Debate: The state of play on the submitted RRF recovery plans awaiting approval
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2021
Speaker: Paolo Gentiloni
Language: EN

The Council has adopted 19 of the 22 implementing decisions. We aim to complete the assessment of the three remaining plans as soon as possible, and we are working constructively with the national authorities to conclude the assessment. With more than EUR 51 billion of pre-financing paid to the first 16 Member States, we have provided them with the support needed on their pathway to recovery, and we expect the first regular payment requests this year. This requires Member States to have fully met the reform and investment commitments that are linked to the respective instalment and provides the underlying evidence. In this regard, the Commission will share with Parliament the findings of the preliminary assessment in relation to the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets.  The implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility will continue to be a large enterprise. Together, we have set out a strong governance for the Facility that builds on three principles: ownership, accountability and transparency.  Transparency first. The Commission is committed to ensure a transparent process, and we do our best to provide you with the information needed to follow the implementation. Constant dialogue with Parliament is crucial for the success of plans that are the result of courageous decisions in the face of an unprecedented and dramatic situation. Together with Valdis Dombrovskis, we have exchanged views with the Parliament at the regular Recovery and Resilience Dialogues. In addition, the Commission holds regular exchanges with the Recovery and Resilience Facility Working Group on various topics. Throughout the process, we have taken into account in our work the elements arising from the views expressed by Parliament, and we are committed to continue to do so.  The assessment of the Polish, Hungarian and Swedish plans is ongoing. As the Commission has mentioned consistently on previous occasions, also for other Member States, it is not in a position to provide its views on a specific plan or share a pre—assessment. As for all plans, our assessment is based on the clear and solid criteria provided by the RRF regulation. We will continue to provide an overview of the factual elements of the plans received, as well as a summary of our assessment once our proposals for Council implementing decisions are adopted. Second, accountability. Let me come back to the second principle. The success of the Facility will be measured against the effective use of taxpayers’ money and its ability to deliver a lasting improvement to our economic and social resilience and our sustainable growth potential. The reform and investment commitments that we are still negotiating for the three plans will serve as the yardstick for their implementation. The Commission also takes the protection of the EU’s financial interests very seriously. The RRF, as all other EU funds, must be implemented in accordance with the Financial Regulation and the Regulation on a General Regime of Conditionality for the Protection of the Union Budget. For 16 Member States, the Council Implementing Decisions provide for specific milestones in relation to control systems. Those milestones are of a special nature in that they need to be fulfilled before the first regular payment requests can be made, of course with the exceptions of pre-financing. They concern a wide range of issues, such as anti-corruption, anti-fraud, access to data or simply proper administrative capacity for the audit body.  Third point: ownership. This goes back to the ethos of the Facility. The Recovery and Resilience Plans are a new exercise that rest on a combination of strong national ownership and commitment to embrace our joint challenges, the green and digital transitions, together. Member States designed their own Recovery and Resilience Plans, but they have to make sure that the reforms and investment therein are anchored in the common policy priorities and the country-specific recommendations agreed in the framework of the European Semester.  It is another key assessment criteria that Recovery and Resilience Plans need to address the relevant challenges identified in the CSR or at least a significant subset. You have already heard this formula many times, but we insist on it because it is our regulation. Ownership does not stop at the national level. The implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan can only succeed with strong regional and local ownership, as well as support from social partners and civil society at every stage of the implementation, and we have communicated this clearly to Member States. Let me underline that the Commission strives to uphold the rule of law. Our Union needs to be a place where everyone is held accountable and corruption is fought, where the financial interests of the EU are protected, where all people and businesses alike are equal under the law, and where the independence of the judiciary is ensured. We have concerns about the situation in some Member States. I can assure you that the Commission will continue to act with determination to defend these principles and values with full respect for our legal frameworks. The Recovery and Resilience Facility is about promoting the green and digital transition, making our Union more resilient and our next generation fit for future challenges, but these efforts can only gain traction if we ensure that our next generation can thrive.