Recovery and Resilience Facility: Commission updates guidance for recovery and resilience plans

Following the political agreement on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) reached in December, the Commission has presented updated guidance to Member States on the preparation and presentation of recovery and resilience plans. The Recovery and Resilience Facility is the key instrument at the heart of NextGenerationEU, the EU’s plan to emerge stronger from the coronavirus crisis. It will make available €672.5 billion in loans and grants to support reforms and investments in Member States. To benefit from the RRF, Member States must submit recovery and resilience plans which set out their national reform and investment agendas. While the core principles of the Commission’s proposal were preserved, the political agreement brought some changes to the text of the Regulation.  In order to assist Member States in aligning their draft recovery and resilience plans to the Regulation, the guidance originally presented in September has been updated. This updated guidance reflects the fact that the scope of the RRF is structured around six pillars: green transition; digital transformation; smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and jobs; social and territorial cohesion; health and resilience; and policies for the next generation, children and youth, including education and skills. Member States should explain how the plans contribute to equality and the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. They should also include a summary of the consultation process at national level as well as the controls and audit system put in place to ensure that the financial interests of the Union are protected. Member States should demonstrate that their proposed plans contribute with at least 37% of the plan’s total allocation to the climate target and 20% to the digital transition. The Commission remains in intensive dialogue with Member States on the preparation of their recovery and resilience plans. Along with the updated guidance, the Commission has also published a standard template for the Member States’ plans.