BRUSSELS, March 26 (Reuters) – European Union countries’ budget cuts have eaten into layers of government that need now to be reinforced given their vital role in the transition to a more green and digital economy, a senior EU official said.
Elisa Ferreira, European commissioner for cohesion and reforms, said the cuts in particular during the euro zone crisis from 2009 to the mid-2010s had resulted in reduced staff in public administration and delayed training or introduction of new technologies.
“But we are asking for the public administration to adapt, to do green budgeting, to use artificial intelligence… and often they don’t have the means to deliver,” Ferreira told Reuters in an interview.
The European Union has new laws to speed up the process of granting permits for projects that would boost clean tech production or secure supply of critical materials, but public administrations, which grant permits, could prove a bottleneck.