NextGenerationEU reaches its implementation deadline

31 August marked an important milestone for the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the cornerstone of NextGenerationEU, as Member States met the final deadline for implementing the reforms and investments set out in their national recovery and resilience plans. This is a decisive moment for the EU’s unprecedented joint response to two major crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Now that NextGenerationEU is entering its final phase, attention is focused on completing the remaining steps to ensure the successful conclusion of the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Member States have until 30 September 2026 to submit their final payment claims under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), together with all supporting documentation, whilst the Commission will complete all payments by 31 December 2026.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said:

“NextGenerationEU helped to protect our citizens and economies at a time of great uncertainty. It accelerated the transitions to clean energy and digitalisation, reducing Europe’s dependence on energy imports. The reforms and the resilience built will benefit Europe for generations to come.”

At a time of exceptional uncertainty, Europe opted for bold, united and forward-looking action. Through NextGenerationEU and its flagship instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the European Union helped to protect its economy and strengthen its resilience in the face of the pandemic, as well as major geopolitical and energy challenges. This common European response provided the Union with the tools it needed to act decisively, support investment and promote convergence among Member States.

NextGenerationEU boosted economic activity at a critical juncture, helped keep unemployment at historic lows and accelerated strategic investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies. These efforts have strengthened the Union’s energy independence and laid the foundations for greater protection against the volatility of fossil fuel prices. The large-scale roll-out of renewable energy and related reforms, funded through national recovery and resilience plans, have reduced Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthened its resilience to external crises.

NextGenerationEU has also demonstrated an important lesson for Europe’s future: public investment has a particularly strong impact when combined with structural reforms. By linking funding to ambitious national reform and investment agendas, NextGenerationEU has provided a model for more robust EU growth based on resilience, sustainability, productivity and cohesion.

Above all, NextGenerationEU has demonstrated the strength of European unity. It has shown that, when Europe acts swiftly, ambitiously and collectively, it can tackle exceptional challenges. The implementation of the national plans has required a sustained effort on the part of Member States, EU institutions, stakeholders and citizens. Europe is now in the final phase of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, with significant progress already made.

In this context, the Commission today gave the green light to Sweden’s request for a final payment, as the country has successfully completed 100 per cent of its investments and reforms linked to its Recovery and Resilience Plan, shortly after Denmark. To date, €440 billion has been disbursed, and a further €133 billion is expected to be paid out before the end of 2026. The coming months offer an opportunity to build on this momentum and realise the full potential of NextGenerationEU.

Fund

From tomorrow, the Commission will no longer be able to take into account measures adopted by Member States when assessing their payment requests – including payments that have already been suspended – and no further amendments to the recovery and resilience plans may be made.

The Recovery and Resilience Facility has been crucial in mitigating the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst positioning the EU for long-term success. With up to €573,000 million available in grants and loans, the Recovery and Resilience Facility supports Member States’ efforts to:

• Strengthen economic resilience and promote sustainable growth.
• Accelerate the transitions to clean energy and digitalisation, in line with the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target.
• Improve competitiveness through innovation, job creation and structural reforms.
• Payments under the RRF are performance-based, ensuring that funds are disbursed only following the successful implementation of the agreed reforms and investments.

 

More information: European Commission