Annexes to COM(2019)650 - Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020

Please note

This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.

dossier COM(2019)650 - Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020.
document COM(2019)650 EN
date December 17, 2019
annex setting out the individual Member States’ SDG performance. This new annex will monitor each country’s progress, based on Eurostat’s EU SDG indicator set. In addition, the Commission has invited Member States to take stock of progress made on the SDGs in their national reform programmes, as a qualitative complement to the indicator-based monitoring by the Commission within the Semester that will capture the economy-wide aspects of the related policies. The objective is not to create additional administrative burden for the national administrations but rather to build on existing national monitoring tools, such as for instance the annual Voluntary National Reviews foreseen at the UN level, in order to provide more useful guidance and coordination at EU level. Building on the country reports, the Commission’s proposals for the 2020 country-specific recommendations, to be adopted in May, will highlight the contribution of national reforms to progress towards specific SDGs, where instrumental to ensure the coordination of economic and employment policies on economic challenges that are a matter of common concern.


By developing this new approach in this Semester cycle and over the years to come, the European Semester will directly support the European Union and its Member States in delivering the SDGs across its economic and employment policies and ensure that the economy works for everyone and growth is sustainable.


Conclusions and next steps

Putting this sustainable growth strategy to work is a joint endeavour. It will require the combined action and commitment of all European actors. The European Council is invited to endorse this strategy. Member States should take account of the priorities the Commission has identified here in their national policies and strategies, as set out in their Stability or Convergence Programmes and their National Reform Programmes. On that basis, the Commission will propose country-specific recommendations, which Member States will eventually adopt in the Council. Member States are thus ultimately responsible for the content and implementation of these recommendations.

Member States should make full use of the available EU policy and funding instruments. The Commission stands ready to support Member States in their reform efforts by providing technical support, in particular through its proposed Reform Support Programme, for all Member States. As part of that, for euro-area Member States, the Budgetary Instrument for Convergence and Competitiveness is expected to provide tailored incentives and support for reforms and investment. Finally, cohesion policy funds play a crucial role in supporting social and territorial cohesion.

Economic governance and democratic accountability must go hand in hand. The European Parliament should have a stronger voice on the EU economic governance. To this end, the Commission will engage in a dialogue with the European Parliament on how to make this operational going forward. As a first step, Members of the Commission in charge of economic matters will come to the European Parliament before each key stage in the European Semester cycle. This enhanced democratic accountability of the European Semester should help to enhance ownership and therefore reform implementation. More broadly, the Commission will continue the dialogue with Member States, and invites the Member States to involve national parliaments, social partners and all other relevant stakeholders.

(1) The Proposal for a Joint Employment Report from the Commission and the Council, adopted together with the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy (COM(2019) 653), presents a detailed account of labour market and social policy developments, including through the Social Scoreboard
(2) The 2018 Ageing Report https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/economy-finance/ip079_en.pdf
(3)

   Since 2009, Ecodesign has been delivering substantial energy savings and associated avoided CO2 emissions, as well as, increasingly, material efficiency savings.

(4) Single Market Performance Report SWD(2019) 443
(5)

   Commission proposal for a Council Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027, COM/2018/322