Evropský semestr

The European Semester increasingly relies on Member States’ ability to implement reforms and investments. Delays often stem not from a lack of funding or policy guidance, but from administrative bottlenecks, limited technical expertise, excessive red tape, complex procedures or insufficient coordination across different levels of national government. The thematic debate will therefore examine how the European Semester could better assess and monitor administrative capacity at national level, as well as whether administrative reform should become a more prominent element in the country-specific recommendations. It will also examine what lessons can be drawn from the implementation of the national recovery and resilience plans, whether instruments such as the Technical Support Instrument could play a stronger role in supporting reforms. Finally, the aim will be to understand how these instruments can contribute, in the long term, to strengthening the capacity building of national administrations and stakeholders.

The EESC’s European Semester Group is bringing together speakers from the EU institutions, organised civil society, the Member States and research institutes for its annual conference to be held on Tuesday 30 June 2026.

The EESC's European Semester Group is bringing together speakers from the EU institutions, organised civil society, the Member States and research institutes for its annual conference on "A stronger and more inclusive European Semester that works for all: Strengthening Europe's Economic Resilience, Sustainable growth and Competitiveness ", to be held from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday 24 June 2025.

The Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is finalising an opinion "The EESC's recommendations on the reform and investment proposals formulated as part of the 2024-2025 European Semester cycle" which is based on an  information report "The point of view of organised civil society in the EU Member States on national reform and investment proposals and their implementation (2024-2025 European Semester cycle)". 

With the revision of the EU economic governance framework, which is built around the European Semester, the latter has also been adapted and strengthened in its coordination of the economic, budgetary, employment and social policies of the Member States. From 2024, national medium-term fiscal structural plans will replace the former national reform programmes and stability/convergence programmes. These plans, which have to be submitted by 20 September, should detail the reforms and investment that countries intend to adopt in order to strengthen sustainable growth, and should address the main challenges (digital, green and social) identified in the context of the European Semester (and in particular the country-specific recommendations (CSRs). The EESC sees a number of opportunities in this review and calls in particular for greater transparency in the Semester, for appropriate involvement of organised civil society and for proper monitoring of the implementation of medium-term fiscal structural plans.