Commission greenlights Romania's fourth payment request for €2.62 billion under NextGenerationEU

Today, the European Commission issued a positive preliminary assessment of  Romania's fourth payment request for €2.62 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU.  

This important step relates to the delivery of the funds tied to this payment request, supporting sustainable forest management, decarbonisation of the transport and energy sectors, tax administration, public pensions, healthcare infrastructure, and social infrastructure for persons with disabilities. They also aim to strengthen government decision-making, advance digitalisation, improve the efficiency of the justice system, reinforce the fight against corruption, and support the development of the education system. 

The Commission found that Romania has satisfactorily completed the 38 milestones and 24 targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision.  

Flagship measures in this payment request include: 

• Deploying a governmental cloud: Romania has made significant progress in rolling out its governmental cloud infrastructure, with more than 30 public institutions already connected. The measure aims to modernise public administration by improving data sharing, while enabling more efficient and user-friendly public services. 

• Decarbonising the transport and energy sectors: Romania has adopted measures to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. These include introducing higher ownership taxes on the most polluting vehicles and progressively reducing reliance on coal-fired power generation. 

• Reviewing the tax framework: Romania has introduced legislative changes to make its tax system fairer and more efficient, reducing administrative burden and improving tax compliance. By simplifying procedures and ensuring a more balanced distribution of the tax burden, the reform seeks to strengthen public finances while fostering a more business-friendly environment. 

Next steps 

The Commission has sent its preliminary assessment of Romania's fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Economic and Financial Committee, which has four weeks to deliver its opinion. The payment to Romania can take place following the EFC's opinion, and the adoption of a payment decision by the Commission later. 

Background 

Romania submitted its fourth payment request on 19 December 2025. 

Romania's recovery and resilience plan sets out wide-ranging investments and reforms with the aim of making its economy and society more sustainable, resilient, and prepared for the green and digital transitions. The plan is financed by €21.41 billion, of which €13.57 billion in grants and €7.84 billion in loans.