NextGenerationEU: European Commission endorses positive preliminary assessment of Spain's third payment request for €6 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

The European Commission has endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Spain's payment request for €6 billion (net of pre-financing) in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the key instrument at the heart of NextGenerationEU.

On 11 November 2022, Spain submitted to the Commission a payment request based on the achievement of the 24 milestones and 5 targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision for the third instalment. The milestones and targets fulfilled demonstrate again the significant progress made in the implementation of Spain's recovery and resilience plan.

In relation to reforms, they include, among others, the entry into force of the law on telecommunications to facilitate the deployment of high capacity network infrastructure; reforms to accelerate the installation of electric charging infrastructure in car parks; the reform of the law on insolvency to improve the efficiency of insolvency procedures; a reform  to improve the vocational training system and foster its attractiveness; the law against tax evasion and fraud; a reform of the social security contribution system for the self-employed and the review of the current supplementary pension system. The milestones and targets also confirm progress on investments, most notably related to renewable energy production by local communities; the digitalisation and promotion of cultural services; and support to research, development and investments in projects aimed at making the car industry more sustainable.

With their request, the Spanish authorities provided detailed and comprehensive evidence demonstrating the fulfilment of the 24 milestones and 5 targets. As required by the RRF Regulation, Spain has also confirmed that measures related to previously satisfactorily fulfilled milestones and targets have not been reversed. The Commission has thoroughly assessed this information before presenting its positive preliminary assessment of the payment request.

Based on the evidence submitted by the Spanish authorities and the controls carried out, the Commission has also concluded that Spain has ensured continued compliance with Milestone 173. In the framework of the first payment request, the Commission and the member states had considered that Milestone 173 – putting in place an IT system to monitor and control the plan – was satisfactorily fulfilled. To ensure continued compliance with Milestone 173 and its audit and control obligations included in the Financing Agreement, Spain made a number of additional commitments which have now been assessed as satisfactorily fulfilled.

Spain's recovery and resilience plan includes a wide range of investment and reform measures organised in 30 thematic components. The plan will be supported by €69.5bn in grants, 13% of which (€9 billion) was disbursed to Spain as pre-financing in August 2021. Moreover, a first payment worth €10 billion was disbursed to Spain on 27 December 2021. A second payment worth €12 billion was disbursed to Spain on 27 June 2022.

Payments under the RRF are performance-based and contingent on member states implementing the investments and reforms outlined in their respective recovery and resilience plans.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (pictured) said: “I am happy to announce that Spain has taken another important step on its path towards recovery. We have assessed that the country has made sufficient progress to receive its third payment under NextGenerationEU. As always, member states will have to endorse our assessment. Then, Spain will receive €6bn in grants. This important step testifies to Spain's ongoing push to drive forward its green and digital transitions – for instance, through progress on renewable energy and the digitalisation of services and key infrastructure – and its own social and economic resilience. For example, Spain has been improving its vocational training system and has made insolvency procedures faster and less costly. ¡Enhorabuena, España! Keep up the good work, the Commission stands by your side.”

Next steps

The Commission has now sent its positive preliminary assessment of Spain's fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), asking for its opinion. The EFC's opinion, to be delivered within a maximum of four weeks, should be taken into account in the Commission's assessment. Following the EFC's opinion, the Commission will adopt the final decision on the disbursement of the financial contribution, in accordance with the examination procedure, through a comitology committee. Following the adoption of the decision by the Commission, the disbursement to Spain can take place.

The Commission will assess further payment requests by Spain based on the fulfilment of the milestones and targets outlined in the Council Implementing Decision, reflecting progress on the implementation of the investments and reforms.

The amounts disbursed to the member states are published in the Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard, which shows progress of the implementation of the national recovery and resilience plans.

More information

Preliminary assessment

Questions and Answers on Spain's third disbursement request under NextGenerationEU

Press release: Assessment of Spain's second disbursement request

Press release: Assessment of Spain's first disbursement request

Press release: €9 billion in pre-financing to Spain

Questions and Answers: Spain's €69.5 billion recovery and resilience plan

Factsheet on Spain's recovery and resilience plan

Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision

Annex to the Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision

Staff-working document

Recovery and Resilience Facility

Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation

Questions and Answers: Recovery and Resilience Facility

EU as a borrower website

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