Technical Support Instrument: how the EU Member States used it
On November 7th, 2023, the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira reported to the BUDG and ECON European Parliament Committees the achievements reached through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). The main questions faced through it resulted in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the migratory crisis, and issues related to the ongoing energy crisis.
The TSI has been in operation for three cycles and ensures maximum freedom for Member States on how to put it into practice. Over the course of this period, it launched more than 600 projects aimed to support over 900 reform proceedings in all the 27 EU Member States. Greece has been the country that submitted the largest number of proposals, followed by Spain and Italy. In Poland, the TSI constituted a backing for digital developments in agriculture, e-health, smart and sustainable urban mobility programs, digital competencies, and competitiveness of the rail sector.
According to Commissioner Ferreira, in 2022, 17 countries used the TSI to tackle the issue of fossil fuel dependency. 23 Member States have resorted to this instrument for formation purposes on green budgeting, reflecting a positive tendency toward sustainability and representing one of the sectors where, according to Ferreira, "common projects open new roads and possibilities". Finland used this instrument to integrate migrants among the citizens, obtaining the best results.
Other pioneering projects took place under the umbrella of gender equality, where 7 Member States received support. In particular, Italy recurred to TSI for more inclusive education, and Portugal created an expert committee on gender equality. Gender budgeting represents a sector where the EU Member States are at the forefront of innovation. "The Technical Support Instrument remains Europe's key instrument to support the design of cutting-edge reforms," said Commissioner Ferreira.
Future developments of the TSI, according to Ferreira, include a more proactive approach to skills exchange between Member States through ComPAct instruments, Erasmus projects for public administration officers to foster the exchange of best practices, and other projects involving national governments and local entities. TSI remains a fundamental tool to support cutting-edge reforms for green and digital transition, Cohesion Policy, and modernizing public administrations. "And we are extending our work, to new partners, and new flagships to ensure that Member States benefit from TSI, but also that their public administrations become increasingly modern, efficient, and effective at pace with the current times," concluded Ferreira.