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These recommendations reflect the Commission’s economic and social agenda. Since President Juncker’s Commission took office in November 2014 and published its Annual Growth Survey 2015, this agenda has focused on three mutually reinforcing pillars: boosting investment, implementing structural reforms and pursuing fiscal responsibility. The successful implementation of the 2015 country-specific recommendations will be key to making Europe’s return to jobs and growth sustainable and less dependent on the external, cyclical factors that currently support the recovery.
Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, responsible for the Euro and Social Dialogue, said: "Strengthening the European economic recovery requires further decisive policy efforts. Many Member States face challenges such as high public and private debt, low productivity and lack of investment, which result in high unemployment and worsening social conditions. Addressing these challenges is what today's country-specific recommendations are about. To foster national ownership and implementation, we have stepped up our engagement with governments, parliaments and social partners, and considerably streamlined and focussed our recommendations."
Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, said: "We need to make full use of the opportunity of this nascent economic recovery and bring the Europeans back to work. Member States should profit from the momentum and deliver on structural reforms. Special focus must be on those who have been left behind during the crisis, in particular the youth and the long-term unemployed."
Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: "Today we ask Member States to ensure that the ongoing economic recovery is more than a seasonal phenomenon. Since the Juncker Commission's first day in office, our economic priorities have been to boost investment, support structural reforms and ensure the pursuit of responsible fiscal policies. These recommendations are not about Brussels lecturing governments. They are about encouraging national efforts to deliver the jobs and growth that we collectively need."
A stronger and streamlined European Semester
The European Commission has made a number of changes to the European Semester process, the EU's calendar for economic policy coordination, with the aim of increasing political ownership and accountability of European and national decision-making.
These include:
- a better focus on the priorities of the Annual Growth Survey with fewer recommendations on just a few, key priority areas for action.
- an earlier publication of country-specific and euro area analyses to allow for deep discussions with Member States and social partners on the key issues.
- a more intensive outreach at political and technical levels to discuss past and future recommendations.
- an adjusted timetable to give more time for all actors to discuss and agree priorities from a European perspective and to compare national performance and priorities in this light.
The 2015 country-specific recommendations
The Commission is making recommendations for 26 countries and for the euro area as a whole. These recommendations reflect the following priorities:
The recommendations are based on detailed analyses of each country's situation. The tailor-made guidance is the result of an open dialogue with Member States throughout the year. They build notably on the analysis of the Commission's Country Reports, as well as on the National Reform Programmes and Stability and Convergence Programmes presented by the Member States in April. They also take account of the latest data presented in the Commission's spring forecast.
As part of today's package, the Commission has also adopted several decisions on Member States' public finances under the Stability and Growth Pact. Taken together, they represent an ambitious set of guidance and priorities for the EU economy.
European council conclusions on in-depth reviews