european-semester-documents-spain

European Spring Package 2026

The European Semester is an annual exercise that coordinates the EU's economic and social policies. Based on the analysis conducted every year by the Commission, each Member State receives a set of Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs), where policy action is needed. In Spain, these include:

Spain’s economy continues to grow strongly, but sustaining this momentum requires productivity gains, supported by stronger private R&D investment and innovation, reduced administrative burden for businesses, and greater regulatory alignment across regions. The performance of the justice system can be further enhanced by ensuring more adequate staffing and harmonising digitalisation across regions.
The ageing population is placing growing pressure on public finances; pension, healthcare, and defence costs are set to increase significantly. The implementation of spending review recommendations and growth-friendly tax reforms could free up funds and contribute to fiscal sustainability.
Climate risks escalate with droughts, fires, and floods, demanding large investments in resilience. While Spain’s energy is highly decarbonised, improved energy storage, cross-border grids, and water-saving tech (e.g., desalination) are key to safeguard water and energy supplies and cut emissions. Electrifying the industry and transport sectors could further boost competitiveness.
Housing costs have been rising significantly as demand exceeds supply, contributing to social inequalities. Fast- tracking permits, making land available and repurposing empty properties could expand the housing supply and lower price pressures.
Child poverty and income inequality continue to require attention. Improving the coverage and adequacy of social transfers and social assistance, including their link to activation, would help address these challenges. Better ensuring the labour- market relevance of higher education and adult learning, (particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), improving basic skills and reducing early school leaving, could help reduce skills mismatches.
Access to primary care and long-term care services could be further strengthened: addressing workforce shortages, regional disparities and waiting times, while increasing overall efficiency, would better prepare the system for the future.

European Semester Spring Package 2026 - Two-page summary

Country report

Published as part of the Spring Package, country reports provide a detailed analysis of each Member State’s economic and social developments and challenges and assess the extent these are addressed by national policies. Additionally, the reports review the implementation of country-specific recommendations from previous Semester cycles.

2026 Country Report - Spain

Country-specific recommendations

Published as part of the Spring Package, the Country-specific recommendations (CSRs) provide tailored guidance to each Member State, suggesting socio-economic and fiscal policy actions to be taken over the next year. The Commission develops the CSRs based on the country reports and its review of the national policy plans submitted by Member States. The draft recommendations are then further discussed by the Council which reaches consensus on a final version over the summer.

The recommendations focus on policy areas that face persistent challenges or are only partially addressed by national policy plans. CSR can cover a wide range of topics, including public finances, pension system reforms, education, innovation challenges, job creation or addressing unemployment.

2026 European Semester:
Country Specific Recommendations / Commission Recommendations

Draft budgetary plan

By mid-October, eurozone Member States are required to submit their draft budgets for the following year to the Commission and the Eurogroup. The Commission assesses their compliance with the CSRs, the agreed net expenditure path and the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact.

Draft budgets that do not align with past CSRs are addressed in the Opinions on the Draft budgetary Plans, published as part of the Autumn Package. Member States adopt their new national budgets at the end of the year.

Draft budgetary plans 2026

National reform programme (until 2023)

After receiving guidance from the Autumn Package, Member States submit their national policy plans for assessment ahead of the Spring Package. The national reform programme outlines the structural economic reforms that the Member State intends to implement, with a focus on future policies to strengthen employment and growth and prevent or correct macroeconomic imbalances. The programme should also indicate how the planned policies comply with the country-specific recommendations of previous European Semester cycles.

As of 2024, the national reform programmes will be replaced by the medium-term fiscal structural plans.

General publications (26 April 2023):
Spain - National Reform Programme 2023