Today, the European Commission positively assessed Portugal's eighth payment request for €1.1 billion, of which €828.8 million in grants and €286 million in loans, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility , the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU.
This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this payment request, in the areas of digitalisation in healthcare, education, renewable energy, budget management and the decarbonisation of industry, among others. Measures also aim to modernise public financial management, improve tax efficiency, improve the performance of the justice system and monitor energy poverty.
The Commission found that Portugal has satisfactorily completed the 20 milestones and 14 targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision .
Flagship measures in this payment request include:
- Installation of battery storage capacity in Madeira: this initiative boosts renewable energy and supports technology for grid stability. It involves refurbishing the Serra de Água and Calheta Hydroelectric Power Plants, installing battery storage systems, and upgrading the Socorridos Hydroelectric Power Plant.
- Digitalisation of Azores health service: This measure provides healthcare access via the mySaúde Açores app, which reached over 38,000 users. It promotes equal healthcare access across all Autonomous Region islands.
Next steps
The Commission has now sent its preliminary assessment of Portugal´s fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), which has four weeks to deliver its opinion. The payment to Portugal can take place following the EFC's opinion, and the adoption of a payment decision by the Commission.
Background
Portugal submitted its payment request on 14 November 2025. Portugal's recovery and resilience plan includes a wide range of investment and reform measures. The plan will be financed by €21.9 billion (€16.3 billion in grants and €5.6 billion loans). With a view to the closure of the Facility at the end of 2026, Members States must implement all outstanding milestones and targets by August 2026 and submit last payment requests by the end of September.
