Brussels, 29 July 2022
The Commission has today endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Latvia’s payment request for €201 million in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the key instrument at the heart of NextGenerationEU. Payments under the RRF are performance-based and contingent on Member States implementing the investments and reforms outlined in their respective recovery and resilience plans.
On 17 June 2022, Latvia submitted to the Commission a payment request based on the achievement of the nine milestones selected in the Council Implementing Decision for the first instalment. They cover reforms and investments in the areas of the minimum income support system, the adoption of a common model for the development of the last mile broadband connection (to ensure end-user’s access to very high capacity broadband network in regions and rural areas), the regulatory framework for improving the competition environment and reducing corruption risks in public procurement, the strengthening of remote learning networks and institutions, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist and proliferation financing as well as social housing.
The Commission has thoroughly assessed this information before presenting its positive preliminary assessment of the payment request. The Latvian recovery and resilience plan includes a wide range of investment and reform measures in six thematic components. It is worth €1.8 billion in grants, 13% of which (€237 million) was disbursed to Latvia in pre-financing on 10 September 2021. For more detailed information, a press release and a Q&A are available online. You can watch President von der Leyen‘s video message here.
Source – EU Commission