Extension of EU Recovery Plan funding supported by Slovak MEPs

Brussels/Strasbourg – Members of the European Parliament (EP) agreed on Wednesday to extend the funding of recovery plan programs from the EU budget beyond 2026. Longer funding for recovery plan programs is also supported by several Slovak MEPs from various political parties and factions, who provided statements for TASR.

Lucia Yar (RE/PS) stated that “the progressives” support the extension of the recovery plan funding by 18 months, as it is in the best interest of Slovakia and other EU countries. “We voted for the report calling on the European Commission to extend the recovery plans by a year and a half,” she said. She pointed out that Slovakia has only utilized 55% of the recovery plan to date, and there is approximately a year and two months left to draw down several billion euros. Therefore, it is in Slovakia’s interest to gain more time for utilization.

“Delayed payment requests are the result of the current government, which instead of timely implementing the recovery plan, devotes all its energy to substitute issues,” she explained.

Branislav Ondruš (independent/Hlas-SD) said that the first two years after the approval of the Slovak recovery plan, the previous two governments did nothing for its implementation. “We only started implementing reforms in social services and assessment activities in the autumn of 2023, and new capacities in social service facilities began to be built from the recovery plan even later. The healthcare sector was even worse off with hospital construction,” he explained.

The extension of the period for drawing funds until the end of 2027 was supported, which he believes will reduce the risk that the quality of project implementation will suffer due to time pressure. He welcomes the possibility of providing better conditions for providers of modern social services and that the state-owned Forests of Slovakia will maintain jobs for low-skilled workers during the longer forest restoration period.

According to Miriam Lexmann (EPP/KDH), it was not right to set a deadline for completing recovery plan projects, as it is already known from the utilization of other EU funds that member states receive additional time to draw down resources. “I regret that this topic is only on the table now. We could have discussed it much earlier. We need to accommodate member states, especially for projects that have already started and are struggling to be completed,” she said. This step, according to her, will ensure that the recovery plan fulfills its role, namely to support the EU economy and its member states after the pandemic and to ensure their necessary competitiveness. She also expressed concerns about whether Slovakia will be able to meet all the milestones of the recovery plan even with the extended period.

Michal Wiezik (RE/PS) pointed out that EU states have utilized the recovery plan on average at 47% and at 55% in the case of grants, and they have less than a year and a half left to draw down the remaining resources.

“Parliament is coming up with an initiative that in the case of large strategic projects tied to the recovery plan, whose implementation is necessary but challenging, the European Commission should present a plan for an 18-month extension,” he explained. However, member countries should still adhere to the original schedule for project implementation, which brings long-term and medium-term benefits, in order to utilize the offered billions of euros. This also means reassessing some ineffective programs, for example in Slovakia regarding the reform of national parks, and using these resources for projects in the public interest.

Monika Beňová (independent/Smer-SD) reminded that most EU member countries have problems with timely utilization of resources from the recovery plan and welcomed the proposal for funding extension. “It is an excellent tool, one of the most effective, when compared to others from the past,” she stated. (June 18)