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International issues
As part of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, member states submit National Reform Programmes outlining their structural reform plans in April every year. Member states also report on their economies and public finances through Stability and Convergence Programmes, in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The new EU surveillance structure under Europe 2020, known as the European Semester, aligns reporting on fiscal and structural policies.
Member states have submitted annual National Reform Programmes to the European Commission since the mid-term review of the former Lisbon Strategy in 2005. As a transitional measure between the expiry of the Lisbon Strategy and the start of the new European Semester, Member States submitted draft National Reform Programmes in November 2010. Member states’ draft National Reform Programmes assisted the European Commission in the preparation of its 2011 Annual Growth Survey for the Spring European Council, which took place on 24-25 March 2011.
The UK submitted its first full National Reform Programme under the European Semester on 28 April 2011. The UK National Reform Programme 2011 draws on publicly available information and sets out the UK’s economic prospects and plans. It includes:
The ‘Lisbon’ Treaty requires all EU Member states to annually report on their economies and public finances to the European Commission. The UK’s economic and fiscal situation and forecasts are sent in its annual Convergence Programme.
The requirement to submit the Convergence Programme is written into the Treaty. This requirement forms part of the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact, which was agreed in 1997 and took effect in 1999. The UK has therefore sent an annual Convergence programme to the Commission since 1999.
The 2010-11 Convergence Programme can be viewed below. It has been divided into three parts to make it easier to download. All of its content is drawn from previously published material, most of it from the Budget report and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s 'Economic and fiscal outlook'.
