Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. 2013 European Semester: country-specific recommendations. Moving Europe beyond the crisis

Once a year the Commission reviews the economic and social performance of each EU Member State and makes country-specific recommendations to guide national policies in the coming year. Against the background of a deep economic and financial crisis, which is causing social hardship for many, and recent forecasts which show that the EU is slowly recovering from a protracted recession, this year's recommendations will receive particularly close scrutiny.

The purpose of regular surveillance by the Commission is:
- To identify the major economic and social challenges for the EU and the Euro area, reflecting the growing interdependence between our economies.
- To assess progress, pick up warning signs of problems earlier than in the past and through recommendations to guide Member States to implement their policies in ways that help the EU to adjust and grow sustainably, providing jobs and decent living standards for all its citizens.

The Commission's analysis presented alongside the 2013 recommendations shows that the EU is making lasting changes and is tackling the serious structural problems that built up over the last decade. These changes are taking place against a global backdrop of the need for reform in the most advanced economies and strong economic development in the emerging economies. Member States are engaging in necessary reforms and working hard to get public finances under control. The pace and impact of these efforts varies across countries – adjustment is particularly noticeable in the programme countries and the more vulnerable Member States.

The challenge is to implement agreed reforms, sometimes with greater urgency and more ambition. Where the Commission feels that stronger measures are needed, these are set out in the recommendations.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)350: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:350:FIN

ESO: Background information: Moving Europe beyond the crisis: country-specific recommendations 2013 http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-moving-europe-beyond-the-crisis-country-specific-recommendations-2013/

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