Subject: Implementation data for the Recovery and Resilience Facility in Spain
On 27 April 2021, when the Spanish Government presented its recovery, transformation and resilience plan, it highlighted the strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation (‘PERTEs’) as an innovative tool with which to make large transformative investments with the involvement of the relevant authorities and private enterprise, particularly SMEs.
According to the most recent data on implementation of the Spanish General Budget, as of 31 October 2023, the implementation rate for PERTEs stands at next to nothing: some with 0% of payments made and most of them at below 10%.
1. Given the sluggish rate of implementation for the PERTEs, does the Commission consider that these instruments are helping to ensure the swift implementation of EU funding received by Spain?
2. The Autonomous Communities have publicly complained that they were not involved in drawing up the plan, in defining the PERTEs or in implementing expenditure. Would it be advisable to redesign these PERTEs with the support of the autonomous governments and also to create regional PERTEs that meet the needs of the sectors of their respective productive economies?
Submitted: 14.12.2023
Answer given by Mr Gentiloni on behalf of the European Commission
(2 April 2024)
The approval of three strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation (PERTEs) and budget awards relating to projects that are part of it are covered by milestones 182, 183 and 184 of Component 12 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) of Spain, which are currently being assessed by the Commission in the context of the fourth payment request. Other measures in other components in the Plan also pertain to different aspects of PERTEs.
The PERTEs are a new figure under Spanish law conceived for projects — within the RRP or beyond the Plan — that have the potential to structurally transform strategic sectors of the Spanish economy.
As a result, many of them take years to complete. They can contribute to reinforcing the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the EU.
The Commission has called on Member States to involve all relevant stakeholders, including regions, in the design and implementation of their Recovery and Resilience Plans.
The Commission notes that the revised Plan of Spain includes among others a new Regional Resilience Fund that aims at supporting regions to pursue projects that are of interest for their territory in the following priority areas: social and affordable housing and urban regeneration; sustainable transport; industrial and small and medium-sized enterprises’ competitiveness; research, development and innovation; sustainable tourism; care economy; water and waste management; and energy transition.