This Annual Growth Survey sets out what more can be done at EU level to help Member States return to higher growth levels. To strengthen and sustain the recovery the Commission proposes to pursue an integrated approach to economic policy built around three main pillars, all of which must act together – boosting investment, accelerating structural reforms and pursuing responsible growth friendly fiscal consolidation.
The adoption of the Annual Growth Survey kicks off the European Semester of economic and budgetary policy coordination. It proposes to streamline the process, with a view to increasing political ownership, accountability and acceptance of the process, to strengthening its credibility and comparability across Member States and to improving the implementation of the country-specific recommendations.
The European Semester process makes sure that Member States keep their budgetary and economic policies in line with their EU commitments (debt and deficit commitments under the Stability and Growth Pact, economic reform plans enshrined in their 2014 country-specific recommendations, and the long-term growth and jobs targets in the Europe 2020 strategy).
The 2015 Annual Growth Survey is part of a wider package for jobs, growth and investment and is published alongside a set of documents:
Alert Mechanism Report
Statistical annex accompanying the Alert Mechanism Report
Joint Employment Report
Annex to the Joint Employment Report
Annual Growth Survey 2015