

Recovery and resilience plans dedicated call 

Following  the  adoption  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  (RRF)  in  February  2021,  a 
dedicated call was organised under the TSI in July 2021 to respond to the specific emerging 
need for support for EU Member States to prepare, amend and implement their RRPs 
(Figure 6).  

38 such requests were submitted by 20 Members States, of which 3 were merged and 
26 were selected, for a total budget of EUR 10.5 million. Half of the selected requests 
aimed to provide general technical support for implementing RRPs, while the other half aimed 
to provide policy-specific support. 

4

3

2

1

0

Non-selected request

Selected request

Figure 6 – 2021 TSI RRP dedicated call requests per Member State 

Implementation 
The 277 selected requests in TSI 2021 under the four different calls were translated into 263 
projects, as in a few cases, several requests were streamlined into a single project to allow for 
economies  of  scale  in  delivery  and  to  promote  synergies  on  the  ground.  Out  of  these  263 
projects, two were addressing the needs of several countries at the same time, paving the way 
for a multi-country approach to be developed in the following years.  

10 

 
 
Figure 7 – 2021 TSI projects per Member States 

As of end October 2023, 151 TSI 2021 projects were closed, 5 were cancelled and 107 projects 
were still ongoing. An example of an important 2020 TSI project is the implementation of green 
budgeting  practices  among  Member  States.  More  examples  and  details  are  provided  in  the 
accompanying staff working document. 

The 2022 TSI cycle  

Building  on  the  experience  gained  and  outreach  efforts  from  the  TSI  2021  round,  for  the 
second year of implementing the Technical Support Instrument, DG REFORM successfully 
raised further the awareness of the 27 Member States’ potential beneficiary authorities 
regarding the programme, also stressing that the quality of the technical support projects was 
the determining factor for selection. 

The 2022 TSI cycle was launched during the first TSI annual conference, which took place 
on 30 June and 1 July 2021. It started the discussion with the Member States on potential 
requests to be submitted in the 2022 cycle and introduced two main new features:  

• 

• 

the  multi-country  projects,  geared  at  addressing  common  issues  among  Member 
States and thereby underlying the EU added-value of the instrument 
the "flagship" projects, supporting reforms which are largely needed across Member 
States and are in line with the EU priorities.  

The  flagships  facilitate  Member  States  requests  by  providing  partially  developed  support 
initiatives to be further developed and tailored to Member States’ needs. DG REFORM proposed 
12  flagships  on  topics  identified  via  a  thorough  consultation  of  Commission  policy 
Directorates-General  and  national  coordinating  authorities  in  all  Member  States,  to  ensure 
consistency  with  national  priorities  and  commitment  by  national  authorities.  Out  of  the  12 
proposed 2022 TSI technical support flagships projects, 5 focused on the green transition and 
3 on the digital transition. 

11 

 
 
The flagships proposed in the 2022 TSI were the following: 

1.  EU  Supervisory  Digital  Finance  Academy:  Strengthening  Supervisory  Capacity  in 

innovative Digital Finance; 

2.  Digital Skills for Digital Transformation of the Health and Care System; Development 

of resilient, innovative and human-centric digital government services; 

3.  Bridging the climate financing gap with public policy instruments; 

4.  Recharge and refuel - Clean, smart and fair urban mobility; 

5.  Support for Renovation Wave; 

6.  Greening taxes - applying the polluter pays principle in practice; 

7.  Support for implementing the Just Transition; 

8.  Support for the Tourism ecosystem: towards a more sustainable, resilient and digital 

tourism; 

9.  Integration of non-EU nationals in EU Member States; 

10. Implementation of the European Child Guarantee in EU Member States; 

11. Gender mainstreaming in public policy and budget processes (see below); 

12. Regional  and  local  authorities  –  Enhancing  cooperation  &  quality  of  public 

administration. 

The Conference also marked the start of the outreach activities for the 2022 TSI cycle, whereby 
a series of thematic and country-specific roll-out events were organised in all Member States 
with TSI coordinating authorities, as well as potential beneficiary authorities. Thanks to these 
efforts the quality and maturity of the TSI requests for support increased and the quantity of 
requests for support decreased.  

Selection of TSI requests 
For  2022  (Figure  8),  requests  for  technical  support  were  received  from  Member  States  in 
response to two calls: 

•  The general 2022 TSI call for requests; 

•  A  dedicated  call  to  support  EU  Member  States  dealing  with  the  consequences  of 
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and in particular welcoming refugees from Ukraine and 
phasing out reliance on fossil fuels from Russia 

Furthermore,  

•  Croatia submitted 4 requests under Article 7 of the TSI Regulation, whereby Member 

States can request additional TSI support at their own expense. 

•  5 Member States submitted requests under Article 7.2 of the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility Regulation, whereby Member States may propose to include in their recovery 
and resilience plan, as estimated costs, the payments for additional technical support 
provided by the TSI 

12 

 
 
Number of 
submitted requests 

Number of 
selected requests 

General call for requests 
Dedicated call on Ukraine 

TOTAL 2022 TSI 

Art.7 TSI 
Art.7.2 RRF 

512 
32 
544 
4 
5 

211 
28 
239 
3 
5 

Figure 8 – 2022 TSI overview table 

General call for requests 

Budget earmarked for 
the selected requests in 
EUR million 
102.40 
9.28 
111.68 
2.76 
3.87 

Under the 2022 TSI general call, 512 requests for support were submitted by 27 Member 
States, for an estimated amount of EUR 211.5 million. All submitted requests were eligible. 
Three were withdrawn by the requesting Member State during the assessment phase. Another 
27 requests were later merged as they covered the same requested support.  

As a result, 482 requests were assessed for selection (Figure 9). In line with Article 9 of 
the  TSI  Regulation  and  with  general  principles  of  EU  financial  management  (transparency, 
equal treatment and sound financial management), the requests are assessed across seven 
evaluation criteria:  

urgency of the request, 

i. 
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 from the requested support measures. 

DG  REFORM  prioritised  the  assessed  requests,  also  taking  into  account  the  need  for  quick 
delivery  of  support  and  rapid  implementation  of  reforms,  strong  expected  results  on  the 
ground and the link between requests and relevant country-specific recommendations. 

Following the assessment, prioritisation and pre-selection phases – and taking into account 
the  number  of  high  quality  requests  and  limited  resources  available  to  DG  REFORM  to 
implement the programme  –  211 requests were selected for a budget of EUR  102.4 
million. Half of the selected requests related to a proposed “flagship” project. 

The  assessed  and  selected  requests  covered  all  6  broad  policy  areas  under  the  TSI, 
confirming Member States' interest in these areas. 

13 

 
 
 
482 
Assessed 
requests 

13

10

78

36

44

27

211 
Selected 
requests 

50

144

75

45

128

43

Horizontal Policies

Financial Sector and Access to Finance

Governance and Public Administration

Growth and Business Environment

Revenue Administration and Public
Financial Management
Labour Market, Education, Health and
Social Service

Figure 9 – 2022 TSI number of assessed and selected requests by broad policy area 

Among the selected requests under the 2022 TSI general call, key EU priorities were covered 
as follows10:  

•  103 requests were related to the implementation of national recovery and resilience 

plans 

•  95 requests were related to the digital transition; 
•  63 requests were related to the European Green Deal; 
•  24 requests were related to equality: addressing women, people with disability, Roma, 

migrants, older people and LGBTIQ+. 

In  2022,  technical  support  requests  related  to  different  circumstances,  including  Member 
States’ own reform priorities as well as reforms to tackle challenges identified through the 
EU’s economic governance process, and those linked to the implementation of  EU priorities 
(Figure 10). 

Implementation of Union priorities (e.g. CMU, Energy
Union, Customs Union, etc.)

Implementation of Member States’ own reform priorities

163

165

159

130

Reforms in the context of economic governance process
(e.g. CSR, Country reports, etc.)

Preparation, implementation and amendment of Recovery
and Resilience Plans

94

98

107

103

Implementation of Union law (e.g. infringements)

19

23

Implementation of Economic adjustment programmes

7

1

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Non-selected requests

Selected requests

10 A single request for technical support may contribute to several EU priorities. 

14 

 
 
 
 
Figure 10 – 2022 TSI circumstances of Member States’ requests 

Support for Ukraine dedicated call for requests 

The Technical Support Instrument is a  flexible instrument that can adapt to different 
political circumstances. On 21 March 2022, on the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine by 
Russia, DG REFORM launched a dedicated call to help Member States face this unprecedented 
situation.  Member  States  could  request  specific  support  to  help  them  welcome  refugees 
from Ukraine, phasing out of their reliance on fossil fuels from Russia or address any 
other related issues. 

A total of 32 requests for support were received following the call, of which 28 were selected, 
for a total budget of EUR 111.18 million. 

-  7 Member States submitted a request for support to integrate non-EU nationals. After 

assessment, all submitted requests were selected. 

-  17 Member States submitted requests related to REPowerEU efforts. After assessment, 

all submitted requests were selected. 

-  8 Member States submitted requests on other topics, such as the implementation of 

sanctions. After assessment, 4 requests were selected. 

 Implementation 
The 239 selected requests in the 2022 TSI under the different calls were translated 
into 185 projects, which in turn led to support for 270 reforms, due to the sharp increase 
in the number multi-country projects, addressing the needs of several countries at the same 
time.  

In those multi-country projects, each country-specific component of the project is referred to 
as  a  reform.  By  definition,  a  multi-country  project  is  composed  of  several  country-specific 
reforms, while in standalone projects each project corresponds to a single reform. 

The 185 TSI 2022 projects were distributed as follows: 

•  164 standalone projects addressed to a single Member State 

•  21 multi-country projects for a total of 106 country-specific reforms 

15 

 
Figure 11 -2022 TSI projects per Member State 

Furthermore, as mentioned in the second annual report on the implementation of the RRF11:  

•  23  Member  States  have  received  or  are  currently  receiving  general  support  for  the 
general aspects of RRP implementation, including support for revising the plans, while 
all  27  Member  States  are  benefiting  from  the  policy-specific  support  linked  to  RRF 
measures’ implementation. 

•  8 Member States are currently participating in a multi-country TSI-supported project 
on building capacity for effectively communicating about the benefits of the RRPs. 

•  17  Member  States  have  received  or  are  currently  receiving  support  relevant  to 
REPowerEU.  Some  of  these  measures  will  also  have  a  digital  dimension  (such  the 
digitalisation of energy). 

As  of  end  October  2023,  two  2022  TSI  projects  were  closed,  and  183  were  still  ongoing. 
Significant 2022 TSI projects include: 

• 

the gender mainstreaming in public policy and budget processes multi-country project; 

•  support for Romania to accelerate access to essential services for displaced Ukrainians 

• 

the EU Supervisory Digital Finance Academy.  

More examples and details are provided in the accompanying staff working document. 

PROJECT EXECUTION 

The Technical Support Instrument requires the constant involvement of DG REFORM, from the 
phase of designing projects to their implementation. 

DG REFORM is active from the early stages of project identification, with extensive outreach 
activities addressed to national authorities, constant interaction between DG REFORM country 

11 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/recovery-and-resilience-facility-annual-report-2023_en 

16 

 
 
 
coordinators  and  the  corresponding  coordinating  authorities,  and  meetings  between  DG 
REFORM senior managers and national authorities in each Member State in their capital. 

Once the requests are selected and the implementation mode is defined, policy officers in DG 
REFORM  liaise  regularly  with  national  authorities  to  define  project  outputs  and  shape  the 
related  activities  and  work  plans.  They  are  always  members  of  dedicated  project  teams, 
together  with  the  (possible)  selected  providers,  and  cooperate  with  them  in  the  daily 
management  of  the  project.  They  also  ensure  smooth  communication  between  (possible) 
providers and national authorities, promoting common understanding to safeguard the success 
of the project. 

Furthermore,  DG  REFORM  coordinates  its  work  with  other  Commission  departments  via  a 
permanent network of representatives of other Directorate-Generals. On the one hand, this is 
to ensure that the technical support provided with the TSI is aligned with EU policies, does not 
duplicate other projects and exploits synergies with other EU programmes. On the other hand, 
the cooperation with other Commission departments is also an opportunity to facilitate access 
to technical expertise that is already available within the Commission or easily mobilised by 
other EU programmes. 

Finally, by default there is a member of DG REFORM staff on each project steering committee, 
together with senior officials from the national authorities, to make sure the project remains 
in line with the national priorities and adapts, if necessary, to the evolving context, in view of 
contributing to the national reform agenda. 

EVALUATION 

The evaluation of the Technical Support Instrument programme and projects bring evidence of 
the results for Member States and citizens on the ground. It is important to share those results 
with  our  stakeholders  and  the  wider  public  to  demonstrate  that  EU  action  brings  positive 
change. 

DG REFORM evaluates the support it provides to Member States at programme level and at 
project level. In line with the Commission’s Better Regulation guidelines, the Technical Support 
Instrument  is  subject  to  a  mid-term  (by  February  2025)  and  an  ex-post  evaluation  (by 
December 2030) 12, each supported by a study conducted by an independent third party. The 
TSI  mid-term  evaluation,  due  to  be  published  in  February  2025,  is  expected  to  play  an 
important role in shaping the next generation of the programme.  

In addition to the evaluation performed at programme level, DG REFORM has put in place a 
two-stage procedure to evaluate the TSI technical support projects. The first step takes place 
shortly after project closure, to assess the satisfaction of the main stakeholders involved in 
the project with regards to project design and delivery. The second step aims to assess the 
extent to which the project has delivered on its expected outcomes, and takes place at least 
after 1 year after the project is closed. 

While project duration can vary, it takes an average of 24 months to complete a TSI project. 
Since  the  implementation  of  the  first  2021  TSI  projects  started  in  mid-2021,  as  of  the 
publication date of this report few projects had been closed for more than a few months. The 
first available replies to the evaluation questionnaires pointed to a positive evaluation of the 

12 TSI Regulation (EU) 2021/240 of 10.02.2021, Article 16 

17 

 
 
value brought by the TSI. In particular, national authorities appreciated being closely engaged 
during  the  identification  phase  of  the  projects  as  well  as  in  their  implementation.  National 
authorities also valued the active role played by DG REFORM in ensuring a direct dialogue with 
them and with the providers of technical support. 

Besides evaluating the TSI programme and projects, DG REFORM is striving to evaluate and 
learn lessons from the different novelties introduced in the TSI, with a view to incorporating 
lessons learnt into proposals under the 2027-34 programming period.  

Finally,  in  line  with  the  EU  budget  performance  framework,  a  yearly  overview  of  the 
performance of the Technical Support instrument is available on the dedicated website for the 
TSI programme performance overview.  

COMMUNICATION 

The Technical Support Instrument is unique in its design and its flexibility. By its nature, it works 
hand in hand with national administrations to support the design and implementation of their 
reforms,  for  the  benefit  of  citizens  and  businesses.  To  ensure  the  visibility  of  the  EU 
funding, DG REFORM promotes the work of the Technical Support Instrument and the related 
TSI projects and their results, via dedicated channels, and it provides targeted information 
to multiple audiences, including the media and the public.  

Communication  activities  take  place  in  agreement  with  the  national  authorities,  and  have 
support from the representation offices of both the European Parliament and the Commission 
in each Member State. 

Social media 

The  DG  REFORM  Twitter/X  account  @EU_reforms  went  live  on  17  December  2020  to 
disseminate  information  on  the  TSI  projects  and  related  activities,  gaining  close  to  500 
followers over the first days of existence. Since then, the account has seen a steady increase 
in  take-up,  with  close  to  3  500  followers  in  September  2023.  With  close  to  2  250  tweets 
posted  since  January  2021,  DG  REFORM  ensure  regular  outreach  to  a  wider  audience, 
promoting and disseminating information on TSI projects activities and achievements. 

Events 

In March 2021, DG REFORM organised a first TSI press conference to mark the adoption of 
the  2021  TSI  working  programme,  which  generated  36  references  in  national  and  local 
newspapers  within  24  hours.  At  the  press  conference,  DG  REFORM  also  published  a  set  of 
2021  TSI  country  factsheets  (in  English  and  all  national  languages),  providing  concrete 
examples of the support provided by the DG in the Member States. 

On 30 June and 1 July 2021, DG REFORM organised its first online TSI annual conference 
to discuss Member States’ reform needs to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19. 
The event also marked the kick-off of dedicated outreach activities in each Member State in 
view of the upcoming 2022 TSI round. In this context, a TSI video was produced to introduce 
the instruments to new audiences. 

18 

 
Both  the  March  TSI  press  conference  and  the  spring  conference  are  embedded  in  the 
programme yearly cycle. The 2022 TSI press conference took place on 9 March 2022, and 
also presented a full set of 2022 TSI country factsheets.  

The  second  online  TSI  annual  conference  was  dedicated  to  “Building  resilience  in  the 
Member States” and took place on 5 May 2022. It brought together close to 900 participants 
from  the  Member  States,  EU  institutions,  the  academia,  international  organisations  and 
potential technical support providers. 

Throughout 2021 and 2022, many  other events were organised to promote the instrument 
and its contribution towards the achievement of EU priorities.  

Press and media coverage 

While the Technical Support Instrument is only few years  old, it is widely recognised for its 
innovative  nature  and  its  potential  to  address  multiple  policy  areas.  In  this  context  the  TSI 
programme has received a lot of attention from the press and media across the EU, not only 
as  a  follow  up  to  press  releases  issued  by  the  European  Commission,  but  also  to  react  to 
specific project achievements, which  have illustrated the capacity of the Member  States  to 
deliver on their reform agenda. 

Web presence 

On  9  June  2021  the  Commission  launched  the  Reform  support  website  dedicated  to 
publishing information on reform support measures funded by the European Union under the 
Structural Reform Support Programme or the Technical Support Instrument.  

The  website  draws  attention  to  the  importance  of  support  provided  to  the  recovery  and 
resilience plans and to 9 policy areas: green transition, health and long-term care, digital 
transition,  skills,  education  and 
training,  public  administration  and  governance, 
competitiveness,  financial  sector  and  access  to  finance,  revenue  administration  and  public 
financial management, labour market, social protection and migration.  

The  website  also  features  a  library  of  reform  support  project  examples,  that  can  be 
searched via an interactive map, or via policy or country. By mid-September 2023, about 350 
TSI  projects  descriptions  had  been  published  online.  In  addition,  Digital  country 
factsheets present the overview of reform support provided to each Member State to date.  

In line with the requirement in Article 17 of the TSI Regulation, the Reform  support website 
hosts a single online public repository of final studies or reports produced as part of the 
TSI support projects. The repository is searchable by year, topic and Member State, to help 
disseminate the different publications to a wide audience. At the end of October 2023, 153 
TSI projects were closed, more than 50 deliverables were available online. 

Specific communication measures 

On a regular basis, DG REFORM chooses a project to be its ’Project in the spotlight’. The 
featured projects, from different policy areas and in different countries, are selected on the 
basis of effective implementation, promising results on the ground as well as their potential 
to be replicated across the EU. These inspirational projects are thus promoted via a dedicated 
communication plan, which often includes the production of short videos. 

19 

 
 
EU-wide  communication  campaigns  and  reports  also  often  refer  to  the  Technical  Support 
Instrument  as  an  important  source  of  support  for  Member  States  to  achieve  their  reform 
agenda, in line with EU priorities. In this context, the TSI was mentioned in several instances in 
both the EU General Report 2021 and the EU General Report 2022. 

20 

 
 
POLICY AREAS  

The TSI provides support on demand across the whole spectrum of national reform agendas, 
to a large variety of different authorities. To best address the requests submitted by Member 
States,  DG  REFORM  has  developed  expertise  in  a  broad  range  of  policy  areas.  This  large 
portfolio of skills made it possible to offer tailored projects responding to the needs of national 
authorities.  

and 

Support for recovery and resilience plans 
The Recovery 
heart 
Resilience 
of NextGenerationEU is  a  once-in-a-generation  opportunity  for  deep 
structural transformation in the Member States. The Facility deploys up 
to EUR  723.8  billion in  loans  and  grants  to  support  reform  and 
investment packages put forward by the Member States in their national 
recovery and resilience plans RRPs. 

Facility 

(RRF) 

the 

at 

Reforms and investment contained in the RRPs are well aligned with the EU’s strategic 
priorities and address  country-specific  challenges identified  through  the  European 
Semester process of economic and social policy coordination. The measures in the RRPs are 
expected to facilitate and accelerate the green and digital transitions in the Member States, 
while increasing resilience, cohesion and sustainable growth. 

The TSI has been supporting the implementation of reforms and investment included 
in  the  RRPs,  across  the  policy  areas  of  governance  and  public  administration,  digital, 
sustainable  growth  and  business  environment,  labour  market,  health,  education,  social 
services, revenue administration and public financial management, as well as in the financial 
sector. 

In  2021,  the  TSI  provided  support  to 18  Member  States and  in  2022  to  an  extra  3 
Member  States,  to  further  increase  their  ability  to  implement  the  RRPs,  including  RRP 
monitoring  and  project  management  methods,  reporting  mechanisms,  audit  and  control 
frameworks,  communication  strategy,  governance  structures,  IT  systems,  or  to  assist  in 
applying the “do no significant harm” principle. 

Supporting  the  implementation  of  Belgium's  recovery  and  resilience  plan 
(RRP) 

The significant resources made available under the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility (RRF) require public administrations to have sufficient capacity to effectively coordinate 
and monitor the overall implementation of the RRP. 

In  2021,  the  TSI  supported  the  Belgian  authorities  in  building  their  capacity  to  monitor, 
coordinate and implement their national RRP. Authorities from the federal level, the Brussels 
Capital  Region,  Flanders,  the  German  and  French  speaking  communities  and  Wallonia  all 
benefitted from the support measures.  

See more on TSI support for the Belgian RRP, or visit the Reform support 
website. Alternatively, scan the QR code: 

21 

 
 
 
The green transition 

Climate change and environmental degradation are 
an existential threat to the European Union and the 
world. To overcome these challenges, the European 
Green  Deal  is  Europe's  new  growth  strategy, 
designed  to  transform  the  EU  into  a  modern, 
resource-efficient and competitive economy.  

The  European  Green  Deal  aims  to  make  Europe 
climate-neutral  by  2050,  boost  the  economy 
through green technology, create sustainable industry and transport and cut pollution. Turning 
climate  and  environmental  challenges  into  opportunities  will  be  the  key  to  making  the 
transition fair and inclusive for all. 

The  TSI  helps  EU  Member  States  design  and  implement  reforms  that  support  the  green 
transition and that help achieve the goals of the European Green Deal. It also helps design the 
necessary  procedures  in  central  and  local  administrations  and  establish  the  coordination 
structures that are needed for implementing green policies. Areas of intervention included, for 
instance: 

•  climate action and emission reduction 
•  a fair transition (ensuring no regions or sectors are neglected) 
•  sustainable development 
•  environment and the circular economy 
•  greening public and private finances 
• 

transport and travel 

Supporting the implementation of green budgeting practices among the EU Member 
States 

The EU  Green  Deal underlines  the  key  role  of  the  national  budgets  and  green 
budgeting tools in redirecting public investment, consumption and taxation to green priorities and away 
from harmful subsidies.  

“Green budgeting” covers a variety of  practices aimed at identifying and assessing elements of  the 
public budget that affect Member States’ environmental policies. Green budgeting reforms can facilitate 
budget steering and ensure budgetary and fiscal policies are consistent with national climate objectives.  

As green budgeting reform can meaningfully contribute to the green transition, the European 
Commission  and  the  Member  States  have  together  developed  an  EU  green  budgeting  reference 
framework (GBRF) for all Member States.  

The TSI is helping 23 EU Member States strengthen their capacity for greening public finances and 
raising  awareness  of  the  EU  green  budgeting  reference  framework.  In  response  to  Member  States’ 
needs for technical  guidance  to adopt and implement green  budgeting  practices,  this TSI  project 
provides them with practical training and tailored support in piloting green budgeting tools for green 
public finances. 

See more on TSI support for the green transition or on the Reform support 
website.  Alternatively, scan the QR code: 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
The digital transition 

Digital  technologies  present  enormous  growth 
potential  for  Europe. The  European  Commission 
is  committed  to  deliver  a Europe  fit  for  the 
digital age, by empowering people, businesses and 
administrations  with  a  new  generation  of 
technologies that will benefit everyone. 

Digital  solutions that put people first will open  up 
new  opportunities  for  businesses,  encourage  the 
development of trustworthy technology, encourage 
an  open  and  democratic society,  enable  a  vibrant  and  sustainable  economy,  and  help  fight 
climate change and achieve the green transition. 

The TSI helps Member States carry out reforms to unlock their digital growth potential 
and deploy innovative solutions for businesses and citizens, as well as to improve the 
accessibility and efficiency of public services. Areas of intervention include, for instance: 

•  digital economy, research and innovation 
•  digital public administration 
•  digitalisation of healthcare 
•  digitalisation of revenue authorities 
•  digital skills, education and training 

Preparing  an  artificial  intelligence  (AI)  strategy  for  the  Estonian  revenue 
authority 

Artificial intelligence is a promising new technology that could help revenue 
authorities  address  certain  persistent  or  emerging  tax  and  customs  challenges  that  might 
require a qualitative leap in process automation and data analytics. However, to make full use 
of  the  possibilities  that  AI  can  offer,  while  also  proactively  reflecting  on  new  risks  and 
complexities inherent to the technology requires the development of a strategic vision.  

In 2021, the TSI provided technical support to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (ETCB) with 
the aim of (a) exploring the feasibility of using human-centric AI and (b) developing a strategic 
framework.  The  technical  support  has  facilitated  the  authority’s  efforts  to  a  higher  level  of 
digitalisation through AI. 

The project is linked to the Commission’s AI and tax agendas. 

  See more on TSI support for the digital transition or visit the Reform 
support website. Alternatively, scan the QR code: 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Public administration and governance 

The  quality  of  a  country’s  public  administration 
and  governance  is  a  key  factor  in  its  economic 
performance  and  the  wellbeing  of  its  citizens. 
Efficient  public  administrations  serve  the  needs  of 
citizens  and  businesses.  It  is  essential  that  public 
changing 
authorities  are  able 
circumstances. 

to  adjust 

to 

The TSI helps EU Member States undertake reforms in the area of public administration and 
governance  by  providing  technical  support.  Areas  of  intervention include  the  central 
administration, local administration, digital government, public procurement, better regulation, 
the  judicial  system,  preventing  corruption  and  fraud  and  increasing  the  ability  to  absorb 
European Structural and Investment Funds enhancing the quality and speed of investments. 

In  addition  to  proving  support  via  the  Technical  Support  Instrument,  DG  REFORM,  is  also 
responsible  for  coordinating  the  European  Commission’s  activities  in  the  field  of public 
administration and governance policy making.  Areas of intervention include, for instance: 

•  state governance and better policymaking 
•  efficiency of the state’s organisation and service delivery 
•  digital public administration 
• 
•  control environment and preventing corruption 
•  human resources 
•  management of EU funds  

judicial system 

Strengthening  the  government capacity for  gender-sensitive and inclusive 
recovery 

In  2021,  the  TSI  supported  Czechia  on  gender  mainstreaming,  with  the 
purpose  of  improving  the  integration  of  gender  equality  considerations  in 
the design and implementation of public policies and budget cycles in the Czech Republic, in 
line with the objectives set in the country’s 2021-30 Gender Equality Strategy.  

The results of the project will also  help the Czech Republic achieve other goals, considering 
that  for  the  2021-27  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  programming  period,  a 
‘national strategic framework for gender equality’ was named among the enabling conditions 
which are applicable to ERDF, ESF+ and the Cohesion Fund.  

Overall, considering the many recovery actions to be set in motion in response to the impact 
of COVID-19, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the implementation of this project 
will ensure that the allocation of financial support for recovery is gender responsive.  

See more on TSI support for public administration and governance or 
visit the Reform support website. Alternatively, scan the QR code: 

24 

 
 
 
 
  
Health and long-term care 

Health  crises,  ageing  populations,  rising  expectations 
for  high-quality  services  and  technological  progress 
are  challenging  the  sustainability  and  resilience  of 
health  systems.  These  factors  show the  need  for 
structural adjustments and/or reforms to enhance 
public  health  and  the  efficiency,  resilience  and 
sustainability  of  health  systems,  while  guaranteeing 
equitable access to quality services. 

EU Member States are engaging in reforms to address these challenges and to  incorporate 
them into their national health programmes, policies and strategies. The Commission offers 
hands-on implementation support for health authorities to implement reforms and 
share  good  practice  with  other  EU  Member  States,  thus  complementing  other  available 
support. 

In line with European Commission and national priorities, the TSI helps to better protect 
the  health  of  citizens,  to  enable  Member  States  to  prevent  and  address  future 
pandemics and improve the resilience of their health systems. As such, one objective, 
both during a crisis and in normal times, is to practically improve the ground for sustainable 
investment in strong health systems and in the healthcare workforce. Areas of intervention 
include, for instance: 

increasing the resilience and sustainability of health systems 

• 
•  digitalising healthcare 
•  public health, disease prevention and health control 

Evidence-based nurse staffing in Danish acute care hospitals  
The reform of the Danish hospital sector and increasing workforce shortages 
have  highlighted  the  need  to  reflect  on  new  work  planning  methods.  These 
methods ensure patient safety as well as improve nurses’ performance and job satisfaction.  

In Denmark, each hospital is free to determine their staffing levels for nurses because there 
are  currently  no  national  or  regional  guidelines. The  required  number  of  nurses  in  wards  is 
typically  based  on  the  numbers  of  beds  available,  the  expected  bed  occupancy  rate,  the 
judgement of head nurses and subjective workload estimates. This rough estimation method 
does not account for patient characteristics. This results in a gap between the availability of 
nurses available and the needs of the patients at any given time.  

In  2021,  the  TSI  helped  the  Central  Denmark  Region  (CDR)  develop  methods  and  tools  to 
establish safe nurse staffing levels, to better match supply and demand for nursing care in 
acute care hospitals.  

See  more  on  TSI  support  for  health  and  long-term  care  or  visit  the 
Reform support website. Alternatively, scan the QR code: 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Skills, education, and training 

Skills  are  a  crucial  driver  of 
the  EU’s 
competitiveness and innovation capacity and a key 
determinant of social cohesion and personal well-
being. Ongoing technological  transformations and fast 
economic  restructuring  require  people  to  engage  in 
continuous  learning  throughout  their  lifetime.  Member 
States  are  thus  engaging  in  reforms  to  improve  the 
capacity  of  their  education  and  training  systems  to 
deliver  high-quality  education  and  ensure  their  citizens  have  constant  and  equal  access  to 
it. The  TSI supports  them  by  providing  expertise  and  helping  them  share  relevant 
practices, thus complementing other available support. 

In line with European Commission and national priorities, the TSI helps Member States reform 
their  education  and  training  systems  in  a  way  that  both  helps  them  recover  from  the 
disruptions caused by the pandemic and makes them more resilient in the long term, tackling 
negative social impacts. 

To  do  so,  the  TSI  engages  with  Member  State  administrations  on  a  wide  range  of  topics. 
Beneficiaries  include  Ministries  in  charge  of  education,  vocational  education  and  training, 
employment  and  research  and  innovation,  as  well  as  relevant  state  agencies  and  regional 
authorities. Areas of intervention include, for instance: 

inclusive education 

• 
•  higher education and research 

Tackling early school leaving and promoting school success in Spain 

Spain  has  made  significant  efforts  to  reduce its  high  rate  of  early  leavers 
from education and training, and it has fallen considerably in recent years. In 
December 2020, the Spanish  government approved a  new  Education Law (LOMLOE), which 
aims to embed a more inclusive approach to school performance. The law also envisages the 
development  of  a  more  coordinated  approach  to  prevent  early  leaving,  by  deploying 
strengthened regional cooperation mechanisms.  

In  2021,  the  TSI  provided  technical  support  for  the  Spanish  Ministry  of  Education  and 
Vocational Training to design an action plan to tackle early school leaving and promote school 
success in all Spanish regions. The project is expected to lead to a more effective, streamlined 
and  collaborative  approach  to  addressing  and  preventing  this  issue,  in  line  with  the 
requirements of the new Education Law. 

See more on TSI support for skills, education and training or visit the Reform 
support website. Alternatively, scan the QR code: 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Competitiveness 

The Technical Support Instrument 
helps  EU  Member  States  build 
competitive 
and 
sustainable 
economies. DG Reform advises public 
authorities on action to accelerate the 
climate  and  digital  transitions  and 
support 
growth 
economic 
and recovery. This includes reforms 
and  investment  that  strengthen 
the cohesion and competitiveness 
of the economy. 

On competitiveness, the TSI supports reforms to strengthen small and medium-sized firms, 
reduce market barriers, facilitate foreign investment and trade, develop the digital economy, 
stimulate  research  and  innovation,  manage  public–private  partnerships  and  improve  the 
governance of state-owned enterprises.  

Areas of intervention include, for instance: 

foreign investment and trade 

• 
•  better regulation, licensing and inspections 
•  small and medium-sized firms and other sectors 
•  competition and consumer policy 
•  digital economy, research and innovation 
• 

investment management, public-private partnerships and state-owned enterprises 

Designing a transformation strategy for Greek industry 

The problem of disjointed policy activities in the industrial policy area and its 
interrelated policy domains remains a long-standing and persistent issue in 
Greece. In addition, the challenges facing the EU today are also pressing in 
Greece: the need to pursue a digital and green transformation, to build a resilient and sound 
industrial  base  that  can  cope  with  the  effects  of  the  pandemic  and  increase  strategic 
autonomy. These  challenges  call  for  a  robust,  diversified  and  targeted  national  industrial 
strategy. 

In 2021, the TSI supported Greece with AS-IS Analysis, recommendations, consultation with 
stakeholders  and  capacity  building  activities.  All  with  a  view  to  (a) developing  a  new 
industrial strategy and (b) building sufficient capacity and the effective governance 
frameworks required to design and implement industrial policy.  

The  project  will  lead  to  the  adoption  and  implementation  of  a  comprehensive  industrial 
strategy aiming to increase the resilience of Greek industry and boost its competitiveness and 
growth.   

See  more  on  TSI  support  for  competitiveness  or  visit  the  Reform 
support website. Alternatively, scan the QR Code: 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The financial sector and access to finance 

The  financial  sector  has 
been  under  considerable 
pressure in the past decade. 
Businesses,  citizens  and 
national  authorities  have 
the 
been  affected  by 
financial crisis. Challenges in 
developing  new  technologies, 
the  fragmentation  of  the  EU 
markets and climate change continue to exist. More recently, re-emerging risks for the financial 
sector will need to be addressed as part of EU economic recovery efforts. 

To address the current challenges and to seize new opportunities, the EU has adopted various 
initiatives.  These  initiatives  have  resulted  in  new  and  complex  legal  frameworks  requiring 
implementation  at  national  level. The  TSI  provides  technical  support  to  EU  Member 
States across a broad spectrum of reforms in the financial sector.  

The technical support is focused on strengthening oversight of the sector, responding to the 
quickly changing market and supporting broad financing options for the real economy. Areas 
of intervention include, for instance: 

insurance companies and pensions 

•  banks 
• 
•  capital markets 
•  green finance 
• 
•  Anti-money laundering 
• 
financial literacy 
•  crisis management 

insolvency and debt restructuring 

Empowering the Dutch financial supervisor with advanced analytics solutions 

The financial services industry is changing at a rapid pace due to the emergence of 
new fast-growing companies in the fintech space as well as the increasing volume 
of data to process. There is therefore an urgent need for the supervisory arm of the Dutch central bank 
(DNB) to transition from techniques looking for indicators to algorithms that identify patterns in data 
that cannot be detected by the human eye. 

The  project  has  the  potential  to  benefit  other  stakeholders,  such  as  other  central  banks  in  the 
Eurosystem, financial institutions supervised by the DNB and society in general. This will be a direct 
result of improved financial supervision and financial stability. 

In 2021, the TSI helped the employees of the DNB develop data products for their supervisory tasks 
such as risk identification and assessing levels of compliance. The solutions leverage tailored advanced 
analytic methods to find new insights in data such as financial transactions and regulatory reports. 

See more on TSI support for the financial sector and access to finance 
or visit the Reform support website.  Alternatively, scan the QR Code: 

28 

 
 
 
 
Labour market, social protection and migration 

All Europeans should have access to fair and high-
quality jobs. The TSI helps Member States make 
reforms  to  make  their  labour  markets  work 
more  efficiently,  so  they  can  address  the 
substantial  changes  brought  about  by  the 
digital and green transitions. This may include 
developing 
policies, 
strengthening  active  labour  market  policies  or 

employment 

innovative 

policies to fight undeclared work. 

At the same time, solid social protection systems should be in place. The TSI helps Member 
States adapt their social protection systems in various ways and during all phases 
of  the  reform  process. For  instance,  ongoing  projects  support  reforms  to  strengthen 
supplementary  pension  savings,  review  disability  policies  and  related  procedures  (in 
compliance with the  UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities) and provide social 
benefits and services to vulnerable populations in a more integrated way.  

Areas of intervention include, for instance: 

• 
labour market 
•  social protection 
•  migration 

 Reform of the French National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy 

The enactment of a new law on social debt and autonomy on the 7 August 
2020 has  resulted  in  a  strengthened  mandate  for  the  French  National 
Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA). The CNSA has been entrusted with managing a newly 
created social security branch aimed at providing financial support and services for persons 
experiencing a  loss of autonomy. It  was at this juncture that the  CNSA  requested technical 
support, to develop the right tools, standard operating procedures and methods to accomplish 
its strengthened mandate, and execute its newly revamped budget for 2022-26  

In  2021,  the  TSI  helped  the  CNSA  reform  its  own  internal  structure  and  arrangements  for 
cooperation with the regions and departments. The project provided the CNSA with concrete 
recommendations and implementation support to carry out its newly assigned responsibilities, 
as custodian of the recently established fifth branch of the French Social Security System.    

See more on TSI support for the labour market, social protection and 
migration or visit the Reform support website.  Alternatively, scan the 
QR Code: 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Revenue administration and public financial management 

The  Commission  helps  EU  Member  States  reform  their tax 
policies and revenue administrations in order to collect taxes 
in a fair, sustainable and efficient way. It also helps them reform 
their  public  financial  management  and  expenditure 
policies to achieve an efficient allocation of public funds. 

The TSI also helps public authorities in  Member States  design 
and implement fiscal institutional reforms. Public authorities include ministries of finance, 
revenue agencies, tax and customs administrations, fiscal councils, supreme audit institutions 
and other delegated and independent bodies. The technical support is tailor-made and covers 
a wide range of topics.  

Areas of intervention include, for instance: 

tax compliance 

•  administration of revenues 
• 
•  aggressive tax planning, tax fraud and evasion 
•  digitalisation of revenue authorities 
•  custom union 
• 
tax policy 
•  expenditure policy 
•  budget preparation and implementation 

Strengthening analytical capacity for fiscal oversight in Portugal 

Adequate analytical tools are crucial for independent fiscal councils 
to  fulfil  their  mandate  and  provide  realistic  analysis  of  public 
finances, strengthening oversight and contributing to evidence-based 
policymaking.  The  Portuguese  Public  Finance  Council  (CFP)  has 
identified  a  need  for  more  accurate  tools  on  debt  sustainability  analysis  and  forecasting 
methods,  to  better  support  its  mandate  on  fiscal  and  economic  analysis,  thus  promoting 
transparency and public debate.  

Training  staff  on  a  microsimulation  tax  model  in  the  CFP  can  play  an  important  role  in 
estimating the revenue and distributional impact of tax/benefit reforms and improving revenue 
forecasting outputs.  

In 2021, the TSI provided support to the CFP to  increase its capacity for debt sustainability 
analysis, as well as tax modelling and revenue forecasting. The support helped the CFP to fulfil 
its mandate as an independent fiscal institution, as envisaged in EU regulations.  

See more on TSI support for revenue administration and public financial 
management or visit the Reform support website.  Alternatively, scan 
the QR Code: 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONCLUSION 

In its first two years of implementation, the TSI provided technical support for designing and 
implementing  reforms  in  all  Member  States.  The  number  of  requests  received  consistently 
outnumbered  the  number  of  requests  the  programme  was  able  to  cover,  showing  national 
authorities’ interest in the opportunities offered by this instrument.  

The  growing  number  of  multi-country  projects  over  the  two  years  was  an  indicator  of  the 
capacity of the TSI to bring further EU added value and to help national administrations share 
good practices and learn from one another. 

DG  REFORM  expanded  the  amount  of  communication  around  TSI  activities,  to  increase  the 
accountability of the instrument and make national authorities aware of the opportunities it 
offers.  These  communication  efforts  aimed  to  provide  national  authorities  with  a  better 
knowledge of the opportunities offered by the TSI and therefore designs that best exploited 
the instrument to address their specific needs.  

Most  importantly,  a  concerted  effort  has  been  made  by  DG  REFORM  staff  at  all  levels  to 
support Member States during the execution phase, to ensure both successful delivery of the 
project and continuous alignment between project outputs and Member States’ objectives.  

Moreover, DG REFORM cooperates with national authorities to go beyond the implementation 
of  specific  projects  –  which  end  with  the  achievement  of  outputs  and  the  provision  of 
deliverables – and may provide support for them to follow up the results of the projects, to 
implement their reform agendas.  

Given  that the  implementation of  first cycle of the  Technical Support Instrument started in 
2021, it is still too early to provide an assessment of projects’ achievements on the ground. 
However, based on feedback received from beneficiary authorities at project level, and from 
coordinating  authorities  at  country  level,  Member  States  generally  appreciated  the  support 
provided  through  the  TSI,  and  in  particular  the  active  role  they  can  play  in  identifying  and 
implementing the projects, and the smooth communication provided by DG REFORM.  

31 

 
 
 
STATISTICAL ANNEXES 

Annex 1 – 2021 TSI general call requests by Member States 

Austria 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Croatia 
Cyprus 
Czech 
Republic 
Denmark 
Estonia 
Finland 
France 
Germany 
Greece 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Italy 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
Spain 
Sweden 
Grand Total 

Submitted 
21 
33 
20 
44 
35 

31 
3 
18 
9 
13 
6 
94 
26 
31 
45 
35 
18 
2 
34 
6 
44 
47 
35 
29 
19 
67 
4 
769 

Not selected 
11 
15 
8 
27 
18 

20 

7 
3 
7 
1 
68 
13 
18 
31 
23 
7 

24 

31 
25 
17 
14 
9 
48 
2 
447 

Selected 

9 
15 
9 
14 
17 

11 
3 
9 
6 
5 
4 
22 
12 
11 
12 
12 
10 
2 
9 
5 
11 
18 
17 
11 
9 
18 
2 
283 

Closed 

Merged 

2 
1 

1 

1 

1 

1 
3 
1 
2 

1 

1 
1 
4 
1 
1 
2 

1 

1 
2 
4 
1 
4 
1 
1 

6 

33 

32 

 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
Annex 2 – 2022 TSI general call requests by Member States 

Submitted 

Closed 

Merged 

Not selected 

Selected 

Austria 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Croatia 
Cyprus 
Czech Republic 
Denmark 
Estonia 
Finland 
France 
Germany 
Greece 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Italy 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
Spain 
Sweden 
Grand Total 

11 
27 
16 
23 
16 
19 
3 
14 
11 
18 
5 
28 
14 
37 
39 
24 
12 
3 
28 
12 
37 
38 
20 
18 
11 
22 
6 
512 

5 
15 
10 
8 
8 
10 

6 
5 
8 
2 
11 
6 
28 
22 
17 
6 

16 
4 
24 
26 
12 
8 
3 
9 
2 
271 

5 
8 
6 
14 
8 
8 
3 
8 
5 
7 
2 
16 
6 
7 
16 
6 
6 
3 
10 
8 
9 
11 
7 
9 
6 
12 
4 
210 

1 

1 

2 

1 
3 

1 

1 

1 
2 
1 
1 
2 
2 
1 
1 

4 
1 
1 
1 
2 
1 

4 

27 

33