Subject: Foro Santiago: Camino de Consenso (Santiago Forum: Path to Consensus) institutional declaration and disbursement by the Spanish regions of 50% of the EU recovery funds
On 23 November 2021, the presidents of eight Spanish regions signed the Foro Santiago: Camino de Consenso (Santiago Forum: Path to Consensus) institutional declaration (see below).
In paragraph 35 of the declaration, the presidents highlighted ‘the need for truly effective multilevel co- governance’ of the Next Generation EU funds ‘through increased decision-making capacity for the autonomous communities in the allocation of funds’. They stressed that ‘the Government is fulfilling its commitment to devote 50% of the funds received from the European Union to the autonomous communities’.
On 26 October 2021, the Spanish Prime Minister promised that some 50% of the Recovery Plan funds would be disbursed by the autonomous communities, in line with their powers1.
The Commission has already recognised that involving the autonomous communities in the plan is ‘essential for the effectiveness of its implementation, as they play a key role in the design and implementation of many policies and investments’ and that ‘more active involvement of the autonomous communities could help to ensure that reforms and investments are implemented effectively’2.
Is the Commission aware that the autonomous communities are disbursing 50% of the funds under the Spanish Recovery and Resilience Plan?
1 https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/presidente/actividades/Paginas/2020/261020-presidente.aspx
2 Commission Staff Working Document. Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of Spain accompanying
the proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Spain. SWD(2021) 147 final.
Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission (17 February 2022)
The regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (3) recognises that regional and local authorities are key partners to implement reforms and investments. Their involvement should take place in line with the national legal framework.
The Commission is fully aware of the important role that regional authorities play in the implementation of the recovery and resilience plan of Spain, notably in the design and implementations of many reforms and investments.
As stated in the documents underpinning the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan of Spain (4), their involvement is key to ensure its effectiveness and long-lasting impact. With this objective in mind, the Commission has recalled the need to ensure a broader ownership of these authorities in the implementation of the plan.
Since the Recovery and Resilience Facility is a performance-based instrument, the Commission will monitor the achievement of the milestone and targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision endorsing the plan of Spain, but not necessarily the disbursement of funds to the various implementing bodies (such as regions).
⋅1∙ https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/presidente/actividades/Paginas/2020/261020-presidente.aspx
⋅2∙ Commission Staff Working Document. Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of Spain accompanying the proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on the
approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Spain. SWD(2021) 147 final. ⋅3∙ Regulation (EU) 2021/241.
⋅4∙ For references to all documents, see https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_2987