The Social Investment Package and European Semester made easy

All Member states have committed to achieving the targets of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and have translated them into national targets and growth-enhancing policies. But in order to achieve the desired impact, this process needs to be focused and coordinated. The European Commission (EC) has therefore set up a yearly cycle of economic policy coordination called the European Semester. Each year, since 2011, the EC undertakes a detailed analysis of EU Member States’ programmes of economic and structural reforms and provides them with recommendations for the next 12-18 months.