The European Commission has received an official recovery and resilience plan from the Netherlands.
This plan sets out the reforms and public investment projects that the Netherlands plans to implement with the support of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The RRF is, according to the EU, at the heart of NextGenerationEU which will provide €800 billion (in current prices) to support investments and reforms across the EU. It will play a crucial role in helping Europe to emerge stronger from the crisis and secure the green and digital transitions.
The presentation of the plan follows intensive dialogue between the Commission and the Dutch authorities.
The Netherlands is entitled to a total of €4.7 billion in grants under the RRF.
The Dutch plan is structured around six pillars: promoting green transition; accelerating the digital transformation; improving the housing market with a focus on building renovation; strengthening the labour market, pensions and future-oriented education; strengthening the public health sector and pandemic preparedness; tackling aggressive tax planning and money laundering.
Projects in the plan cover the entire lifetime of the RRF until 2026. The plan proposes projects in all seven European flagship areas.
The Commission will now assess the Netherlands’ plan based on the eleven criteria set out in the Regulation and translate their contents into legally binding acts. This assessment will include a review of whether the plan contributes to effectively addressing all or a significant subset of challenges identified in the relevant country-specific recommendations issued in the context of the European Semester. The Commission will also assess whether the plan dedicates at least 37% of expenditure to investments and reforms that support climate objectives, and at least 20% to the digital transition.
The Council will have, as a rule, four weeks to adopt the Commission proposal for a Council Implementing Decision.
The Commission has now received 27 recovery and resilience plans. The Commission has adopted positive assessments of 25 Member States’ recovery and resilience plans, which have also been approved by the Council.
