Implementation of the recovery and resilience plans

Subject: Implementation of the recovery and resilience plans

The Recovery and Resilience Plan presented by the Commission and subsequently adopted by the institutions is the largest stimulus package to have been presented to date.

NextGenerationEU funding amounts to EUR 806.9 billion, with the Commission asserting that these instruments, reforms and investments will provide us with a greener, more digital and more resilient Europe.

Owing to the need for all the Commission’s requirements to be met, plans are being reworked and there are delays in implementation in all quarters.

Bulgaria is entitled to a grant of EUR 5.69 billion, and so far has received just one payment of EUR 1.37 billion, or a mere 24 % of the expected amount. Over the past year, no funding has been received under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

We would like to point out that the projects for which beneficiaries – be they private companies or national or local authority institutions – apply must be implemented by the end of 2026, which would constitute an obstacle and a risk for investors and institutions wishing to participate.

In this connection, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Does it not feel that the Recovery and Resilience Plan could break down and fail to meet its intended objectives?

2. Has an action plan has been developed to cover the eventuality that the projects and reforms cannot be realised?

3. Could this scenario have been avoided if the leading policy-making role had been played by the national institutions, rather than the EU institutions?

Submitted:6.3.2024

Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission (26 April 2024)

Under its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), Bulgaria has already taken the first important steps to implement key policy reforms addressing long-standing challenges, e.g. in the areas of energy, anti-money laundering, judicial system or social protection (1).

Bulgaria also started substantial investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, smart industry, urban transport, as assessed by the Commission before disbursing the first instalment.

In July 2023, the Council recommended Bulgaria to ensure an effective governance structure and strengthen the administrative capacity in order to allow for a swift and steady implementation of its RRP.

The Commission works closely with the Bulgarian authorities to help speed up implementation and ensure successful completion of the plan within the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) timeline.

On 29 September 2023, Bulgaria submitted a request to revise its RRP. The revision factors in the reduced maximum financial contribution, from EUR 6.27 billion to EUR 5.69 billion, in line with the June 2022 update to the RRF contributions for all Member States and includes a request for modification of one measure under Article 21 of the RRF Regulation (2), which allows a plan to be revised when certain milestones or targets can no longer be achieved due to objective circumstances.

Bulgaria removed, downscaled or modified 14 measures facing potential serious delays and/or absorption capacity issues. Bulgaria is expected to submit a second request to modify its plan under Article 21.

In line with the RRF Regulation, each Member State is ultimately responsible for the design of the measures under its RRP and their proper implementation in line with EU and national rules.

1 ∙ ⸱ https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility/country-pages/bulgarias-recovery-and-resilience-

plan_en 2 ∙ ⸱

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0241