EU Technical Support Instrument (2021-2027)

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) 2021/240 establishing a Technical Support Instrument

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It aims to ensure that the European Commission can continue to provide tailor-made expertise on the ground and support EU Member States in improving their institutional and administrative capacity to develop and implement reforms.

KEY POINTS

The Technical Support Instrument (TSI) builds upon the current Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP) set up by Regulation (EU) 2017/825 (see summary).
The TSI contributes to the implementation of the European Green Deal (see summary) and supports Member States’ efforts to implement policy objectives to facilitate socially inclusive, green and digital transitions, in accordance with:
- the Paris Agreement on climate change;
- the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets and the 2050 climate neutrality target;
- the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals;
- the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Objectives

To promote the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion by helping Member States implement reforms, the regulation aims to assist national authorities in improving their capacity to:

design, develop and implement reforms;
prepare, amend, implement and revise recovery and resilience plans pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 which sets out the Recovery and Resilience Facility (see summary).

Scope

The specific objectives refer to a number of policy areas with specific emphasis on actions that foster the digital, just and green transitions. These include:

public financial and asset management, budget process, including green and gender budgeting, macro-fiscal framework, debt and cash management, expenditure and tax policy;
institutional reform, simplification of rules and procedures, reform of the justice systems, strengthening financial supervision and reinforcement of the fight against fraud, corruption and money laundering;
business environment, the re-industrialisation and relocation of production to the EU, sustainable sectoral development, and support for research, innovation and digitisation;
education, life-long learning and training, vocational education and training, youth policies, labour market policies, up- and re-skilling in particular digital skills, media literacy, social inclusion and the fight against poverty, income inequality and all forms of discrimination;
accessible, affordable and resilient public healthcare, social security systems, care and welfare, and childcare;
policies for the mitigation of climate change, digital, just and green transitions, e-learning, use of artificial intelligence, transport and mobility, tackling energy poverty and ensuring energy security, soil and biodiversity protection, fisheries and the sustainable development of rural, remote and insular areas;
financial sector policies and regulation, including financial literacy, financial stability, access to finance and lending to the real economy, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises, the self-employed and entrepreneurs;
the production, provision and quality monitoring of data and statistics;
preparation for membership of the euro area;
early detection of and a coordinated response to substantial public health or security risks, as well as ensuring business and service continuity for essential public and private institutions and sectors.

Technical support

To achieve the regulation’s objectives, the instrument will finance a number of types of actions including but not limited to:

providing expertise related to policy advice, policy change, formulation of strategies and reform roadmaps, as well as to legislative, institutional, structural and administrative reforms;
providing experts on a short-term or long-term basis, including resident experts, to perform tasks in specific domains or to carry out operational activities;
institutional, administrative or sectoral capacity building and and related supporting actions at all governance levels, also contributing to the empowerment of civil society organisations;
organising local operational support in areas such as asylum, migration and border control;
carrying out studies, including feasibility studies, research, analyses and surveys, evaluations and impact assessments.

Member States wishing to receive technical support shall submit a request for technical support to the Commission, identifying policy areas and priorities.

Budget

The budget for the instrument for the period 1 January 2021 - 31 December 2027 is €864 million in current prices.
Member States can transfer additional resources to the budget of the instrument to finance actions eligible for technical support which would be used exclusively for the benefit of the Member State concerned.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 19 February 2021.

BACKGROUND

Technical Support Instrument (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

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, pp. 1-16)