EPP meets in Warsaw on €60bn recovery funds

06.10.2022 9:16

EPP meets in Warsaw on €60bn recovery funds

Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, Poland

Leading EPP Group Members will visit Warsaw, Poland on Friday (7 October) to discuss plans and opportunities for the €60 billion in EU recovery funds ring-fenced for the country. The Warsaw visit is the first in a series across Member States, jointly organised by the EPP Group in the European Parliament and the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions, to oversee national recovery plans.

"The EU's Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF), currently valued at over €806 billion, was created following an EPP initiative calling for a dedicated EU-wide economic recovery package to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poland stands to benefit from €60 billion (almost 300 billion zlotys) under the RRF, if all opportunities are seized and the funds are managed well", EPP Group Vice-Chairman Siegfried Mureşan MEP said ahead of tomorrow's visit.

"Of course, it is the city Mayors and local government officials on the ground who know how and where recovery funds could be used effectively. Unfortunately, in Poland, it seems that their valuable local expertise is being overlooked by the Law and Justice government. The EPP Group is keen to meet with locally-elected representatives to hear their views. At the same time, the European Parliament has a responsibility to monitor the rollout of the recovery funds, while the Commission must scrutinise the fulfilment of the RRF milestones before making any payments", Mureşan said.

Andrzej Halicki MEP, Leader of the Polish Delegation of the EPP Group, said: "I look forward to welcoming my EPP colleagues to Warsaw on Friday to discuss how to maximise the recovery fund's potential and to ensure that people and businesses, particularly small to medium-sized businesses, feel the benefits. The recovery fund should not only help us to rebuild after the pandemic, but also to be better prepared for the future. The almost €60 billion is stronger support for Poland than available budgetary funds. It would be really deplorable not to make full use of it."

As co-author of the Parliament's first implementation Report on the RRF, Siegfried Mureşan is also warning against unnecessary delays: “Member States must speed up the pace of reforms and investments. Delays must be avoided at all costs. We expect them to pursue structural reforms and investments, which will have long-lasting positive effects on the EU economy. More than €200 billion in loans are still available under the recovery fund. As Europe continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and is now confronted with the impact of the war in Ukraine, rising energy costs and inflation, we urge Member States to make full use of the fund. Reforms and projects should contribute to a more resilient, greener, and more digital EU."

Note to editors

The EPP Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 177 Members from all EU Member States

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