March 28. 2024. 6:56

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Italy won’t give up National Recovery Plan funding, says minister


Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti wants to settle the dispute regarding delays in implementing the national recovery plan, claiming that the European Commission is also interested in Italy investing and moving forward.

The European Commission is pushing member states, including Italy, to amend their national recovery plans (NRP) before requesting funds. Doing so makes eliminating the projects that have accumulated the most delays possible.

Changes to the national recovery plan are, in any case, requested by Brussels to add the energy chapter of the RePowerEu.

However, while Meloni’s government has not yet submitted its proposed changes to the plan, an EU Commission spokesman reported “permanent contacts are ongoing” with Italy.

“I don’t want to give up anything at all if the NRP funds are convenient”, said Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti (Lega/ID). While the minister admitted to an eventual step back being a blow to Italy’s image, he stressed, “We have to assess which investments are the most productive in terms of growth capacity for the country, and if some project is no longer relevant it is our duty to review it”.

The additional chapter on energy will allow Italy to spend the €2.7 billion made available by Brussels, which – the Commission points out – must be used for “new measures and new investments” to accelerate the energy transition.

Other changes to the national recovery plan, often invoked by the Italian government in the face of new requirements dictated by the war in Ukraine, can only be requested if justified by objective reasons.

“The European Commission is also interested in Italy investing and moving well (…) Let’s get out of the political debate in this clash between Italian and European bureaucracy”, Giorgetti said in response to criticism against the government.

Italy has already received almost €67 billion of the €191.5 billion foreseen by the Recovery Fund.

The European Commission’s assessment work on the third instalment, worth €19 billion, is still ongoing, but an EU executive spokesperson said that there are “constructive exchanges with the Italian authorities” and that “it is not unusual” for there to be delays with respect to the planned deadlines.

As for the fourth instalment of €16 billion, Italy has yet to meet some of Brussels’ targets.

“This government has spent 1 billion out of the 33 foreseen by the NRP for 2023, it is insanely late and instead of speeding up the procedures to ground these resources, it shifts the focus to the concomitant audits of the Court of Auditors, looking for a new scapegoat. This is crazy. The future of our country depends on the Nrp”, said 5-Star Movement MP Chiara Appendino.

(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)

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