As part of a wide-ranging response, the aim of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.
The EPP Group in the European Parliament together with the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions organised a "Road to Recovery" conference debate in Kosice on 26th May.
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of West Pomerania Region (Poland) and President of the EPP-CoR Group highlighted that: "As EPP regional and local politicians, we are responsible and committed to ensure all levels of government work together on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. As we move well into 2023, we also progress in the lifetime of the RRF with significant deadlines in August and December of this year for requests of loans, and modifying National Plans and committing RRF funds respectively. Our EPP signature on the RRF needs to continue to achieve balanced reforms and investments, ensuring better access for LRAs to RRF funds and full transparency and parliamentary control, and utilising the untapped potential of the considerable financing that still remains. A correct involvement of local and regional authorities is a guarantee of the success of the RRF!"
Siegfried Mureșan MEP, Vice-Chair of the EPP-EP Group and Chairman of the Working Group for Budget and Structural Policies added that "With 64% of its allocation dedicated to the digital and climate transition, Slovakia's RRF is fostering economic growth and creating jobs, while strengthening economic, social and institutional resilience. Slovakia can be proud of what has been achieved so far, as more than 2 billion euros have already been sent from Brussels, thanks to the well-drafted National Recovery Plan by Prime Minister Heger's government. The RRF will trigger reforms, which will help all Member States grow and create new job opportunities and better public services. We want these funds to be implemented together with local and regional authorities as they know best where the money is needed and how best to spend it."
"As EPP, I believe we need to reflect on how to stronger anchor the principles of subsidiarity and multi-level governance in the EU treaties and how to more efficiently monitor its applications in practice. I see a paradigm shift from shared management, towards more centralised, national coordination of programs such as the RRF, Just Transition Fund, Brexit Adjustment Reserve, where regional funds can be transferred to in a flexible way by Member States. Unfortunately, local and regional authorities are being left out more and more" said Rob Jonkman, Alderman of the municipality of Opsterland (Netherlands).
Radim Sršeň, Deputy Minister of Regional Affairs, Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky (Czech Republic) said that "In rural areas we need to use RRF funds to help reduce digital and climate transition gaps. Unfortunately, the principle of subsidiarity is not taken into account as it was in the case of Cohesion Funds and this needs to change if we want to make sure that the implementation of the RRF will happen in time defore the 2026 deadline. We should find more synergies between cohesion policy and RRF, as they can complement each other in order to avoid duplication and achieve our digital transition aims more efficiently."