Debate: The right of information of the Parliament regarding the ongoing assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans
Date: TUESDAY, 18 MAY 2021
Speaker: Paolo Gentiloni
Language: EN

Our intense cooperation on the recovery plans is cooperation for the recovery of Europe, to give hope to our citizens that to build back better our societies is possible. It is my utter conviction that the expectations raised and the commitments taken bind us. We have no choice but to deliver and to succeed, and your role is to ensure the parliamentary and public scrutiny in order to make this happen, and speed and scrutiny can and should coexist. We are bound by a legal framework that we are a co-legislator of, that assigns clear responsibilities and stringent timelines. I would like to reiterate that it is the prerogative of the college to give the assessment when deciding to adopt or not the proposal for a Council implementing decision, and the regulation as agreed between Parliament and Council doesn’t foresee a preliminary assessment, as Valdis just underlined. Let me add also that we will strongly reflect on the way Member States approach the consultation process. This is important to ensure a lasting impact of reforms and investment by creating broad ownership. The active involvement of stakeholders will be vital throughout all the stages of the implementation process, and the submission of the national recovery plan is only the first step. Also, the involvement of local authorities is crucial for having successful implementation of the plan. For instance, Member States have an obligation to ensure close cooperation with regional levels to achieve the objectives of the facility, and the Commission will pay close attention to this, because the success of this very important operation will not be achieved behind closed doors. It should be achieved with involvement at national and European level. What we can certainly say and what one can see, reading the plans which have been presented, is that all plans so far address the six pillars, but with different emphasis on the individual six pillars. I would like to underline that the plans have to explain how Member States will strengthen job creation and their economic and social resilience in the long term, and contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Honourable Members, Parliament has access to the full plans. We very much encourage the Members, with your unique expertise and understanding, to provide your views in the context of the recovery and resilience dialogue or through resolutions. We have a very short time but we can do this, I think, in this short time. The preparation of the RRPs has somehow created a new form of dialogue between the Commission and Member States, and I really thank the Presidency of the Council for this. It is to be welcomed that this translates also into a strong engagement for the accountability of the Commission towards Parliament. For sure, we are fully committed to report to this House, its plenary, competent parliamentary committees and dedicated bodies, and this debate is a confirmation of this. Concluding, let me stress one thing: we are all doing something new. We are learning something new – new resources, new procedures, new shared responsibility and accountability. We will certainly jointly improve what is to improve, but we have common principles, purpose and priorities, ensuring the conditions for a swift and sustainable recovery of our common economy.