The Diplomat
The Government negotiated with the European Commission, in the framework of the addendum to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, to delay two milestones and 28 targets set out in the original timetable for 2023, citing in most cases external reasons for the delay, such as the disruption of supply chains or the increase in costs due to inflation.
This is the conclusion of a report by the Spanish consultancy LLYC, which analyses the recent approval by Brussels of the addendum to the Spanish Recovery Plan, reports Europa Press.
The most relevant aspect of this approval, according to the consultancy firm, lies in the flexibility shown by Brussels with regard to several key programmes related to hydrogen, the circular economy, electric vehicles and industrial decarbonisation.
According to the text of the Adenddum, the relevant milestone for the disbursement schedule agreed with the Commission will be, in the case of projects funded by calls led by IDEA, Fundación Biodiversidad or ENISA, the granting of aid and not the completion of the project.
It has been agreed to give more leeway to extend beyond 2026 the completion of some projects financed with these funds, through public business entities, such as those mentioned above.
Until 2026, transfers to these entities and concessions will have to be made, but not all projects will have to be fully completed by that date, which was originally set as the deadline for the execution of the funds.
Spain thus obtains more time in very significant calls for proposals without being subject to a possible change in the Regulation of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, which would require, if necessary, approval by the 27 national parliaments.
Also noteworthy, according to LLYC, is the lack of ambition and structural character of the new reforms included in the Addendum. They are continuity reforms, many of them already underway, which will not entail major difficulties for their approval in the event of a scenario of continuity of the current government.
“The addendum, therefore, will not serve to deepen in-depth reforms, such as the functioning of public administration or the improvement of competition conditions in various sectors of the Spanish market”, the consultancy firm pointed out.
