Ecofin, the council that brings together the economic and financial ministers of the European Union, approved on Tuesday 12 National recovery and resilience plans (Pnrr), including that of theItaly. These are the plans presented in Brussels by the end of April to access the funds of the "Next Generation Eu" Recovery Plan, the post-pandemic recovery plan which in Italy is often identified with the Recovery Fund.
Together with that of our country, the Pnrr of have received the green light Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia e Spain. Nothing to do instead for Hungary, at the center of the controversy over the approval of homophobic laws.
The 12 countries can now sign grant agreements and loan agreements with the EU which will allow pre-financing up to 13% of the total amount of each plan. For Italy, it is a little more than 25 billion euros.
“I think it is very important that the final formal approval of these plans comes just as the recovery is underway, because this will give a boost to confidence in markets and countries, allowing investments and reforms to kick off – said the commissioner for economic affairs, Paolo Gentiloni, arriving at the Ecofin meeting – Of course we are all committed to making this work. The formal decision is an essential part of what will happen in the coming weeks, months and years, it is the decisive part of this extraordinary and unprecedented programme".
During the meeting, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, he said that “the moment is still uncertain and the coming months are still difficult, but 2021 could become the year in which the exit from the pandemic will be done. Full implementation of the recovery and resilience plan is the priority for the coming years. We need to make progress on digital finance and accelerate the transition into the real economy, encouraging sustainable investments".
