[{"bbox": [83, 121, 1147, 171], "category": "Text", "text": "overall policy objective of achieving full economic self-reliance, cf. also above section 2.3.3. Macroeconomic Policy for further details."}, {"bbox": [83, 201, 526, 227], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Added value and contribution of budget support"}, {"bbox": [83, 227, 1147, 466], "category": "Text", "text": "As formulated in the Sustainability and Growth Plan, education constitutes a central parameter in achieving the long-term goals of the GoG: Greenland's economy should gradually become more sustainable to achieve the aim of becoming independent of the block grant from Denmark. Education therefore constitutes a key vector in this. Higher education levels will improve the skills match with the labour market, enabling more Greenlanders to take positions in sectors of the economy with higher economic growth potential demanding advanced professional skills thereby reducing dependency of imported high skilled labour and building local expertise capacity. Further, by providing the population with the necessary means to take up positions as skilled labour, the society will achieve a higher degree of self-reliance with lesser dependency of public welfare support thereby easing the expected future pressure on public finances from demographic change as projected by the GEC."}, {"bbox": [83, 491, 1147, 625], "category": "Text", "text": "Further to support of the education sector, and as outlined in detail in section 2.3.4 on PFM above, the budget support has helped improving the national PFM system, including establishment of new central procurement function in the GoG administration with the purpose to increase value for money, achieve savings and make advantage of central bulk procurement arrangements in the GoG central procurement. The tax area constitutes another area where notable progress have been achieved in accordance with the PFM reform, cf. detailed description above."}, {"bbox": [83, 651, 668, 677], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Accomplishment and absorption capacity of past disbursements"}, {"bbox": [83, 677, 1147, 808], "category": "Text", "text": "The variable tranche indicator target for Expenditure on Education as % of total Public Expenditure (EU13) on 25% has been fully achieved during the period 2014-2019 (with 2019 as latest available monitoring year³³) indicating a stable and robust financial absorption capacity in the Greenland education sector, for planned total GoG allocations as well as for the EU budget support. The GEP II included planned initiatives from the Education Plan II amounting to EUR 22 million in 2019."}, {"bbox": [83, 836, 1147, 944], "category": "Text", "text": "However, even though the target on 25% has been met, recent annual observations of marginal declines in the results of this indicator has been recorded in year 2017 (25.3%) and 2018 (25.02%) where results observed have been below the baseline year 2013 (25.8%). The total public allocation for the education sector was EUR 351.5 million in 2018, and budget public expenditures for education for 2019 was EUR 346.4 million (25.1%)³⁴."}, {"bbox": [83, 968, 1147, 1155], "category": "Text", "text": "According to the External Review of the Performance Indicators (2018)³⁵ general progress has been noted in the last 10 years in the general education level in Greenland, with a 6% increase in the number of 16+ years old that have completed an education. Furthermore, overall attendance increased in further education (upper secondary education and training, higher education) with on average 43%, which also resulted in a higher number of completions (i.e. higher volume). However, the review noted that the EU financial support from 2014-2017 provided for the implementation of the GEP II is considered moderately successful, in particular when observing the progress achieved in advancing the PAF indicators, which is slightly less than expected in some key education areas."}, {"bbox": [83, 1180, 1147, 1341], "category": "Text", "text": "In summary, since 2007, Greenland has significantly relied on EU budget support for its education sector and has shown a continued record of stable absorption capacity of EU funds underpinned by in-depth policy dialogue. Building on previous solid achievements, the envisaged action will give a new boost to effectively implement continued education reforms, significant work remains to be done in Greenland at sector level, specifically in terms of governance, coordination, and sector planning on order to accomplish the overarching aim that at least 70% of all Greenlanders should possess qualifications above lower secondary level."}, {"bbox": [146, 1376, 670, 1405], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 4.3.2. Criteria for Disbursement of Budget Support"}, {"bbox": [83, 1414, 213, 1439], "category": "Section-header", "text": "#### a) Conditions"}, {"bbox": [83, 1440, 729, 1466], "category": "Text", "text": "The general conditions for disbursement of all tranches are as follows:"}, {"bbox": [72, 1539, 411, 1564], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³³ Annual Implementation Report 2019."}, {"bbox": [72, 1564, 1158, 1614], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³⁴ The Annual Work Plan 2020 will be evaluated in the Annual Implementation Report 2020, which is delayed due to disruptions by the COVID-19 crisis, is planned submitted in the second half of 2021."}, {"bbox": [72, 1612, 1033, 1661], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³⁵ External Review of the Performance Indicators used under the EU Support to the Education Sector in Greenland 2014-2020, Final Review Report, July 2018"}, {"bbox": [1041, 1661, 1158, 1685], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 30 of 35"}]