Daily News 27 / 04 / 2023

NextGenerationEU: Commission disburses first payment of €301 million to Denmark under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Today's payment of €301 million in grants was made possible by Denmark's fulfilment of the 25 milestones and targets linked to the first instalment. The request covers key steps of the green tax reform in support of the green and digital transition of businesses and a reform for a more digital health system. Several milestones and targets also concern major investments in the fields of green transition of agriculture and environment, energy efficiency, clean vehicles and ferries, and research. 

As for all Member States, payments under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the key instrument at the heart of NextGenerationEU, are performance-based and depend on the implementation by Denmark of the investments and reforms described in its recovery and resilience plan.

On 16 December 2022, Denmark submitted to the Commission a first request for payment of €301 million under the RRF covering 23 milestones and two targets. On 28 February 2023, the Commission adopted a positive preliminary assessment of Denmark's request for payment. The favourable opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee of the Council on the payment request paved the way for the Commission to adopt a final decision on the disbursement of the funds.

The overall recovery and resilience plan of Denmark will be financed by €1.43 billion in the form of grants. The amounts of payments made to Member States are published on the Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard, which shows the progress made in the implementation of the RRF as a whole and of the individual recovery and resilience plans. Denmark already received a pre-financing payment of €201 million on 2 September 2021.

More information on the RRF payment claim process can be found in this Q&A document. More information on Denmark's recovery and resilience plan can be found here.

(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 2 299 63 02; Laura Bérard - Tel.: +32 2 295 57 21)

NextGenerationEU: Slovakia submits request to modify recovery and resilience plan and add a REPowerEU chapter

Yesterday, Slovakia submitted a request to the Commission to modify its recovery and resilience plan, to which it also wants to add a REPowerEU chapter.

Slovakia's proposed modification of the plan, which will now be assessed by the Commission, foresees six new reforms and eight new investments to deliver on the REPowerEU objectives. These include considerable reforms in support of renewable energy sources, including geothermal energy and the hydrogen sector, transformative investments in the electricity grid and energy efficiency, as well as in support for transport sector and households at risk of energy poverty. At the same time, Slovakia is proposing to make 95 modifications to the planned measures. The plan's level of overall ambition remains unchanged.

Slovakia's request to modify its plan is based on the need to factor in the very high inflation experienced in 2022 and a decrease by €0.2 billion in the national funds earmarked for financing the plan. The request also reflects the downward revision of Slovakia's maximum RRF grant allocation (from €6.3 to €6 billion). The latter revision is part of the June 2022 update to the RRF grants allocation key and reflects Slovakia's comparatively better economic outcome in 2020 and 2021 than initially foreseen.

Slovakia has requested to transfer its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), amounting to €36.3 million, to its recovery and resilience plan. These funds, added to Slovakia's REPowerEU grants allocation (€367 million), make the overall submitted modified plan worth €6.4 billion.

The Commission has now up to two months to assess whether the modified plan still fulfils the assessment criteria in the RRF Regulation. If the Commission's assessment is positive, it will make a proposal for an amended Council Implementing Decision to reflect the changes to the Slovak plan. Member States will then have up to four weeks to endorse the Commission's assessment.

More information on the process concerning REPowerEU chapters and the revision of recovery and resilience plans can be found in this Q&A.

(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 2 299 63 02; Tommaso Alberini - Tel: +32 2 295 70 10)

NextGenerationEU: Malta submits request to modify recovery and resilience plan and add a REPowerEU chapter

Today, Malta submitted a request to the Commission to modify its recovery and resilience plan, to which it also wants to add a REPowerEU chapter.

Malta's proposed modification of the plan foresees new transformative measures to deliver on the REPowerEU objectives. The REPowerEU chapter added to Malta's recovery and resilience plan includes a reform aiming at accelerating the permitting of renewable energy projects and introducing an obligation to install rooftop solar panels on new buildings. It also includes an investment targeted at upgrading and expanding the capacity of Malta's electricity grid, including battery storage solutions. At the same time, Malta is proposing to remove three investments from the plan and modify a small number of measures. The overall reform ambition of Malta's recovery and resilience plan remains unchanged.

Malta's request to modify its plan is based on the need to factor in the downward revision of its maximum RRF grant allocation, from €316 million to €258 million. The revision is part of the June 2022 update to the RRF grants allocation key and reflects Malta's comparatively better economic outcome in 2020 and 2021 than initially foreseen.

Malta has requested to transfer a portion of its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), amounting to €40 million, to its recovery and resilience plan. These funds, added to Malta's REPowerEU grants allocation (€30 million), make the overall submitted modified plan worth €328 million.

The Commission has now up to two months to assess the amendments put forward by Malta and evaluate whether the modified plan still fulfils the assessment criteria in the RRF Regulation. If the Commission's assessment is positive, it will make a proposal for an amended Council Implementing Decision to reflect the changes to the Maltese plan. Member States will then have up to four weeks to endorse the Commission's assessment.

More information on the process concerning REPowerEU chapters and the revision of recovery and resilience plans can be found in this Q&A.

(For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 2 299 63 02; Tommaso Alberini - Tel: +32 2 295 70 10)

State aid: Commission approves amendment to 2022-2027 regional aid map for Portugal

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, an amendment to Portugal's map for granting regional aid from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2027, within the framework of the revised regional aid guidelines.

On 8 February 2022, the Commission approved the 2022-2027 regional aid map for Portugal. On 14 December 2022, the Commission approved Portugal's Territorial Just Transition Plans that identify the territories eligible for support from the Just Transition Fund. The territories are located in regions eligible for aid under Article 107(3)(a) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (so-called 'a' areas), which allows aid to support the most disadvantaged regions.

In order to further address regional disparities, the amendment to Portugal's regional aid map approved today enables higher maximum amounts of aid to investments in those territories. The maximum amounts of aid will increase from 30% to 40% of the eligible investment costs in parts of the regions of Norte, Centro and Alentejo.

The non-confidential version of today's decision will be made available under the case number SA.106697 in the State Aid Register on the Commission's competition website. New publications of state aid decisions on the internet and in the Official Journal are listed in the Competition Weekly e-News.

(For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 2 298 70 24; Nina Ferreira - Tel.: +32 2 299 81 63)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Gestion de la migration : la commissaire Johansson se rend en Tunisie pour renforcer la coopération

Ylva Johansson, commissaire chargée des affaires intérieures, se rend en Tunisie aujourd'hui. Cette visite permettra de renforcer le partenariat stratégique avec le pays d'Afrique du Nord, dans le cadre d'une approche « Team Europe ». Au cours de sa visite, elle rencontrera Kamel Feki, ministre de l'Intérieur ; Malek Ezzah, ministre des Affaires sociales ; et Nabil Ammar, ministre des Affaires étrangères.

Les discussions porteront essentiellement sur la lutte conjointe contre le trafic de migrants afin de contribuer à la prévention de la migration irrégulière, aux retours et à la réintégration, en assurant la protection des migrants les plus vulnérables, ainsi qu'à la migration légale.

La visite de la commissaire Johansson s'inscrit dans le cadre d'un engagement politique plus large de l'Union européenne et de ses États membres avec la Tunisie et dans le cadre du partenariat stratégique entre l'UE et la Tunisie.

(Pour plus d'informations: Anitta Hipper — Tél.: +32 2 298 56 91; Andrea Masini — Tél.: +32 2 299 15 19)

Commissioner Breton visits Greece to pursue EU defence industry tour

Tomorrow, Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, will be in Greece to meet with government officials and defence industry manufacturers as part of his tour of EU defence industries.

Commissioner Breton will meet with Minister of Defence, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, to exchange views on the urgent need to increase ammunition production for Ukraine and the EU's security. 

Later in the day, Commissioner Breton will visit two major defence equipment factories. He will meet with representatives of manufacturers to assess the needs of the defence industry so the EU can provide tailored support, including potentially through EU funds, and address relevant bottlenecks.

In the days to come, the Commissioner will continue to engage with EU defence industry and visit industrial facilities in order to facilitate and accelerate industrial ramp-up.

(For more information: Miriam Garcia Ferrer – Tel.: +32 2 299 90 75; Flore Boutier - Tel.: +32 2 296 60 43)

La commissaire Ferreira à La Réunion pour les célébrations des 40 ans de la région

Du 28 avril au 1er mai, Elisa Ferreira, commissaire à la Cohésion et aux Réformes, sera dans la région ultrapériphérique française de La Réunion, sur invitation du président de la région, pour participer aux célébrations officielles des 40 ans des premières élections régionales.

La Commission a soutenu cette région ultrapériphérique avec un financement européen important, une législation adaptée et un soutien sur mesure pour la construction ou l'expansion d'infrastructures clés ainsi que le développement économique et social global.

Pour la période de programmation 2021-2027, La Réunion recevra près de 3 milliards d'euros dans les domaines de la cohésion, de la politique sociale, de l'agriculture et de la pêche.

Au cours de sa mission, la commissaire Ferreira rencontrera plusieurs entités dont la présidente de la région Réunion, Huguette Bello ; le ministre français des Collectivités territoriales, Dominique Faure ; la ministre malgache des Affaires étrangères, Yvette Sylla ; le président de la commission REGI du Parlement européen, Younous Omarjee ; la présidente de l'Association Régions de France, Carole Delga ; la vice-présidente de la Région Guadeloupe, Marie-Luce Penchard ; et le député européen, Stéphane Bijoux.

Elle visitera, entre autres, quelques-uns des projets les plus emblématiques soutenus par les fonds de cohésion : l'aéroport Roland Garros, l'agrandissement du Grand Port Maritime, la route « Nouvelle Route du Littoral », et les installations de recherche de Saint-Pierre financées par le Programme Interreg Océan Indien.

Plus de détails sur les célébrations ici et sur le soutien aux régions ultrapériphériques dans la stratégie renouvelée de la Commission pour les régions ultrapériphériques de l'UE.

(Pour plus d'informations: Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tél.: +32 2 298 46 80; Veronica Favalli – Tél.: +32 2 298 72 69)

La commissaire Kyriakides se rend en Espagne pour discuter des priorités en matière de santé et de sécurité alimentaire

Le vendredi 28 avril, la commissaire en charge de la santé et de la sécurité alimentaire, Stella Kyriakides, sera à Madrid pour discuter de la coopération sur les priorités clés dans le domaine de la santé et de la sécurité alimentaire, en vue de la prochaine présidence espagnole du Conseil de l'Union européenne.

La commissaire Kyriakides rencontrera le ministre de la Santé, José Manuel Miñones, pour discuter des objectifs communs sur un certain nombre de dossiers prioritaires en matière de santé au regard de la prochaine présidence espagnole. Aux côtés du ministre Miñones, elle visitera également les installations de l'Institut de santé Carlos III à Madrid, en mettant l'accent sur l'approche de l'Espagne en matière de recherche, d'innovation et de formation dans le domaine de la santé.

 La commissaire rencontrera également le ministre de l'Agriculture, de la Pêche et de l'Alimentation, Luis Planas Puchades, pour discuter des principales priorités relatives à la Stratégie de l'UE « de la ferme à la table » et des priorités de la présidence espagnole dans le domaine de la sécurité alimentaire.

(Pour plus d'informations: Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tél.: +32 2 298 46 80; Célia Dejond – Tél.: +32 2 298 81 99)

Europe Day 2023: celebrating European unity

On 9 May, the European Union will celebrate Europe Day 2023, a moment to commemorate the Schuman Declaration on 9 May 1950. To mark the special occasion, the EU institutions, including EU delegations and representations worldwide, will organise a wide range of online and on-site activities, providing citizens with the opportunity to discover and experience the European Union.

This May, Europe Day will bring citizens together to learn more about how the EU is supporting peace, security and democracy through its resolve in face of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and other conflicts worldwide. Europe Day 2023 will also enable visitors to get better acquainted with the EU's efforts to build a Europe which is green, digital and competitive, fair and skilled, as well as strong, resilient and safe.

EU citizens will be able to experience the EU institutions in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. On Saturday, 6 May, citizens will be able to visit the EU institutions in Brussels and get involved in a wide range of events and activities across the EU Member States.  On Tuesday, 9 May, citizens will be able to visit the European Court of Justice and the European village in Luxembourg city, set up by the Commission representation together with the national authorities, Member States' embassies, EU Institutions based in Luxembourg and civil society. On Saturday, 13 May, the public will be able to look around the European Parliament in Strasbourg and see the seat of Europe's largest democratic body.

This year, it will also shed special light on the 2023 European Year of Skills, which will kick off on 9 May, when the EU will host the European Year of Skills Festival. The festival will link to many other activities putting skills centre stage in different parts of Europe.

For more details on the EU's 2023 Europe Day activities across the 27 EU member states and around the world, please visit the interinstitutional Europe Day web page.

A press release is available online.

(For more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 2 298 65 00; Tommaso Alberini – Tel.: +32 2 295 70 10)

Liste des points prévus à l'ordre du jour des prochaines réunions de la Commission

Veuillez noter que ces informations sont données sous réserve de modifications.

Prochains événements de la Commission européenne

Eurostat: communiqués de presse