The European Semester 2018

The 2018 European Semester kicked off with the presentation by the Commission of the autumn package. It sets out general economic priorities for the EU and provides EU countries with policy guidance for the following year.

The European Semester is the annual cycle for the coordination of economic policies at EU level. It allows the EU member countries to discuss their economic and budget plans and monitor progress at specific times throughout the year.

More on European Semester and its timeline​​ .

Spring package

As next steps in the 2018 cycle of the European Semester of economic policy coordination, the European Commission presented on 23 May 2018 the so called 'Spring package'.

It issues country-specific recommendations (CSRs), setting out its economic policy guidance for individual Member States for the next 12 to 18 months, along with an overarching Communication.

List of documents

• COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS AND THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK 2018 European Semester: Country-specific recommendations COM/2018/400 final)
• 2018 European Semester: Country Specific Recommendations

Belgium COM/2018/401 final	Bulgaria COM/2018/402 final	Czech Republic COM/2018/403 final	Denmark COM/2018/404 final
Germany COM/2018/405 final	Estonia COM/2018/406 final	Ireland COM/2018/407 final	Spain COM/2018/408 final
France COM/2018/409 final	Croatia COM/2018/410 final	Italy COM/2018/411 final	Cyprus COM/2018/412 final
Latvia COM/2018/413 final	Lithuania COM/2018/414 final	Luxembourg COM/2018/415 final	Hungary COM/2018/416 final
Malta COM/2018/417 final	Netherlands COM/2018/418 final	Austria COM/2018/419 final	Poland COM/2018/420 final
Portugal COM/2018/421 final	Romania COM/2018/422 final	Slovenia COM/2018/423 final	Slovakia COM/2018/424 final
Finland COM/2018/425 final	Sweden COM/2018/426 final	United Kingdom COM/2018/427 final

Related sites

• Multiannual EU budget(2014-2020)
• European Semester 2018 Spring Package: Commission issues country-specific recommendations​​
• The European Semester — Country-specific recommendations​​
• European Semester 2018 Spring Package explained ​​

Winter package

The European Commission published on 7 March 2018 its annual analysis of the economic and social situation in the Member States.

List of documents

• COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK AND THE EUROGROUP 2018 European Semester: Assessment of progress on structural reforms, prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, and results of in-depth reviews under Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 (COM(2018) 120 final) {SWD(2018) 200 to 226 final}
• COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENTS Country Reports 2018 Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK AND THE EUROGROUP 2018 European Semester: Assessment of progress on structural reforms, prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, and results of in-depth reviews under Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 {SWD(2018) 200 to SWD(2018) 226 }:

Belgium SWD/2018/0200 final	Bulgaria SWD/2018/0201 final	Czech Republic SWD/2018/0202 final	Denmark SWD/2018/0203 final
Germany SWD/2018/0204 final	Estonia SWD/2018/0205 final	Ireland SWD/2018/0206 final	Spain SWD/2018/0207 final
France SWD/2018/0208 final	Croatia SWD/2018/0209 final	Italy SWD/2018/0210 final	Cyprus SWD/2018/0211 final
Latvia SWD/2018/0212 final	Lithuania SWD/2018/0213 final	Luxembourg SWD/2018/0214 final	Hungary SWD/2018/0215 final
Malta SWD/2018/0216 final	Netherlands SWD/2018/0217 final	Austria SWD/2018/0218 final	Poland SWD/2018/0219 final
Portugal SWD/2018/0220 final	Romania SWD/2018/0221 final	Slovenia SWD/2018/0222 final	Slovakia SWD/2018/0223 final
Finland SWD/2018/0224 final	Sweden SWD/2018/0225 final	United Kingdom SWD/2018/0226 final

Related sites

• European Commission - Press release: European Semester Winter Package. Review of Member States' progress towards economic and social priorities​​
• Fact sheet: European Semester 2018: Winter Package explained​​

Autumn package

The Autumn Package includes the following documents:

List of documents

2018 Annual Growth Survey

• COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS AND THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK Annual Growth Survey 2018 (COM/2017/690 final)

2018 Alert Mechanism Report

• REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Alert Mechanism Report 2018 (COM/2017/771 final)
• COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT. STATISTICAL ANNEX. Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Alert Mechanism Report (SWD/2017/661 final)

Draft Joint Employment Report

• DRAFT JOINT EMPLOYMENT REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION AND THE COUNCIL accompanying the Communication from the Commission on the Annual Growth Survey 2018 (COM/2017/674 final)

Employment guidelines

• Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (COM/2017/677 final)

Recommendation for the euro area

• Recommendation for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the economic policy of the euro area (COM/2017/770 final)
• COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Analysis of the Euro Area economy Accompanying the document Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the economic policy of the Euro Area (SWD/2017/660 final)

Communication on the Draft Budgetary Plans of the euro area

• COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 2018 Draft Budgetary Plans: Overall Assessment (COM/2017/800 final)

Summaries of EU legislation

• The EU’s Economic Policy Committee
• The Euro Group
• EU economic and monetary union
• Strengthening economic and monetary union
• Europe 2020: the European Union strategy for growth and employment
• Greater fiscal coordination for the euro area
• Monitoring the effectiveness of EU countries’ social protection policies
• Economic governance rules introduced after the financial and economic crisis — a review
• Euro area economic policy recommendations for 2016-2017
• Surveillance of budgetary policies
• Requirements for Euro area countries’ budgets
• EU countries’ employment policies: guidelines
• Prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances in the EU
• The role of the Alert Mechanism Report (AMR)

Glossary terms of the summaries of EU legislation

• European Semester
• Annual growth survey
• Economic policy
• Economic governance
• Broad economic policy guidelines (BEPG)
• Stability and Growth Pact
• Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
• Euro area
• Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP)
• Excessive deficit procedure (EDP)

Related sites

• European Commission - Press release​​
• European Semester 2018: The Autumn Package Explained​​
• Commission opinions on the 2018 Draft Budgetary Plan of 18 euro area Member States​​