In 2016, the European Union recommended that eurozone Member States establish National Productivity Boards (NPBs) to analyse and address productivity challenges at the national level. NPBs aim to support evidence-based policymaking by assessing and provide insightful analysis on key productivity drivers. To fulfil their mandate effectively, NPBs are designed to operate with functional autonomy, access critical data, and active stakeholder engagement while producing annual reports and actionable policy recommendations. Their role is vital in navigating the political and economic barriers that often impede productivity-enhancing reforms.

Since 2016, nearly all eurozone Member States have established NPBs. These boards exhibit diverse organizational structures and operational frameworks, ranging from independent entities to those embedded within existing institutions. Despite these variations, their core function remains the same: providing analytical insights through annual productivity reports, thereby contributing to national and EU-wide policymaking.

Italy's NPB, launched in 2024 and hosted by the National Economic and Labour Council (CNEL), is a technically robust institution integrated into an established framework. This integration leverages CNEL’s constitutional mandate, cost efficiency, and access to comprehensive data resources. Supported by institutional expertise, the Italian NPB is strategically positioned to engage stakeholders, provide evidence-based analysis and contribute to productivity policy design.

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