Italy will meet the national recovery plan deadlines set by Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto said after the Italian Court of Auditors criticised the government for delays.

Italy’s recovery and resilience plan envisages €191.5 billion in investments and 527 targets. However, bureaucracy and an often inadequate public administration could stand in the way of fast implementation.

“Our plan is the biggest in Europe, and a revision of it requires a careful check to avoid the risk of doing hastily and badly”, said Meloni in an interview with Il Messagero

She added that Italy is on track and will spend all the funds “usefully and efficiently”, she added.

Fitto also voiced concerns about spending the Brussels funds.

“Some interventions between now and 30 June 2026 cannot be realised, which is mathematical. We must say this clearly and not wait until 2025 to open the debate on whose fault it is”, said Fitto.

In a recent report, the Court of Auditors found that €24.5 billion had been spent in 2022, while only €1.2 billion has so far been paid in 2023. Of the total €191.5 billion, Italy had thus spent 13.4%.

“A constructive approach is needed from everyone so that projects are implemented and accounted for properly”, said Fitto, calling the court of auditor’s analysis “misleading”.

“Only after the start of the works will it be possible to report on the progress, and then there will be a consequent increase in the expenditure actually incurred”, Fitto stressed.

(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)

Read more with EURACTIV

Editor’s Take