Today's Communication takes stock of what the Recovery and Resilience Facility has achieved so far.
With little more than one year remaining until the August 2026 deadline, it is also the moment to look ahead and focus on what must be done to bring the RRF to a successful conclusion.
Let me begin with the very significant impact the RRF has already had and give you some concrete examples.
The RRF is responsible for the installation of 110,655 additional megawatts of renewable energy capacity – this is equivalent to almost 20% of the installed capacity of wind and solar energy in 2024.
It has saved 33.4 million megawatt-hours per year in primary energy consumption – this is more than Denmark's total annual electricity consumption.
It has provided 16.2 million additional dwellings with access to very high-capacity internet networks.
29 million people have benefitted from RRF-supported education and training opportunities.
And obviously, there are many more.
It has also had important spillover effects across EU Member States, given the deep integration of EU economies.
So how do we build on this success and ensure that the RRF finishes strong?
Today, the Commission is providing an overview of the actions that Member States can take so that their recovery plans are implemented in time and to the fullest possible extent.
Firstly, we are encouraging Member States to streamline their plans.
Secondly, we are providing them with a clear menu of options to amend their plans.
And thirdly, we are giving guidance to prepare the final payment requests in 2026.
So, first on streamlining plans.
Member States must now review their recovery and resilience plans in view of the 31 August 2026 deadline.
Only measures that are certain to be implemented by this deadline should remain in the plans.
In addition, we are also inviting Member States to work with us to simplify their plans.
The goal is to simplify the implementation and the assessment of payment requests, by reducing administrative burdens, while fully complying with the RRF assessment criteria.
Both tasks are now urgent.
They should be undertaken as soon as possible and, at the latest, before the end of this year.
So, what options can Member States explore when revising their plans?
There are a number of options, including:
- scaling up successful measures;
- establishing financial instruments to boost private investment;
- transferring funds to InvestEU, including Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform-related measures;
- splitting RRF projects to continue with national or other EU funds, for example cohesion funding;
- and prioritising grants over loans, and reducing oversubscribed plans.
Finally, RRF funds could be used to support capital injections into National Promotional Banks, or to contribute to the future European Defence Industry Programme.
These alternatives could help the RRF deliver additional important benefits for common EU priorities, including in the areas of security and defence.
As regards the European Defence Industry Programme, we are inviting the co-legislators to consider this possibility in the context of the ongoing EDIP trilogues.
To conclude, the RRF has already had a transformative impact.
But now is the moment for a final push.
Today's Communication provides clarity on how Member States can make the most out of the time that is left.
With 454 days left for implementation, the time to act and deliver is now.
