Debate: REPowerEU chapters in recovery and resilience plans
Date: MONDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Janez Lenarčič
Language: EN

Today, the implementation of the facility is in full speed, with a total of over EUR 144 billion already disbursed to Member States. At the same time, we need to acknowledge that the implementation of the ambitious National Recovery Resilience Plans is taking place in a challenging context, already mentioned by many of you. Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful aggression against Ukraine has triggered a massive disruption of the global energy market. It is under these unprecedented circumstances that REpowerEU was devised with one clear objective: providing affordable, secure and sustainable energy for Europe. Thanks to its focus on the green transition and resilience, the RRF was put at the centre of the Union’s coordinated response to the unprecedented energy crisis. In fact, REpowerEU showcases the facility’s agility. The Commission would like to thank the honourable Members for their enormous work on the proposal to introduce REpowerEU chapters in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans. After numerous rounds of intense negotiations, we believe that the compromise agreement strikes the right balance between urgency and ambition.  One of the key elements is the increased financial firepower of the facility. In addition to the EUR 225 billion of loans available under the RRF, Member States also have access to EUR 20 billion of new grants and up to EUR 23 billion of grant transfers from other EU funds. These funds can be used to finance a wide set of measures, such as investments in the critical infrastructure to increase energy security and reforms, speeding up permitting to accelerate the rollout of renewables. Furthermore, the compromise agreement makes sure that no one is left behind. With high energy prices affecting some more than others, the facility can finance measures addressing energy poverty, providing targeted support to vulnerable households and businesses. The compromise agreement also increases transparency via enhanced stakeholder consultations and also, importantly, the obligation to publish information on the 100 largest final recipients of RRF funds. Having data from final recipients was a longstanding demand by the European Parliament, and the Commission is glad that the two co-legislators agreed to have such a list of the 100 largest recipients of the RRF funds published by the Member States. The Commission will use this information on the RRF scoreboard. This will help transparency. Furthermore, as called for by this House, the proposal effectively encourages cross-border and multi-country projects. Since its inception, the Recovery and Resilience Facility has always been more than just a crisis response tool. Its key feature is transforming challenges into opportunities. The RRF already had the foresight to put the green transition at the forefront of the post-pandemic recovery. Now, with targeted amendments introduced by REpowerEU, the facility will also play a key role in accelerating the net-zero industrial transition. As outlined in the New Green Deal Industrial Plan for the net-zero age, we need to address the structural challenges affecting the competitiveness of our clean tech sector. This is why the Commission encourages Member States to include in their REpowerEU chapters measures such as one-stop shops for permitting for clean tech projects or tax breaks for businesses undertaking clean tech investments. The facility can also finance investments to equip the workforce with skills necessary for this industrial transition. Together with the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the Commission also published guidance to help Member States access the REpowerEU funds, explaining the process of modifying their plans and the modalities for preparing REpowerEU chapters. In this unprecedented context, the Commission is working hard with the Member States to make the implementation simpler and more efficient. The Recovery and Resilience Facility is built upon one core European value: solidarity – solidarity in the face of the COVID pandemic, the energy crisis and the growing global competition in the transition towards a net-zero economy. As my colleague said before your last vote on the proposal, we are strongest when we stand together.