Delivering on reforms.
Date: 2025-01-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support
Subjects: EU financing, administrative cooperation, administrative reform, community resilience, digital transformation, economic governance (EU), green economy, institutional reform, public administration, structural adjustment

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR
STRUCTURAL REFORM SUPPORT
Delivering on 
Reforms

Structural
Reform Support

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FOREWORD

Supporting EU Member States to implement new legislation, reap opportunities and deliver on their strategic reforms has been
high  on  the  agenda  throughout  my  mandate  as  Commissioner  in  charge  of  Cohesion  and  Reforms.  In  the  past  5  years,  EU
support  for  reforms  has  exceeded  expectations,  helping  Member  States  to  implement  sustainable  growth  policies  and  to
stimulate job creation, as well as by de facto changing the paradigm of reform support altogether.

As Europe faces many challenges, from a direct security threat at our borders, to fostering economic competitiveness and social
cohesion, while making the twin green and digital transition agenda a success, Member States need to reform and adapt to keep
up with these changes; in particular, they have to ensure that their public administrations are fit to adjust and adapt to so many
new requirements and deliver the best possible services to citizens.

Reforms  are  at  the  core  of  our  policy  agenda;  they  shape  our  future.  We  cannot  change  today's  problems  with  yesterday's
methods  and  recipes.  This  should  be  uncontroversial.  However,  for  many  years,  structural  reforms  were  associated  with  top-
down injunctions and painstaking fiscal adjustment programmes.

The work of the European Commission has been instrumental to support Member States at national, regional and local levels. In
2020 the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) was set-up by President von der Leyen and a year
later the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) came to life. Reforms have since received a special attention to induce a ‘change for
the better’ and the Commission has activated its support with a special emphasis on EU public administrations to modernise and
enhance their capacity to deliver. This was only possible due to a different culture, a different method, and a different type of
interaction with Member States; bottom-up instead of top-down, nationally owned instead of centrally imposed.

The  TSI  filled  the  gap  for  a  tool  at  European  level  to  help  Member  States  implement  the  reforms  they  identify,  to  build
administrative capacity, and to exchange best practices across Europe. And over these last years, the TSI has demonstrated a
remarkable ability to help Member States to embrace change, respond to challenges, and react to crises.

The  wide  range  of  the  TSI  reform  projects  in  all  27  Member  States  demonstrates  that  reform  needs  and  opportunities  exist
everywhere. They are not a stigma on countries. And EU technical support adds value in addressing them. Thanks to the TSI, and
its predecessor – the Structural Reform Support Programme, over 1800 cutting-edge reform projects have been implemented all
over Europe in the last five years, with the European Commission supporting Member States and responding to their requests
and needs. 

Since its inception, the TSI has promoted a number of successful reforms and initiatives. DG REFORM has for instance supported
18 Member States, as they prepared their Territorial Just Transition Plans to move to a carbon neutral economy, helping every
region, every country, to find its own path. The TSI was also instrumental in helping all Member States to design and implement
their  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plans,  in  the  aftermath  of  the  pandemic.  And  in  the  wake  of  the  Russian  aggression  against
Ukraine, the TSI supported reforms to reduce Member States’ dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

The TSI’s Public Administration Cooperation Exchange – PACE – often referred to as the “Erasmus for civil servants” is offering
peer learning opportunities and fostering  the exchange of good practices between civil servants from different Member States.

It takes long-term thinking to look at the foundations and see the house yet to be built. It takes good governance, responsible
decision making and foresight to embrace change and to build resilient and future-oriented public administrations. And this is
what reforms do. They lay solid foundations for progress in every field, from competitiveness and a successful green and digital
transition to the modernisation of public services and delivering a better life for citizens.

When the TSI was launched I said: “To reform, is to hope”. Now I can say that we are turning that hope into action.

And  this  is  what  we  must  continue  to  do  in  the  years  ahead.  Continue  the  method  and  spread  the  culture  of  change  for  the
better while expanding the political focus and the resources allocated to this transformational tool. 

ELISA FERREIRA

European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 1

I. INTRODUCTION

Created at the beginning of the current European Commission’s mandate, DG REFORM has emerged as the centrepiece of EU
support  for  the  implementation  of  EU  policies  and  the  further  integration  and  convergence  of  the  Member  States  within  the
single market. Amid a period of economic and social instability (inter alia due to the COVID crisis, the Russian war of aggression
on  Ukraine,  the  related  energy  issues,  the  economic  slowdown,  and  the  social  fallout  of  the  above  situations),  it  has  been
instrumental to foster the implementation of EU economic and social policies, contributing to the recovery and resilience of the
Union. 

The Technical Support Instrument (TSI), DG REFORM’s main tool for action, has helped Member States to implement EU laws and
policies,  providing  support  to  strengthen  the  capacity  of  public  administrations  to  deliver  services  to  citizens  and  build  their
ability  to  design  and  implement  reforms  in  specific  policy  areas.  TSI  support  to  Member  States  has  paved  the  way  for
mainstreaming a novel approach to the delivery and implementation of EU policies focused on exchange and cooperation with
national administrations and on practical help tailored to the needs and capacity of each partner administration. 

This has been complemented by the increasing attention paid to the leading role which Member States’ public administrations
have in translating EU policy initiatives into action and the recognition of the added value the Commission can bring them by
providing  further  instruments  and  tools  to  cope  with  current  and  future  challenges.  Building  on  the  extensive  experience
acquired thanks to the support provided by the TSI (under which each project includes a capacity building aspect for the national
public administrations involved, besides the specific knowledge needed for the advancement of a given reform), DG REFORM has
developed  a  policy  to  help  Member  States  to  modernise  their  public  administration.  The  initiative  on  Enhancing  the  European
Administrative Space (ComPAct), launched by Commissioner Elisa Ferreira in 2023, laid out a broad set of actions to support the
modernisation of national administrations and to strengthen the cooperation between them for the first time.

With the Technical Support
Instrument we are turning hope
into action. Together we are
stronger. “

ELISA FERREIRA

European Commissioner
for Cohesion and Reforms

The TSI is a fantastic instrument that
helps put in place mechanics for long
lasting reforms. The TSI support for
reforms should not be limited only to
Member States, but also needs to be
expanded to the candidate countries.”

NIKI KERAMEUS

Minister of Labour and Social
Security, Greece

Irene Piki said that
the added value of the TSI is:
Member State ownership, its tailor
made approach, bringing expertise
from other MS and the EU seal it
gives to reforms.

IRENE PIKI

Deputy Minister to the
President in Cyprus

Dragos Pȋslaru underlined
the extremely important value added of
the on-ground support of TSI to the
Member States and noted the importance
of allocating more resources to DG
REFORM, so it provides more support to
the Member States.

DRAGOS PISLARU

Member of the European Parliament (2019-
2024), Co-Rapporteur for the TSI Regulation

Emil Boc underlined 
the important role the TSI can play
in the future by further bridging the
national reforms and local realities
on the ground. 

EMIL BOC

Mayor of Cluj-Napoca city, Romania,
Member of the Committee of the
Regions (CoR), Chair of the CoR
Commission for Territorial Cohesion
Policy and EU Budget

In Czechia, our public
administration loves the
Technical Support Instrument!”

PAVLÍNA ŽÁKOVÁ

Deputy Minister for European
Affairs, Czech Republic

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 2

II. OBJECTIVE: DELIVERING ON REFORMS

DG REFORM

Since its creation in January 2020, and building on the work of the Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS), the Commission
has  been  providing  technical  support  through  DG  REFORM  to  administrations  designing  and  implementing  Member  States’
reform agendas in a vast array of public policy areas, in line with the TSI regulation. DG REFORM has done so while remaining an
agile,  service-oriented  Directorate  General,  capable  of  responding  both  to  EU  priorities  and  to  the  longer-term  needs  of  the
beneficiaries, as well as to crisis situations. 

DG  REFORM  is  also  the  Commission  service  that  leads  the  policy  strand  on  public  administration  and  governance  (PAG).  DG
REFORM helps all 27 Member States to build more effective institutions, stronger governance frameworks and efficient public
administrations

DG REFORM fully delivered on its mandate encompassing both technical support to reform and policy on public administration,
i.e., to help EU Member States in designing and implementing reforms to support job creation and sustainable growth.

Close partnership with Member States’
authorities

DG  REFORM  has  become  a  reliable  strategic  partner
of national, regional and local authorities by providing
the  best  expertise  available  in  the  public  policy  and
institutional  spectrum  and  facilitating  exchanges  of
good practices.

Country Knowledge

As it is fundamental for ensuring the sustainable impact
of technical support provided on the ground, DG REFORM
has  invested  in  deepening  its  knowledge  of  the  various
Member States with a view to targeting its offer towards
the  most  important  national  challenges  that  are  also
crucial for meeting EU common objectives and goals. DG
REFORM  also  deployed  staff  on  the  ground  in  Athens,
Bucharest, and Zagreb. 

Swift Action

DG REFORM is a dynamic and service-oriented Directorate General, which has emerged as the
centrepiece  of  support  for  delivering  on  many  EU  priorities.  It  operates  across  policy  areas,
liaising  with  all  Directorates-General  of  the  Commission  to  ensure  synergies.  DG  REFORM
steers and coordinates the provision of technical support to Member States across EU policies,
as  part  of  the  European  Semester  process  and  in  relation  to  the  Recovery  and  Resilience
Facility (RRF). 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 3

The Technical Support Instrument

The TSI provides a regulatory framework to enable the provision of technical support to reforms on the ground. Reform support
is:

Demand-driven, i.e. based on the needs of the Member States, gathered through annual and ad-hoc calls.

Flexible and agile, as it can adapt to various circumstances, including crises, it poses minimum administrative burden on
the requesting Member States and requires no co-financing.

Tailor-made,  as  the  design  of  the  projects  is  informed  by  the  support  needs  and  expectations  of  the  requesting
authorities, at national, regional and local levels, respecting the principles of co-creation and stakeholder consultations. 

Concrete,  as  it  offers  a  variety  of  support  tools,  such  as  provision  of  expertise  related  to  policy  advice,  institutional,
administrative or sectoral capacity building, seminars, and workshops, exchanges of good practices, including study visits,
trainings, IT capacity building, studies, research and analyses, as well as communication and dissemination projects.

Evolution of demand for technical support 

Member States’ demand for technical support has increased significantly over the years. All 27 Member States benefitted from
technical support (under the TSI and its predecessor, the Structural Reform Support Programme – SRSP) regardless of their size,
geography or their administrative capacity. From 2019 until 2024, Member States submitted more than 3 700 requests for the
annual general calls, of which about 1 800 have been selected by the Commission. The submitted and selected requests covered
a full spectrum of public policy areas. 

The estimated value of requests submitted by Member States to the annual general calls has exceeded the SRSP/TSI’s available
budget  per  year  by  an  average  2.5  times.  This  signals  the  high  interest  Member  States  attach  to  the  instrument.  The  budget
available per year is shown in the table below:

2019
(SRSP)

2020
(SRSP)

2021
(TSI)

2022
(TSI)

2023
(TSI)

2024
(TSI)

2025
(TSI)

2026
(TSI)

2027
(TSI)

Total

116.4

118.7

121.1

123.5

126.0

128.5

130.4

864.4 (TSI)

79.3

89.9

//

//

//

//

//

//

//

165.2 (SRSP)

Source: DG REFORM; million € - Figure 1: SRSP and TSI budgets 

Besides the annual general calls, DG REFORM has also organised a number of dedicated calls to respond to urgent emerging
needs. In 2020, a dedicated call was organised to support Member States with the preparation of their Territorial Just Transition
Plans (TJTP) under the Just Transition Mechanism: 18 Member States benefitted from this support. In 2021, a dedicated call
offered  support  to  Member  States  in  the  preparation  of  their  national  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plans  (RRPs),  resulting  in
cooperation with authorities in 20 Member States. In 2022, DG REFORM launched a dedicated call to support Member States in
the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, in relation to three strands, notably: (i) refugees fleeing Ukraine (7 Member
States received support); (ii) the energy crisis due to Russia’s weaponisation of gas supplies (17 Member States were supported
on REPowerEU); (iii) the implementation of sanctions measures (10 Member States received support). 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 4

Supporting Member States in delivering on policy priorities

Throughout the four TSI annual cycles (2021-2024), close to 780 projects support around 1 200 reforms in all the 27 Member
States in a vast array of public policy areas (the term “reforms” encompasses both the individual projects and all the national
components  of  the  multi-country  projects).  Whilst  preserving  the  demand-driven  nature  of  the  TSI,  DG  REFORM  stimulated
reform priorities closely aligned to EU priorities.

Flagship technical support projects

Introduced under TSI 2022, these projects (developed in
relevant
consultation  with  Member  States  and 
Commission  services)  propose  reform  areas 
that
address  Member  States’  needs  and  converge  with  EU
priorities. Requests for technical support under Flagship
projects  represented  more  than  50%  of  all  submitted
requests and almost 40% of all the selected requests in
the  last  three  TSI  rounds  (2022-2024  included),  hence
they have become a valued feature of the TSI.

Multi-country projects testify that
Member States value the opportunity to
work together

Introduced  in  2021,  they  showcase  an  increasingly
‘cross-border’  dimension  of  reforms  and  a  willingness
of  Member  States  to  find  common  solutions  to  similar
challenges.  The  multi-country  approach  allows  the  TSI
to generate substantial EU added value. 

Support to reforms linked to
recommendations under the EU Semester

Under the TSI and the SRSP, a great number of requests
were  selected  and  implemented  in  relation  to  EU
Semester 
recommendations.  DG
specific 
the  European  Semester
in 
REFORM’s 
process also focussed on its policy competence on public
administration. 

country 
involvement 

Pilot support to reforms with the
involvement of enlargement countries

Embedding the TSI into Commission and
Council legislative and non legislative acts

(education, 

This contributed to raising Member States’ awareness
on  the  availability  of  the  TSI  as  a  tool  to  help  them  
undertake reforms to achieve their policy objectives, in
line  with  the  EU  priorities.  For  example,  in  the  social
areas 
labour,  health),  TSI  has  been
indicated in over 54 acts in the past three years, as an
instrument  supporting  Member  States  to  achieve  the
2030  headline  targets  for  employment,  training  and
lifting people out of poverty and social exclusion or to
implement  crucial  EU  initiatives,  such  as  the  Council
Recommendation on the European Child Guarantee or
the European Care Strategy.

Support to reforms linked to the Recovery
and Resilience Facility

Between  2021  and  2024,  the  TSI  supported  Member
States  through  more  than  500  reforms,  directly  or
indirectly  related  to  the  preparation,  amendment,
revision, and implementation of the national RRPs. 

Support to reforms for regional and
local authorities

The  TSI  also  supports  Member  States’  regional/local
authorities,  for  example  in  relation  to  reforms  that
ensure  optimal  use  and  the  effective  investment  of
national  and  European  funds.  Under  the  TSI,  DG
REFORM  has  supported  around  130  reforms  with  a
regional or local dimension. 

that 

limits 

the  TSI  Regulation 

Considering 
the
geographical scope of support to EU Member States, the
Commission  has  put  in  place  in  2023  a  pilot  initiative
allowing  enlargement  countries  to  be  “observers”  in
selected  projects,  including  in  multi-country  projects.  
This  has  had  a  clear  added  value  in  enabling  these
countries  to  work  together  with  EU  Member  States  in
addressing  key  common  reforms.  The  initiative  was
offered to all ten enlargement countries.

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 5

Key reform achievements

DG REFORM contributes significantly to help Member States to close the reform implementation gap by providing support in key
policy areas. Each reform is primarily tailored to a specific area contributing to key Union priorities. It is important to highlight
that  some  areas,  such  as  Public  Administration  and  Governance  and  Green  and  Digital  Transitions,  have  a  cross-sectoral
dimension,  and  hence  some  reforms  falling  in  specific  areas  may  contribute  to  such  horizontal  dimensions/priorities  or  be
impacted  by  them.  Similarly,  while  around  30  reforms  were  dedicated  specifically  to  supporting  the  Member  States  in  the
preparation or the general implementation of their RRPs, more than 500 TSI reforms had a direct or indirect link to the RRPs.  
The table below provides an illustration of reform support provided across key Union priorities.

Digital Transition

Labour Market and
Social Protection

Financial Sector and
Access to Finance

Competitiveness

Revenue
Administration
and customs

Green Transition

Public Financial
Management

Justice, Rule of Law,
Anti-corruption,
Integrity and..

Health
and long-
term care

Skills,
Education
& Training

 Migration

RRP
General
Support

Public Administration
and Governance

Source: DG REFORM database

The Green Transition

The TSI and the SRSP have provided technical support to all 27 Member States to implement the Green Deal, contributing to
around  230  reforms  since  2019.  Technical  support  has  helped  Member  States  design  and  implement  reforms  on  climate
change mitigation, tackling green washing and sustainability reporting, climate change adaptation, energy, environment and the
circular economy, sustainable mobility and the just transition. In addition, another 150 reforms have indirectly contributed to
achieving the green transition.

   Reform Support in Focus

In Romania

In Slovenia

In Lithuania

support 

in  2021, 

the  TSI
In  Romania, 
to
provided 
technical 
establish  a  robust, 
inclusive  and
effective  governance  structure  and
work  programme  for  monitoring,
implementing  and  updating 
the
National  Energy  and  Climate  Plans
(NECP)  (Implementing  the  National
Energy  and  Climate  Plan  and
developing  the  Long-Term  Strategy
of Romania).

in 

in  particular 

In Slovenia, in 2021, the TSI provided
technical support to the authorities to
address  barriers  to  renewable  energy
deployment, 
the
electricity  sector,  and  to  strengthen
administrative capacity. Following the
TSI support, Slovenia adopted the Act
on the deployment of installations for
the  generation  of  electricity  from
sources
renewable 
(Facilitating 
energy
deployment in the electricity sector of
Slovenia).

energy 
renewable 

to 

in  2021, 

the  TSI
In  Lithuania, 
provided  technical  support  for  the
design  of  measures 
reduce
greenhouse  gas  emissions.  One  of
the  main  recommendations  was  the
introduction  of  a  carbon  tax  and,
following 
the
Lithuanian  parliament  approved  the
Excise  Duty  Law  that  introduces  a
carbon 
fuels
(Reform  of  Lithuania’s  economy
towards Climate Neutrality by 2050).

tax  on  polluting 

the  TSI  project, 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 6 

The Digital Transition

Achieving a Europe fit for the Digital Age is a key priority of the EU to make the digital transition work for all and to open new
business  opportunities.  In  this  context,  since  2019,  the  TSI  and  the  SRSP  supported  around  100  reforms  directly  focused  on
digital  transformation  in  26  Member  States.  This  included  projects  on  digital  governance    as  well  as  on  the  use  of  artificial
intelligence in public administrations. Additionally, around 200 reforms in all Member States have been indirectly contributing to
the digital transition.

   Reform Support in Focus

In Portugal

In the Netherlands

in  2021-2023,  the  TSI 

  supported  the
In  Portugal, 
development  of  a  National  Strategy  for  Smart  Territories
under  the  country's  "Action  Plan  for  Digital  Transition".  The
strategy led to the creation of a smart national model for an
efficient use of public expenditure. Hundreds of stakeholders
were involved to identify drivers for change, bottlenecks, and
action (National Smart Cities Strategy). 

In  the  Netherlands,  as  of  2023,  the  TSI  is  supporting  the
Dutch  Authority  for  Digital  Infrastructure  (RDI)  to  timely  set
up proper supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in
compliance  with  the  forthcoming  AI  Act  and  other  relevant
legislation  (Supervising  Artificial  Intelligence  by  Competent
Authorities).

Competitiveness

Competitiveness  is  at  the  heart  of  EU  priorities  as  demonstrated  by  several  Commission  proposals,  notably  the  Green  Deal
Industrial Plan and the long-term competitiveness strategy for the post 2030 period. Since 2019, the TSI and the SRSP have
been supporting Member States in building competitive economies through around 180 reforms, including reforms to streamline
administrative procedures to make “doing business” easier, reduce market barriers, assess and reinforce financial markets, in
particular capital markets, as well as regulatory and tax burdens on businesses, stimulate digital economy and innovation and
improve the sustainability of specific ecosystems, for example on tourism. In addition, another 100 reforms have been indirectly
contributing to boost EU competitiveness. 

   Reform Support in Focus

In Croatia

In Romania

In  Croatia,  in  2021,  the  TSI  provided  support  in  the  area  of
better  regulation  and  in  particular  in  the  implementation  of
regulatory  impact  assessment.  The  support  also  contributed
to Croatia fulfilling a milestone of the national Recovery and
Resilience Plan and led to the adoption of a new legislation
for 
in  2023
(Strengthening  the  implementation  of  regulatory  impact
assessment project). 

Impact  Assessment 

the  Regulatory 

In Romania, in 2019, the SRSP helped the development of a
comprehensive  redesign  of  the  business  licensing  system.
The  project  helped  identify  reform  options  for  simplifying
licensing  procedures  in  the  industrial  sector,  attracting
investments,  and  strengthening  entrepreneurship.  This
contributed  to  the  adoption  in  2022  of  a  Single  Industrial
industrial  activities
Law 
(Comprehensive 
in
Romania).

(SIL)  for  manufacturing  and 

licensing  system 

redesign  of 

the 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 7

The technical support provided by the European Commission’s Directorate
General for Structural Reform Support to the simplification of the industrial
licenses in Romania was extremely useful for the Romanian Competition
Council, and most importantly for all public administration. We will simplify
considerably the procedures - instead of 111 business licenses issued by 43
different authorities, we are creating an online one stop shop where
documents would be submitted only once. Procedures will also be simplified as
each institution involved is currently required by law to assess its internal
processes and propose streamlining. This will lead to increased transparency
and considerable reductions in the administrative burden for entrepreneurs.”
(June 2024) - Comprehensive redesign of the licensing system in Romania.

Bogdan Chirițoiu, President of the Romanian Competition Council

Skills, Education and Training

The European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Education Area and the European Skills Agenda set key principles, actions
and targets for a strong and inclusive Europe. Technical support has been instrumental in providing support to Member States
to achieve the 2030 headline target of at least 60% of all adults participating in learning every year. Since 2019, The TSI and
the SRSP, have been supporting Member States on skills, education and training through 100 reforms. In addition, another 50
reforms have been indirectly contributing to address challenges in these areas. 

   Reform Support in Focus

In Romania

In Lithuania, Italy and Austria

In  Romania,  since  2019  and  beforehand,  the  TSI  and  the
SRSP  have  helped  design  a  methodology  to  prevent  early
school  leaving.  As  a  result,  Romania  implemented  a  new
Early  Warning  Mechanism  to  prevent  school  drop-outs,  a
methodology  of  data  collection  and  key  performance
indicators  for 
implementation.  The  early  warning
mechanism was piloted in 10 counties and offered hands-on
support  to  more  than  150  schools.  It  also  built  capacity  at
central  and  local  level  to  support  the  roll-out  of  the
mechanism at the national level through RRF investment.

its 

In  Lithuania  (Design  of  a  tool  to  forecast  the  need  for
teachers),  Italy  and  Austria  (A  perfect  match  –  forecasting
and  steering  the  future  and  present  teaching  workforce  in
Austria),  in  2021-2023,  the  TSI  helped  the  authorities  to
develop forecasting tools to improve the planning of teacher
supply  and  demand,  and  tackle  mismatches  and  teacher
shortages. The projects are expected to lead to an increased
understanding  of  the  key  challenges  and  relevant  best
practices  in  forecasting  and  planning  the  teacher  workforce
and  provide  the  authorities  with  models  enabling  accurate
forecasts on teacher demand and supply.

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 8

Labour market and social protection

The  TSI  supports  Member  States  to  reach  their  2030  headline  targets  set  in  the  Action  Plan  on  the  Implementation  of  the
European Pillar of Social Rights. Since 2019, the TSI and the SRSP have been supporting Member States in the labour market
and social protection areas through around 90 reforms. In addition, another 110 reforms have been indirectly contributing to
these    areas.  The  support  ranged  from  active  labour  market  policies  and  strengthening  administrative  capacity,  to  reviewing
benefit  schemes  and  reforms  to  improve  the  social  and  health  outcomes  for  vulnerable  children,  in  line  with  the  Council
Recommendation on the European Child Guarantee, and improving the coordination of social services. 

   Reform Support in Focus

In Greece

11 Member States

social  assistance  benefits, 

In  Greece,  in  2020,  the  SRSP  provided  support  for  the
reorganisation of service provision and internal procedures
for 
including  a  new
organisational  structure  and  quality  management  system.
The project led to an increased capacity of the Greek Public
Employment  Service  to  prepare,  implement,  monitor  and
evaluate  reforms  that  make  the  unemployment  benefit
system  fairer,  more  cost-effective  and  work-oriented  
(Improving the delivery of public employment services). 

In  11  Member  States  (Austria,  Czechia,  France,  Greece,
Ireland,  Luxembourg,  Italy,  Portugal,  Spain,  Romania,  and
Slovakia),  since  2022,  the  TSI  has  been  supporting  the
implementation of specific actions included in the national
action plans on the Child Guarantee. The projects aimed to
ensure  that  most  vulnerable  children,  such  as  children  of
migrants,  children  with  disabilities  and  children  at  risk  of
poverty  or  social  exclusion  have  access  to  the  most  basic
rights 
like  childcare,  education,  social  benefits  and
healthcare  (TSI  flagship  on  the  Implementation  of  the
European Child Guarantee).  

In Bulgaria

In  Bulgaria,  in  2020,  the  SRSP  provided  support  for  strengthening  the  capacity  to  improve  the  labour  market  integration  of
inactive persons through better targeting and more efficient active labour market policies. To achieve this, the project assessed
the  effectiveness  of  existing  measures  for  inactive  persons  and  provided  recommendations  on  how  to  improve  the  targeting
and the efficacy of active labour market policies (ALMPs). The project contributed to a better understanding of the profile of the
inactive population and of the barriers they are exposed to in order to strengthen the policy responses to prevent and tackle
inactivity and unemployment  (Reform and design of measures for the inclusion of inactive persons in the labour market).  

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 9

Health and long term care

   Reform Support in Focus

The  COVID-19  pandemic  illustrated  the  importance  of  strengthening  EU  health  systems.  Since  2019,  The  TSI  and  the  SRSP,
supported more than 110 reforms to enhance the capacity of Member States to effectively deliver reforms in health services,
health  workforce,  digitalisation  of  health  systems,  access  to  healthcare  and  access  to  essential  medicines,  financing,
digitalisation,  governance,  the  integration  of  health  and  social  care,  mental  health,  and  health  systems  performance
assessment. All these reforms have supported the objectives of the European Health Union.

In 5 Member States

In Denmark

In  Spain  (Catalonia),  Estonia,  Romania,  Italy  and  Lithuania,
since 2022,  the TSI supports the design and implementation
of  national  roadmaps  for  digital  skills  for  the  health
workforce in order to strengthen their digital health literacy.
The  projects  have  already  yielded  results:  in  Lithuania,  a
model to identify, monitor and manage health professionals’
skills  was  developed  and  an  implementation  roadmap  was
designed  to  test  it.    In  Italy,  the  project  helped  defining
guidelines  that  explain  to  health  authorities  how  to
trained  healthcare
communicate  with  patients  and 
professionals  on  use  of  these  guidelines  (TSI  flagship  on
Digital skills for the health workforce).

In Denmark (Integrating mental health services for adults) in
2020,  the  SRSP  provided  support  for  the  integration  of  its
health  and  social  care  systems.  The  support  included
developing multidisciplinary teams, by designing new models
of  collaboration  between  health  and  care  professionals  and
by providing them with the tools to assess the patients in a
more  holistic  manner.  Based  on  the  success  of  these
projects, an integrated care flagship project was proposed in
2022. Consequently, similar requests for support came from
Ireland,  where
Italy,  Spain 
implementation of reforms started at the end of 2023.

(Basque  Country)  and 

The Resources Hub for Sustainable Investing in Health is a joint TSI
project with Belgium, Slovenia and Austria. The project goal is to
strengthen the capacity for making the case for public investment in
health at national and EU level as well as to facilitate the use of EU
funding mechanisms for health systems. It provides an excellent
opportunity for mutual learning and exchanging best practices. Austria is
convinced that establishing a “Health Investment Hub” at the European
level is crucial to assist Member States in identifying and accessing
appropriate funding mechanisms. Additionally, further support from the
European Commission will allow for larger, structural reforms in health.”
(March 2024) - Resources hub for sustainable investing in healt h. 

Johannes  Rauch,  Minister  for  Social  Affairs,  Health,  Care  and
Consumer protection, Austria

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 10

Public Administration and Governance

The quality of public administrations at central, regional and local levels in the Member States is a critical success factor for the
EU. Since 2019, the TSI and the SRSP have supported more than 210 administrative reforms across all 27 Member States. Most
projects  focus  on  management  and  organisation  issues,  service  delivery,  policy  making,  human  resources,  integrity  and
management of EU funds. Moreover, since 2023, more than 200 civil servants from 23 Member States have been involved in
over 70 exchanges within the “Public Administration Cooperation Exchange” (PACE) programme. In addition, capacity building of
public administration is a core component of all technical support reforms projects.

   Reform Support in Focus

In Italy

In France

leadership  and 

In Italy, in 2021, the TSI supported the strengthening of the
competencies  of  senior  executive  leaders  in  the  areas  of
change  management, 
innovation.  The
expected long-term effect of this project is to contribute to a
more efficient, digital and innovative public administration by
the development of  more agile management processes and
leadership 
change
management process of executives). 

(Strengthening 

competencies 

It 

In  France,  since    2021,  the  TSI  is  providing  support  to  the
implementation  of  the  2019  French  law  “Transformation  of
the  public  service”,  enshrined  in  the  National  Recovery  and
is  helping  France  to  enhance  the
Resilience  Plan. 
attractiveness  of  its  civil  service  whilst  also  generating
greater understanding in the administration on the changing
nature  of  jobs  in  the  public  sector  and  the  factors  of
un/attractiveness  of 
(Strengthening  the  attractiveness  of  the  public  service  in
France).  

civil  service  at 

regional 

level   

In 11 Member States

In  Austria,  Belgium,  Finland,  Greece,  Italy,  Poland,  Portugal,  Spain,  Slovakia,  Slovenia  and  Bulgaria,  in  2021,  the  TSI  helped
strengthen the resilience of public sector organisations based on experience during the COVID-19 crisis (More resilient public
administrations after COVID-19). 

Justice, rule of law, anti-corruption, integrity and public procurement   

Since 2019, the TSI and the SRSP have supported Member States to improve the quality and efficiency of their justice systems
and the protection of fundamental rights, through around 90 reforms, including child-friendly justice systems, including through
the Barnahus (children’s house) response model for children victims and witnesses of violence. In addition, another 80 reforms
have been indirectly contributing to improve justice systems.

In this area, the TSI has supported Member States to establish effective internal and external audit methodologies, to develop
concrete anti-corruption policies on lobbying, asset declarations, whistle-blower protection, codes of conduct, and integrity risk
assessment.  The  areas  of  intervention  include:  supporting  the  development  of  strategic  public  procurement  policy,  digital
transformation of public procurement, measuring the impacts of public procurement strategies, promoting green procurement
and innovation procurement.

   Reform Support in Focus

In Malta

In Cyprus

In Greece

In  Malta,  since  2019,  the  TSI  and  the
SRSP  supported  the  development  of
the  country's  first  Digital  Justice
Strategy. The strategy was adopted in
December 
be
implemented  from  2022  to  2027,
with 
(Establishing  a  digital  justice  strategy
for the Maltese Justice Sector).

and  will 

funding 

2021 

from 

the 

RRF  

In  Cyprus,  since    2019,  the  TSI  and  the
SRSP  supported  the  modernisation  of  the
civil procedure rules to address the lengthy
court  proceedings  and  to  decrease  backlog
in  civil  and  commercial  cases.  The
involvement  of  all  stakeholders  resulted  in
the development and approval of new Civil
Procedure Rules in May 2021  (Modernising
the Civil Procedure Rules in Cyprus). 

In  Greece,  since  2023,    the  TSI  is
supporting  a  project  with 
the
National 
Transparency  Authority
(NTA)  to  improve  risk  management
and  audit  methodologies  across  the
This
public  procurement 
project builds on earlier support.

cycle. 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS  I 11

[I wish to] highlight in particular as commendable efforts and initiatives by the European
Commission [the availablity] to provide technical assistance to Member States in setting
up the Barnahus model. Such projects not only provide incentives and guidance to States
in modernising the legal and institutional framework for Barnahus action at national
level, as well as strengthening the knowledge and capacity of professionals working
with children, but also raise awareness among professionals and the general public
about cases of child abuse and exploitation.”
(January 2024) - Implementing the Barnahus model

Ivan Malenica, Minister of Justice and Public Administration, Croatia

Financial Sector and access to finance

Since 2019, the TSI and the SRSP have been supporting all Member States with more than 280 reforms addressing needs on
financial markets and access to finance. Furthermore, around 50 specialised training sessions on specific topics, such as digital
finance or protection of insurance consumers, have also been organised. The work is strongly aligned with, and contributes to,
implementing EU relevant priorities and policies, notably the Capital Markets Union, the Banking Union, the Green Deal, and the
Digital Agenda for Europe. Areas of support include notably financial literacy and financial education, improving capital markets,
reinforcing  supervision  of  financial  institutions,  strengthening  insolvency  and  resolution  frameworks,  supporting  sustainable
(green) and prevention of anti-money laundering and sanctions.

   Reform Support in Focus

In Lithuania

In 26 Member States

recommendations 

In  Lithuania,  as  of  2019  onwards,  the  TSI  and  the  SRSP
supported the development of “The Strategy & Action Plan
on  Sustainable/Green  Finance”.  The  Lithuanian  authorities
implemented
received 
through  government  approval  of  a  Green  Finance  Action
Plan,  entering  into  force  in  2023.  The  Plan  established  a
monitoring  mechanism  for  its  implementation,  as  well  as
the  National
the  Green  Finance 
Promotional Institution, and set up Lithuania as a regional
leader in sustainable finance.

Institute  within 

that  were 

the  TSI  since  2023, 

26  Member  States  (and  37  participating  authorities)  are
being  assisted  by 
through  a
comprehensive,  policy-oriented  and  pragmatic  training
financial  supervisory
the  EU 
programme  open 
community,  building  a  platform  for  joint  exchange  of
experiences  and  development  of  supervisory  tools    EU
Supervisory  Digital  Finance  Academy  (EU-SDFA)  -  the  first
EU-wide cross-sectoral supervisory training programme.

to 

Lithuania is taking regional leadership in the field of sustainable finance
and aims to create an ecosystem that would help mobilize both public
and private funds for Lithuania's green transition (…). Therefore, together
with policy makers from different fields, we have prepared an ambitious
Green Finance Action Plan". The Ministry statement further adds: ”When
preparing the plan, the recommendations of (…) the project (…) were
taken into account.” 
(Press release of 17 January 2022) - Lithuanian Strategy on Sustainable/Green Finance
(Green Capital Markets).

Minister of Finance Gintarė Skaistė, Lithuania

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 12

Public Financial Management

EU  Member  States  are  actively  addressing  long-term  pressures  on  public  finances.  Since  2019,  the  TSI  and  the  SRSP  have
supported  around 160 reforms in the area of public financial management, contributing to sound fiscal policies. Furthermore,
around 30 specialised training sessions on specific topics, such as on green budgeting or on gender mainstreaming in public
policy, have also been organised. The top support areas included spending reviews, budget preparation, expenditure policy and
accrual  accounting,  gender  and  green  budgeting  and  implementing  the  Do  No  Significant  Harm  (DNSH)  principle  in  public
funding programmes.  

   Reform Support in Focus

23 Member States

In Belgium

In Greece

Budgeting 

In  23  Member  States,  in  2021,  the
TSI  provided  support  to  strengthen
the authorities’ capacity for greening
public  finances  in  line  with  the  EU
Green 
Reference
Framework.  The  technical  support
across 
project 
four
delivered, 
training  and
modules,  practical 
tailored  support  in  piloting  green
budgeting  tools, 
in  an  effort  of
greening  public  finances  (Supporting
the 
of  Green
Budgeting  Practices  among  the  EU
Member States).

Implementation 

In Belgium, between 2019 and 2021,
the  TSI  and  the  SRSP  provided
support  to  both  the  federal  and  the
regional  levels  (Flanders,  Brussels-
Capital and Wallonia),  leading to the
integration  of  the  Spending  Review
within 
(Supporting  the  Walloon  Region  and
the  Wallonia-Brussels  Federation  to
build capacity for spending reviews).

budgetary 

their 

cycles.  

In Greece, in 2020 and 2024, the TSI
and  the  SRSP  support  facilitated
substantial  progress 
towards  an
accrual-based  financial  accounting
framework  for  the  whole  of  the
General  Government.  As  a  result  of
an  on-going  engagement,  Greece
its  disposal  new
has  now  at 
economic,  budgetary  and  functional
classification structures leading to a
unified  and  standardized  accounting
framework.  Greece  is  now  working
consolidated
towards  presenting 
financial  statements  in  the  coming
years. 

The progress achieved in the accounting reform would not have been possible without
the support from the TSI. DG REFORM has been a crucial partner from the outset,
offering concrete technical advice on key methodological challenges, such as recording
immovable assets, sharing best practices, while also bolstering the capacity of staff
involved in the reform.”

(April 2024) – Accrual financial accounting framework

Athanasios Petralias, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Greece

DELIVERING ON REFORMS  I 13

Revenue Administration and customs

EU Member States are actively addressing long-term pressures on their revenue generation. Since 2019, the TSI and the SRSP
have supported 120 reforms in the area of revenue administration (tax and customs policies). The provided technical support
focused on addressing aggressive tax planning and tax avoidance by large multinational enterprises (MNEs), on promotion of
voluntary compliance by MNEs as well as on improving the administrative cooperation between tax administrations. In the area
of  customs,  the  support  focused  on  enhancing  the  capacity  of  customs  authorities  to  improve  their  controls  and  risk
management through digitalisation. 

   Reform Support in Focus

In Greece

In  Greece,  from  2016  onwards,  the  TSI  and  the  SRSP
provided  support  for  the  establishment  of  the  Independent
Authority  for  Public  Revenue  (IAPR)  that  stands  as  a
landmark  of  the  TSI's  action  with  21  reforms  that  continue
today (Setting up an independent revenue agency in Greece).
One  such  important  reform  project  of  2020  focused  on
supporting the IAPR’s digital transformation, focusing on the
replacement  of  its  core  tax  IT  systems  with  an  integrated
and modern solution, by designing an enterprise architecture,
adjustment  of  key  business  processes  and  IT  technical
specifications  (Support  for  replacement  of  the  core  tax  IT
system in Greece).

In Croatia

In Poland, Slovakia and Belgium

In Poland and Slovakia, in 2022, and in Belgium, in 2021, the
TSI  supported  the  implementation  of  the  Directive  on
Administrative  Cooperation  (DAC)  as  regards  international
exchange  of  tax  information  between  Member  States,
leading  to  the  improvement  of  the  countries’  internal
capacities  and
processes,  enhanced  data  analytics 
streamlined  management  of  high  data  volumes  (Improving
the use of internationally exchanged tax data in Poland and
Slovakia).

In Croatia, in 2022, the TSI provided support to Croatian Customs that resulted in establishing a high data quality management
of  business  statistics  and  improved  the  authority’s  capacity  to  collect,  process  and  produce  high  quality  business  statistics
(High data quality management of business statistics in Croatian Customs).

There are several benefits of working with DG REFORM: fast contracting, wide
consultation of good practices, structured project management and quality standards,
and securing engagement of key stakeholders. Based on the project inputs, the IAPR has
now finalized the tender documentation and the related consultation and is planning to
launch the procurement in the coming days.”
(May 2024) - Support for replacement of the core tax IT system in Greece.

Sofia Sechperidou, IAPR Director General of Electronic Governance, Greece

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 14

Migration

Through the TSI and the SRSP, DG REFORM supports Member States in managing migration flows and integrating third country
nationals  (TCNs).  This  support  was  crucial  in  the  aftermath  of  Russia’s  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine,  which  forced  4.2
million  people  to  seek  and  benefit  from  temporary  protection  in  the  European  Union.  Since  2019,  around  50  reforms  in  21
Member  States  were  supported  in  three  main  areas:  management  of  migration  flows,  including  building  capacity  of
administrations and digitalizing processes, integration and labour market inclusion, including through facilitated recognition of
skills and qualifications acquired outside the EU, and the development of labour migration policies aligned with the development
of the future EU Talent Pool.

   Reform Support in Focus

In Poland

In Belgium

In Finland

In  Poland,  throughout  2022-2023,
the  TSI  provided  support  to  improve
the  provision  of  integration  services
to  persons  forcefully  displaced  from
Ukraine  in  three  regional  ‘one-stop-
shop’  migrant 
integration  centres
and  contributed  to  accelerating  the
and
of 
recognition 
qualifications, 
facilitating
thereby 
their  access  to  qualified  professions
and 
financial
autonomy    (Facilitating  social  and
labour market inclusion of TCNs).

increasing 

skills 

their 

improve 

In  Belgium,  as  of  2023,  the  TSI  is
helping  the  Flanders  and  Wallonia
regions 
their  economic
migration  framework  to  attract  and
retain  qualified  migrants 
fill
deepening  shortage  professions.  The
project’s  recommendations  will  feed
and
into 
regulatory  reforms  at  regional  level  
(Improving  the  economic  migration
framework  to  attract  and  retain
qualified talent).

legislative 

expected 

to 

and 

In  Finland,  since  2022,  the  TSI  has
supported 
local
national 
in  coordinating  and
stakeholders 
upscaling  inclusive  integration  and
anti-discrimination  practices.  Project
findings  fed  into  an  evaluation  of
Finland’s  Action  Plan  against  racism
by  the  national  parliament  (Building
an inclusive integration approach).

Recovery and Resilience Plans

Through the TSI annual cycles (2021-2024) and the two dedicated calls for Recovery and Resilience Plans implementation and
REPowerEU in 2021 and 2022, Member States received support for the preparation, amendment, revision, and implementation of
their RRPs. To date, the TSI has supported more than 500 reforms linked to the RRP’s milestones. 

Concerning  the  dedicated  calls,  around  33
reforms  in  23  Member  States  specifically
the  preparation  and  general
support 
implementation  of  the  RRPs,  which  includes
strengthening its overall implementation and
governance 
management
structures, 
methods, and audit and control mechanisms.
All EU Member States have received support
for  the  implementation  of  thematic  reforms
and  investments  included  in  their  Plans.  All
TSI  support  related  to  RRPs  is  shown  in  the
picture on the left.

in 

the 

highlighted 

As 
Commission’s
Communication on the midterm evaluation of
the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility,  from
“Efforts 
the  administrative
capacity of Member States and implementing
bodies  must  continue….  Enhancing 
the
administrative  capacity  of  Member  States
remains essential.” (page 15).

improve 

to 

Source: DG REFORM database

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 15

   Reform Support in Focus
   Reform Support in Focus

In Bulgaria

In Cyprus

In  Bulgaria,  in  2021-2022,  the  TSI  supported  national
authorities in improving their capacity to monitor and report
on  the  achievement  of  milestones  and  targets  via  the
establishment  of  sound  management  and  monitoring
structures  across  ministries  and  through  the  delivery  of
capacity  building  activities, 
the
application  of  the  “Do  No  Significant  Harm,  or  DNSH”
principle 
the
implementation of Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan). 

training  on 

over  600 

(Supporting 

including 

experts 

for 

In  Cyprus,  in  2021-2023,  the  TSI  supported  the  Deputy
Ministry  of  Research,  Innovation  and  Digital  Policy  to
structure  and  build  the  capacity  of  a  new  Broadband
Competence  Office  and  to  prepare  two  public  intervention
projects  included  in  Cyprus’  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan
(RRP). 

In Romania

In Greece

In Greece, in 2021-2023, the TSI supported the Recovery and
Resilience  Facility  Agency  and  the  General  Secretariat  for
Coordination  with  the  RRP  governance,  monitoring,  and
reporting systems. 

In  Romania,  in  2022  and  beforehand,  the  SRSP  and  TSI
supported  the  tackling  of  early  school  leaving  (ESL)  by
helping  the  authoritities  to  put    in  place  a  mechanism  for
early  detection  of  students  with  poor  academic  outcomes
and  at  risk  of  school  drop-out.  This  contributed  to  the
achievement  of  two  RRP  milestones  (Tackling  early  school
leaving).

In Spain

In Spain, in 2021-2023, the TSI supported the establishment
of  a  mechanism  for  managing  investments  and  monitoring
and  reporting  on  the  green  component  of  the  RRP
(Implementation  and  monitoring  of  the  Recovery  and
Resilience Plan for green transition). 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 16

Delivering Together
EU-added value with Member States at the core

Promotion of multi-country and multi-region dimension

The TSI has delivered an increasing number of multi-country technical support projects, from two in 2021 to 21 in 2022, 34 in
2023,  and  43  in  2024.  The  EU  added  value  of  the  TSI  and  the  multi-country  approach  resides  primarily  in  the  capacity  to
address common and often cross-border challenges through shared tools and means, which allow achieving economies of scale
and  scope,  replicability  of  solutions  and  cross-fertilisation.  While  each  beneficiary  authority  benefits  from  tailored  support
related  to  its  specificities,  the  multi-country  approach  creates  opportunities  for  shared  learning  and  exchanges  of  practices
between  the  participating  beneficiary  authorities.  The  steep  increase  in  the  past  years  is  a  result  of  DG  REFORM’s  efforts  to
promote mechanisms that generate added value and contribute to supporting EU priorities through convergence among Member
States. 

In 17 Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain), in
2022  in  the  aftermath  of  the  Russia’s  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine,  the  TSI  helped
authorities  in  identifying  reforms  and  investments  to  reduce  reliance  on  Russia’s  fossil
fuels and implement the REPowerEU plan (Supporting REPowerEU: affordable, secure and
sustainable energy for Europe).

Since 2022, the TSI supports Slovenia, Austria and Belgium to jointly navigate the various
programmes  and  funding  instruments  to  identify  how  they  could  best  use  Union  support
for  the  design  and  implementation  of  health  system  reform  projects    (Resources  hub  for
sustainable investing in health).

In 11 Member States, since 2023, the TSI supports 12 financial supervisory authorities in
implementing  the  EU  sustainable  finance  agenda,  to  the  benefit  of  financial  stability  and
investors’ protection (ESG risk management framework for the financial sector).

The geographical coverage of reforms has also been expanded to include regional and local authorities in the form of projects
with  a  regional  dimension  or  multi-regional  projects.  Regional  and  local  authorities  are  essential  for  the  overall  growth  of
Member  States  and,  ultimately,  the  whole  EU.  Under  the  SRSP,  the  Commission  supported  directly  or  indirectly  EU  regions
through almost 90 projects, while under the TSI, over the period 2021-2024, it supported around 130 projects with a regional or
local dimension.

In 18 Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden), in
2020,  the  SRSP  supported  around  70  regions  in  preparing  their  Territorial  Just  Transition
Plans,  which  then  helped  unlock  dedicated  financing  to  alleviate  the  socio-economic
impacts of the transition to climate neutrality.

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 17

In Italy, Slovenia, Cyprus and Spain (Andalusia), since 2023, the TSI has supported a multi-
country project with a regional dimension in the area of mental health to improve access to
care  and  health  services  and  strengthen  their  capacity  for  designing  and  implementing
actions  in  the  area  of  youth  wellbeing  and  mental  health  (Supporting  mental  health  and
care  for  the  wellbeing  of  vulnerable  children  and  young  people  "Child  &  Youth  wellbeing
and mental health first").

In  Lithuania,  in  2019,  the  SRSP  supported  a  project  aiming  at  providing  insights  and
recommendations  to  improve  Lithuanian  municipalities’  financial  capacity  for  local
investments oriented to provide basic services to citizens.

In Austria, since 2023, the TSI supports a number of Länder that seek to strengthen risk-
based  Anti-Money  Laundering/Combating  the  Financing  of  Terrorism  (AML/CFT)  regarding
the sectors exposed to higher money laundering and terrorism financing.

Encouraging best practices and knowledge sharing with Member States

DG  REFORM  has  encouraged  the  continuous  exchange  of  good  practice  and  expertise  with  and  between  Member  States.  At
national  level,  the  Coordinating  Authorities  are  the  contact  point  for  DG  REFORM  as  regards  the  submission  of  requests  for
technical support and the overall monitoring and implementation thereof. Responding to interest expressed by Member States,
DG REFORM established a “Network of TSI Coordinating Authorities” as a platform for enabling mutual learning and sharing of
good  practices  of  the  Coordinating  Authorities’  role,  and  for  encouraging  exchanges  on  possible  multi-country  projects  at
coordination level and fostering collaboration between Member States.

Likewise,  at  the  level  of  beneficiary  authorities,  multi-country  and  similar  parallel  technical  support  projects  at  times  also
allowed  participants  to  establish  informal  communities  of  practice,  which  ensure  continued  cooperation  also  beyond  the
boundaries of specific projects. 

Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia, between 2019 and
2021, received technical support under the SRSP and the TSI to set up frameworks, tools
and  methodologies  to  assess  the  performance  of  their  health  systems  (Health  system
performance  assessment  in  several  countries).  The  successful  cooperation  among  the
seven  Member  States  led  to  the  creation  of  an  informal  community  of  practice.  This
mechanism allows Member States to continue exchanging and learning from each other on
design  and  implementation  of  health  systems  performance  assessment  even  beyond  the
scope and term of the technical support projects. 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 18

Public Administration

The quality of public administration in Member States determines the success of EU and national policies

Public  administrations  at  central,  regional  and  local  levels  provide  services  and  respond  to  crises,  implement  reforms  and
manage investments. Public administrations translate EU law and programmes into concrete actions and are key to ensure the
absorption of EU funds. 

According to the Eurobarometer survey from April 2023, Europeans want a more efficient public administration. Almost half of
Europeans believe that public administration should be closer to the people using different direct channels of communication,
including in-person interactions, as well as provide clearer information about procedures and services. Europeans also asked for
more digital services (31%) and more user-friendly e-government services (35%).  When asked in which areas Member States
can benefit most from EU support to design and implement reforms, Europeans responded:

52%

Less bureaucracy

44%

More transparency
about decisions and the
use of public money

31%

30%

More communication
with citizens

Better skilled civil
servants

28%

23%

23%

19%

Streamlined Interaction
between citizens and
administration

More moral integrity in the
public administration

More decisions made at
local level

More capacity to react to
crises

The Commission as a partner

In the beginning of 2022, DG REFORM established the Expert Group on Public Administration and Governance. In this format, the
Member  States  participate  actively  to  discuss  common  challenges  and  possible  solutions,  including  through  TSI  multi-country
projects and other joint initiatives like common standards and indicators, research and exchanging experience. This dialogue was
critical in preparing the Commission’s Communication “Enhancing the European Administrative Space” (known as ComPAct). 

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 19

The Commission as accelerator of administrative reforms - the “ComPAct”

In 2023, the Commission adopted ComPAct, which puts forward a set of 25 actions that reinforce the implementation of key EU
policies and a better performing public administration, through three mutually reinforcing and interconnected pillars on skills and
the  digital  and  green  transitions.  The  actions  will  be  implemented  through  the  TSI,  other  EU  tools  (for  example,  the  Digital
Europe  Programme),  the  production  of  Commission  guidance  and  other  materials  through  the  Interservice  Group  on  Public
Administration (IGPA) or the Expert Group. The priority actions per pillar of ComPAct include the following:  

Public Administration Skills Agenda

Capacity for Europe’s Digital Decade

Capacity to Lead the Green
Transition

“Passport of core competencies”

Sharing Good Practices

Climate adaptation

as a guide to national civil service
reforms, and filling the skills gaps for
the digital and green transition

Between Member States and
administrations

and green procurement

An “EU Leadership Programme”

User-friendliness and accessibility

“Green Governance”

In collaboration with the national
schools for public administration

of (digital) public services and common
requirements for the procurement of
cloud services

 and “green skills”

Studies
For defining methodologies for
measuring policy results

Digital Security 

Greening

and Artificial Intelligence

the public administration

The Commission as a facilitator of cooperation

In  response  to  consistent  calls  for  action  from  national  administrations,  the  Commission  created  in  2023  a  flagship  “Public
Administration Cooperation Exchange” (PACE) under the TSI, which aims at creating a European community of public servants
that share best practices and create bilateral contacts. Apart from intensifying mobility, PACE encourages cooperation among
administrations.  The  exchanges  are  “project-based”  and  allow  civil  servants  to  acquire  tangible  knowledge  and  experience  on
how the host institution works on specific tasks in the subject area of the visit, according to a detailed programme.

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 20

PACE - Public Administration Cooperation Exchange under TSI 2023

Since 2023, 23 Member States have had the opportunity to participate in more than 70 exchanges, with some 300
civil  servants  exchanging  on  topics  such  as  professionalisation  of  public  administration,  improving  administrative
performance and green and digital transitions. Some testimonies from study visit participants:

Shared best practices may help generate new approaches […] and in this sense, these
exchange opportunities are gold.”

Secretariat-General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Portugal

PACE is a great opportunity to learn from peers and to support the understanding of other
public administrations.”

Ministry for Public Sector Transformation and the Civil Service, France

The exchange was successful and both countries’ representatives benefited from each other's
examples. It was jointly noted that face-to-face meetings create much more permanent
relationships than remote meetings.”
Ministry of Finance, Finland

The exchange […] provided the opportunity to raise awareness and gain a more in depth
understanding on a complex issue of common interest […], interact with fellow Member
States and identify possible cooperation on public administration matters, and enhance skills
such as situational awareness, critical thinking, flexibility in problem-solving, communication,
networking.”

Ministry of Interior, Greece

Public Administration Hub

Over the last four years, DG REFORM has promoted and consolidated the Commission’s work on public administration through
“soft  policy  tools”,  such  as  regular  dialogue  with  and  among  Member  States,  and  with  other  EU  institutions.  DG  REFORM
developed itself as a knowledge hub on public administrations in the EU Member States. As part of this, in 2021, DG REFORM
and  DG  ECFIN  launched  an  indicator-based  analysis  of  public  administration  for  all  EU  Member  States  for  the  European
Semester.  Finally,  DG  REFORM  consistently  develops  thematic  knowledge  on  public  administration.  For  example,  work  on  an
update of the Toolbox on Quality of Public Administration is currently ongoing, and will be completed by the end of 2024.

European Public Administration Country Knowledge (EUPACK)

EUPACK  is  a  multi-annual  initiative  of  the  Commission  that  helps  develop  country  and  thematic  knowledge  on  public
administration. EUPACK makes a regular review of the functioning and reforms of the public administrations in the EU Member
States. Some of the results include:

Country analysis: 27 country briefs and one comparative report have been prepared for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Work is currently ongoing on 2023 reports. 

The thematic research covers topics like policy coherence on sustainable development; quality of legislative process; Indicators
for  Evidence-Informed  policymaking;  crisis  management;  SDG  implementation;  shared  services  centres  organisation;  pay  for
performance in civil service; tackling fragmentation of local government.

This knowledge helps understand the trends across countries and identify reform priorities and facilitates the effective delivery
of EU support for improving governance and state capacity in Member States, including the TSI.

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 21

Lessons learned

Steadily increased cooperation between DG REFORM and Member States throughout the entire life cycle
of  reforms  has  proven  to  be  very  effective  for  the  rapid  delivery  of  both  Member  States’  priority
reforms  as  well  as  in  the  implementation  of  EU  law  and  policies.  Providing  the  appropriate  technical
support  at  the  right  time  and  in  close  relation  to  the  emerging  (structural  or  crisis-related)  needs
determines the success of reform support on the ground. The close cooperation and trust built between
DG REFORM and Member States in implementing their reform agendas has been key for the successful
implementation of almost 1800 reforms in a broad range of areas in the last 5 years.

The expertise and technical support provided through the TSI and the SRSP has helped Member States
to fill capacity gaps and accelerate the design and implementation of reforms, including at regional and
local  levels,  to  the  benefit  of  EU  citizens  and  businesses.  Offering  technical  support  for  the
implementation  of  complex  EU  initiatives  has  been  key  to  their  successful  implementation  where
Member States lacked the relevant capacity to do so alone.

The demand driven approach of the instrument and the tailor-made nature of the support was effective
to  support  innovative  national  reform  agendas,  which  in  some  cases  have  become  models  for  other
Member States' reforms. At the same time, the identification of flagship projects has not only further
simplified  the  reform  work  of  Member  States  but  also  ensured  a  close  alignment  of  the  support
provided  to  Member  States  with  EU  policy  priorities  and,  ultimately,  a  better  implementation  of  such
policies.

Multi-country support projects have fostered cooperation among Member States, helped them to find
shared solutions to common challenges, thereby facilitating convergence. Several Member States have
been encouraged to embark on difficult reforms by benefiting from exchanges of experience with other
Member States.

DG  REFORM’s  close  coordination  with  other  Commission  services  has  enabled  synergies  between  the
various EU instruments, in particular between technical support, Cohesion Policy and the RRF. It has also
enabled  the  Commission  to  direct  Member  States  to  the  most  relevant  technical  support/assistance
available based on their needs. 

In the face of limited and, at times, insufficient administrative capacity across the Union, the increased
engagement of DG REFORM in developing tools, such as ComPAct, to help the modernization of national
public administrations has been timely and welcomed by Member States. 

The  involvement  of  enlargement  countries  in  multi-country  projects  under  the  Technical  Support
Instrument has proven to be very beneficial as it has given them the chance to exchange with Member
States and anticipate their reform needs even before accession. Such participation has the potential to
contribute to speeding up the enlargement countries’ accession and integration processes and to bolster
their ability to effectively implement EU law and policies once they become members of the Union.

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 22

Reflections for the future 
The numerous requests submitted by Member States and continued oversubscription of the TSI calls demonstrate that reform
support is in great demand. They also highlight the important trust and collaboration that DG REFORM has built with Member
States in supporting them to design and implement reforms. The provision of technical support has further proven to be a pre-
condition for the success of EU’s policies and priorities. 

In  the  future,  technical  support  offered  to  Member  States  can  be  further  strengthened,  by  covering  both  horizontal  capacity
building for public administration and governance as well as thematic capacity building for designing and implementing specific
reforms. 

Technical  support  can  be  more  systematically  taken  into  account  when  designing  EU  instruments  and  policies  (“no  policy
initiative without offering support”), ensuring that support is available for Member States that lack the capacity to implement
relevant reforms. It is important that technical support is made available at the right time and when needed the most.

In addition, the unique mix of requests aimed at addressing own reform needs, requests submitted under flagships linked to top
EU priorities and multi-country requests is important to preserve under a future Technical Support Instrument. Such an approach
enhances the on-demand and tailor-made nature of the instrument, helping Member States to deliver on the most important
priorities while ensuring EU added value. 

Moreover, a strengthened coordination of the technical support and other EU instruments provided by the European Commission
in different policy areas would be beneficial to ensure synergies and make the help offered to Member States more impactful. 

Furthermore,  the  continued  implementation  of  the  actions  contained  in  the  ComPAct,  including  the  Public  Administration
Cooperation Exchange (PACE), will further consolidate the European Commission’s work in relation to public administration and
governance reform.

The  report  by  Enrico  Letta  “Much  more  than  a  market  -  Empowering  the  Single  Market  to  deliver  a
sustainable  future  and  prosperity  for  all  EU  Citizens”,  argued  for  the  continuation  of  the  TSI  and  the
creation of a tool for reform support targeted to public administrations, including the enhancement of
cooperation  and  exchange  of  expertise,  also  with  a  view  to  implementing  the  ComPAct.  The  report
proposed a dedicated Commissioner for reforms (page 47-48).

Finally, the continuation and further expansion of the pilot for enlargement countries will support their accelerated integration
and accession.

Further  empowering  the  TSI  will  ensure  “Reforms  with  an  impact”  and  therefore  a  stronger,  more  competitive  and  resilient
European Union. “Together, we are stronger !”

DELIVERING ON REFORMS I 23