First green light of the European Commission to Italy’s second request for payment of 21 billion euros (10 billions of subsidies and 11 billion of loans, net of pre-financings), as part of the device for the recovery and the resilience (RRF), a key tool of the Next Generation Eu programme, with which the NRRP is financed. The Commission has approved the positive preliminary assessment and has sent the documentation to the Economic and Financial Committee, which will deliver an opinion within a maximum of four weeks. After obtaining the opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee, the Commission will take the final decision on the disbursement of the financial contribution through committee in accordance with the examination procedure. The allocation to Italy may be made after the Commission has adopted its decision.
On 28 June 2022, Italy submitted to the Commission a payment request based on the 45 goals and objectives selected in the Council implementing decision for the second instalment. These goals and objectives concern reforms in the areas of public employment, public procurement, the teaching profession, tax administration and territorial health care. The payment application includes investments in key strategic sectors, including ultra-broadband and 5G, research and innovation, tourism and culture, hydrogen, urban regeneration and the digitisation of schools. This payment request also includes an investment to support the reform of the judicial system and reduce the case backlog.
Together with the request, the Italian authorities have provided detailed and comprehensive evidence demonstrating the achievement of the 45 goals and objectives. The Commission carefully assessed this information before submitting its positive preliminary assessment of the payment claim.
The Italian Government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) foresees a wide range of investments and reforms in six thematic areas (called "Missions"), for a total value of 191.6 billion euros, (69 billion in grants and 122.6 billion in loans) 13 % of which (9 billion in grants and 15.9 billion in loans) were paid to Italy by the EU as pre-financing on 13 August 2021.
Payments under the RRF shall be performance-based and subject to the implementation by Member States of the investments and reforms foreseen in their recovery and resilience plans.