Commission greenlights Austria's final payment request of €306 million under NextGenerationEU

Today, the European Commission positively assessed Austria's fifth and final payment request for €306 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU.

With this fifth and final payment request, Austria joins the group of Member States having reached 100% of reforms and investments linked to its recovery and resilience plan - corresponding to €3.96 billion. This marks a major milestone in the implementation of the RRF and shows Austria's commitment to delivering reforms and investments under its plan.

The Commission found that Austria has satisfactorily completed all the outstanding 8 milestones and 10 targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision.

This final request completes the delivery of reforms and investments under the Austrian plan, including in key areas such as the decarbonisation of businesses, sustainable mobility, circular economy and biodiversity, as well as innovation and culture.

Flagship measures in this payment request include:

• Promoting the clean transition by financing 19 major projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions in industry and transport. These include investments to improve energy efficiency in industrial production and replace gas with renewable energy. It also involves the improvement of parts of the new Koralm railway, which cuts travel time between Graz and Klagenfurt from three hours to just 45 minutes and helps move freight from road to rail.
• Expanding high-speed broadband access across Austria by investing in gigabyte-capable networks for more than 80,000 households, leading to improved digital inclusion in rural areas.
• Strengthening research and innovation and fostering Austria's long-term competitiveness by funding research infrastructures and collaborative projects in quantum computing, as well as innovation in the microelectronics and hydrogen sectors.
• Optimising public spending linked to the green and digital transitions through a series of spending reviews. These reviews check how effectively public funds are used, helping Austria meet its climate and digitalisation objectives in a more cost-effective way.

Next steps

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

Background

Austria submitted its payment request on 29 July 2026. Austria's recovery and resilience plan has a strong focus on the green transition and is comprehensive, with a good balance between investments and reforms. Key reforms include the eco-social tax reform, the introduction of the Klimaticket, the nation-wide annual season ticket for public transport, reforms in early childhood education, long-term care, and pensions. Key investments include climate investments, sustainable mobility, digital end-devices for school children, primary health care centres and broadband expansion.

This payment request would bring the total funds paid out to Austria under the RRF to €3.96 billion. This means that 100% of the funding allocated to Austria under its recovery and resilience plan will be delivered once the Council has also greenlighted this payment request, with all 166 milestones and targets successfully fulfilled.

In view of the closure of the Facility at the end of 2026, Member States had to implement all outstanding milestones and targets by 31 August. Their final payment requests have to be submitted by the end of September 2026.

For more information

Austria's recovery and resilience plan

Recovery and Resilience Facility

Recovery and Resilience Facility project map

Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard

Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation

Recovery and Resilience Facility - questions and answers