Policy brief 6 – How to mainstream the valorization of the territory?

Policy Brief 6 already available: How to mainstream the valorization of the territory? (in Portuguese), by João Seixas. This Policy Brief is the fourth edition of our series of original publications around the European Semester, and more specifically the Stability Program and the National Reform Program.

The European Semester is a process of political dialogue between the European Commission and the member states which consists in an exchange of drafts, programmes and recommendations regarding the implementation of public policies and institutional reforms. For this, two particular documents are relevant in this dialogue: the Stability Program and National Reform Program.

The Stability Program is the main document on fiscal policy and the sustainablity of public finances in the medium term. The budgetary targets set each year in this document, in conjunction with macroeconomic forecasts that underlie them, are used by the European Commission staff when assessing the compliance of EU member states with the main medium-term fiscal rules.

On the other hand, the National Reform Program is broader in its scope and should reflect a strategic vision for public policy and institutional reform.

João Seixas discusses the pillar of the National Reform Program on “Territorial Enhancement”, always emphasizing the transversal nature of the territory in public policies. The author comments in detail on the five axes that guide the proposals of the National Reform Program for this pillar and highlights “the reform of the State” as a vital dimension for the capacity of integrated and transversal actions that runs parallel to the pillar of the territory.