Brussels, 14 July 2023
The Council today adopted implementing decisions approving the amended recovery and resilience plans of France, Malta, Slovakia and Ireland.
The amended plans of France, Malta and Slovakia now include a new REPowerEU chapter. This will contribute to accelerating their transition towards clean energy, diversifying their energy supplies and improving their energy efficiency.
Ireland’s plan was updated to request the adaption of timelines for certain measures.
According to the Commission, the modifications put forward by those member states do not affect the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of their recovery and resilience plans.
France
On 20 April 2023, France submitted its amended recovery and resilience plan, which includes a new REPowerEU chapter. On 26 June, the Commission adopted its positive assessment and corresponding CID proposal. The amended plan places much greater emphasis on the green transition, devoting 49.5% (compared with 42.4% in the initial plan) of the available funds to measures that support climate objectives. The digital ambition of the French plan remains high, devoting 21.6% of its total envelope to supporting the digital transition.
France has requested the transfer to its recovery and resilience plan of its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, €504 million that, added to France’s REPowerEU grant allocation of €2.3 billion, bring the amended envelope to €40.3 billion in grants.
Malta
On 26 April 2023, Malta submitted a request to amend its recovery and resilience plan, to which it also added a new REPowerEU chapter. On 26 June 2023, the Commission adopted its positive assessment. The amended plan has a stronger focus on the green transition, devoting 68.8% (up from 53.8% in the original plan) of the available funds to measures that support climate objectives.
Malta has requested to transfer a portion of its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to its plan, amounting to €40 million. These funds, added to Malta’s REPowerEU grants allocation of €30 million make the overall amended plan worth €328 million in grants.
Slovakia
On 26 April 2023, Slovakia submitted its request to amend its recovery and resilience plan, including a new REPowerEU chapter. On 26 June 2023, the Commission adopted its positive assessment. The amended plan has a significantly stronger focus on the green transition, dedicating 46% (up from 42% in the initial plan) of the available funds to measures that support climate objectives.
Slovakia has requested to transfer its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, amounting to €36.3 million to its plan. These funds, added to Slovakia’s REPowerEU grants allocation, amounting to €367 million, make the overall submitted amended plan worth €6.4 billion in grants.
Ireland
On 22 May 2023, Ireland submitted a request to amend its recovery and resilience plan and on 26 June the Commission adopted its positive assessment. The amended plan includes targeted amendments to two measures.
Ireland has not requested the addition of a REPowerEU chapter so its allocation of €914.6 million in grants remains unchanged.
Background
The recovery and resilience facility (RRF) is the EU’s programme of large-scale financial support in response to the challenges the pandemic has posed to the European economy. It is the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU, a temporary recovery instrument that allows the Commission to raise funds to help repair the immediate economic and social damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To benefit from the facility’s €724 billion (in current prices), member states submit recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) to the Commission, setting out the reforms and investments they intend to implement by the end of 2026.
To date, all RRPs have been approved, 27 payment requests have been received from 18 member states, and €153 billion have been disbursed.
Regulation 2023/241 as regards REPowerEU chapters, in force since 1 March 2023, increases the RRF financial envelope by €20 billion in new grants. In addition, member states are able to voluntarily transfer up to €5.4 billion from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to the RRF to finance REPowerEU measures. This comes on top of the existing transfer possibilities of 5% from the cohesion policy funds (up to €17.9 billion).
During 2023, it is expected that gradually each of the 27 member states will submit implementing decisions concerning amendments to their national recovery and resilience plans at least once, to access the new REPowerEU grants, to request available loans, or to take into account the updated RRF allocation.
- Council implementing decision amending the recovery and resilience plan for France
- Council implementing decision amending the recovery and resilience plan for Malta
- Council implementing decision amending the recovery and resilience plan for Slovakia
- Council implementing decision amending the recovery and resilience plan for Ireland
- A recovery plan for Europe (background information)
- REPowerEU: energy policy in EU countries’ recovery and resilience plans (background information)
Source – EU Council