Recovery and Resilience Facility and Technical Support Instrument

Key Points

The EESC:

• welcomes the proposed Recovery and Resilience Facility (the "Facility");
• believes that the "Facility" should support the transition towards climate neutrality and digital economy via funds from Next Generation EU to help alleviate the socio-economic impacts of the transition in the regions most affected. In light of the coronavirus crisis, not only the need for a sustainable, green and digital recovery has become even more pressing, but also the need to provide support to the most vulnerable regions;
• thinks that the plans submitted by the Member States should address the main challenges identified in the European Semester and should be harmonized with the principles of European Green Deal and Digital Agenda;
• thinks that the plans should provide support to Medium and Small size enterprises through direct financial support;
• underlines the need for a quick and effective coordination of actions at the level of European Commission, European Parliament and European Council  so as to avoid delays that will jeopardize the achievement of Facility goals. An immediate and full response of the Member States is required given the short time within which the various project plans should be prepared and completed;
• encourages Member States to cooperate closely with the European Commission in the fields of approving, monitoring and successful completion of the project plans submitted under the aegis of Facility, and to share best practices regarding the allocation and disbursement of available funds;
• encourages Member States to integrate the role as well as the views of the social partners and civil society organisations in the plans submitted by them;
• considers the Technical Support Instrument as an efficient complement to the packages of measures that are proposed by the Commission to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.