Technical Support Instrument [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Stefano Spinaci (2nd edition, updated on 30.3.2021),

On 28 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on a Technical Support Instrument that would provide Member States with technical support to strengthen their institutional and administrative capacity in designing and implementing reforms. In the context of the ‘Next Generation EU’ recovery plan, it would support them to prepare and implement recovery and resilience plans, and make reforms and investments related to the green and digital transitions.

Modelled on an instrument proposed by the Commission in 2018, the Technical Support Instrument would replace the Structural Reform Support Programme that has helped implement over 1 000 reform projects in the Member States since 2017. This new instrument has a budget of €864 million over the 2021-2027 period (in current prices); by contrast, the Structural Reform Support Programme had a budget of €222.8 million for 2017-2020.

At the European Parliament, the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) worked jointly on this file under Rule 58 of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure. After interinstitutional negotiations, on 19 January 2021, the Parliament adopted the compromise text at first reading. The final act was signed on 10 February and published in the Official Journal on 19 February; the regulation entered into force the following day.

Versions

• March 2021:  ‘Technical Support Instrument‘ (2nd edition)