Honourable Chairs, Honourable Members,
It is a pleasure to be back and to meet for the 18th Recovery and Resilience Dialogue. Our dialogues serve an important purpose, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation until the Facility concludes next year.
- By the end of 2024, RRF disbursements surpassed EUR 300 billion, totaling EUR 306.2 billion. This represents nearly half of the total support committed under the RRF.
- 28% of all 7115 milestones and targets have been fulfilled by the Commission, with an additional 20% reported as completed by Member States.
- Member States have advanced well in implementing key reforms and investments in their Recovery and Resilience Plans.
- During this time of economic uncertainty, the reforms and investments under the RRF provide stability, predictability, and perspective.
- Regarding ongoing assessment of payment requests and RRP revisions, the first payment of 2025 occurred two weeks ago, with €122.3 million disbursed to Estonia.
- There are 23 payment requests ongoing, amounting to over €68.3 billion. Payments to Cyprus, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland will be disbursed soon, totaling €1.9 billion.
- Portugal will deliver a key measure on energy efficiency, with one-stop shops for citizens. These will be set up by local or regional authorities to help citizens improve their energy literacy and adopt sustainable energy habits.
- Latvia will implement a reform to strengthen the public sectors innovation ecosystem. The aim is to foster innovation culture and increase innovation output.
- While the RRF has a good implementation record, much work remains in a short timeframe. Over 5000 milestones and targets need assessment before the Facility ends.
- All milestones and targets must be achieved by the end of August 2026, with the final payment request due by the end of September 2026.
- It is crucial for Member States to carefully review their plan implementations and take immediate action where necessary.