Private and cooperative schools’ access to the recovery and resilience plan

Subject: Private and cooperative schools’ access to the recovery and resilience plan

Private and cooperative schools in Portugal have not been able to apply for support from the country’s recovery and resilience plan to set up specialised technology centres and modernise education and vocational training facilities.

In the first phase, which has already come to an end, applications were turned down on the grounds that they would be eligible only in the second phase. Later, however, the government informed private and cooperative education schools, via the managing body, that they would not be eligible in the second phase either, on the basis that they had not been approved by the European Commission. Apparently, the contract with the European Commission would need to be amended to include the schools, and a request to make that amendment had already been made.

1. Is the Commission aware of this situation? Does it not believe that denying private and cooperative schools which provide vocational training access to the recovery and resilience plan constitutes discrimination?

2. What are the legal and regulatory grounds for the Portuguese Government’s claim that the European Commission has not given its approval?

3. Has the Portuguese Government contacted the Commission to inform it about the situation and request a change to the contract so as to give private and cooperative schools access to recovery and resilience plan funds?

Submitted: 21.3.2023

Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission (26 May 2023)

The Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP (1)) includes a measure (2) aimed at installing and modernising Specialised Technological Centres in public secondary schools offering professional courses and vocational schools, as well as upgrading the network of professional training centres under the public employment service.

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (3), Member States are afforded the possibility to modify their plans in accordance with the requirements set forth in the regulation.

Presently, the Portuguese authorities are engaged in discussions with the Commission on possible modifications that the Portuguese authorities might decide to propose, notably in the context of the RepowerEU chapter.

The approval by the Council of the amendment to the RRP will be done in accordance with the procedure set up in the regulation.

1 ∙ ⸱ https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10149-2021-ADD-1-REV-1/en/pdf

2 ∙ ⸱ Investment RE-C06-i01: Modernisation of vocational education and training institutions.

3 ∙ ⸱ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0241&from=EN