The high-level meeting brought together versatile interest groups that discussed structural reforms and their improved integration into fiscal frameworks of the countries. The discussion was facilitated through the prism of increased competitiveness and growth of the region and enhanced EU enlargement. On their path to the EU, the economies of the Western Balkans and Turkey need to become sufficiently vital to withstand the competitive pressures of the EU single market. Key policy instruments in this process are the Economic Reform Programmes (ERP), inclusive of structural reforms, designed to boost growth and competitiveness while ensuring fiscal discipline and sustainability.

Over the recent years, ERPs have been significantly strengthened on the subject of structural reforms while their costing has not seen the same improvement. To address the latter, the Center of Excellence in Finance, international organization, based in Ljubljana, that supports capacity development of public officials in South East Europe will implement a project Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms (FISR). Project funded by the European Union will via more than 50 in-country and regional learning events support public officials, mainly from line ministries but also ministries of finance in strengthening their analytical capacities that are needed for comprehensive assessment of fiscal implications of structural reforms. Project that will last for three years will promote greater fiscal policy coordination especially between finance and line ministries and support exchange of good practices across the region.

More about the project “Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms”: www.cef-see.org/fisr

Digital story from the high-level meeting.