Vice-President of the European Parliament leads successful push to extend Recovery and Resilience Facility implementation timeline
The European Parliament has adopted a key report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)—the EU’s flagship investment programme for post-pandemic recovery—opening the door to a potential 18-month extension for completing mature projects across Member States. The report was co-authored and negotiated by European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu and received broad political backing, with 421 votes in favour out of 656 votes cast.
During the plenary debate, Victor Negrescu emphasized that the RRF is “a historic achievement for the European Union” and a “test of our ability to deliver where it matters most.” He highlighted that only 28% of milestones and targets had been fully met by the end of 2024, and over €300 billion in funds still need to be disbursed. “If we do not act, we risk leaving essential investments unfinished,” he warned.
Concrete Solutions for Real Challenges
The adopted report outlines a series of pragmatic measures designed to address implementation bottlenecks and ensure the timely and effective use of the remaining RRF funds. Among the key recommendations:
– The call to extend the implementation period by 18 months for mature projects that cannot be completed by August 2026;
– The transfer of unfinished projects to other sources of European funding, such as the Cohesion Fund, the European Investment Fund, or a potential new Competitiveness Fund;
– The introduction of clear, objective, and fair evaluation criteria, along with greater flexibility in the revision process of Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs);
– Simplifying access to funding for local and regional authorities;
– The genuine involvement of social partners and civil society in the design and revision process, to ensure that the plans reflect the real needs of communities;
– Reiterating the European Parliament’s initial call for allocating 10% to education and 2% to the creative and cultural sectors within the NRRPs.
“A reform is useless if nobody can implement it. Digital training requires connectivity. A hospital cannot function with just the walls built,” Victor Negrescu stated in his speech, underlining the need to ground EU-level policy in local realities.
A political signal for adaptation, not just a technical document
Victor Negrescu stressed that the report is not merely technical, but a strong political message. “It is a guarantee that EU money will be spent transparently, efficiently, and where it matters most.”
Although the European Commission has already partially incorporated some of the report’s proposals into its recent communication “NextGenerationEU: The Road to 2026”, the report pushes for a more comprehensive package. “Interestingly, these ideas were initially rejected. But partial progress is not enough. We need the full package,” Victor Negrescu said.
Broad political support across the EU
The adoption of the report reflects strong cross-party consensus in the European Parliament on the urgent need to adapt the RRF to real-world implementation challenges. It sends a clear message of support to citizens and local communities across Europe who depend on the success of these investments.
“Through our vote, we send a clear message: that we stand with our citizens, that we fight for the completion of essential projects, that we want every cent to count, and that Europe can and will deliver if it has the courage to adapt,” said Victor Negrescu.
The report coordinated by MEPs Victor Negrescu and Siegfried Mureșan draws attention to the fact that over €300 billion have yet to be disbursed, while the European Court of Auditors has repeatedly flagged risks related to transparency and implementation. Moreover, the overall implementation rate across the EU remains well below the established target, with only around 30% of milestones and targets fully achieved so far.
What comes next?
With Parliament’s green light, attention now turns to the European Commission and Council. A swift legislative proposal will be needed to formally extend the implementation deadline and operationalize the additional flexibility mechanisms.
The next step toward extending the Recovery and Resilience Plans involves approval by the Member States and the European Commission taking up the European Parliament’s proposals.
Member States are encouraged to prepare eligible mature projects for continuation under the extension window, assess which projects may need to be transferred to other funding streams, and work with national and regional authorities to implement the necessary adjustments.
“As always, where there is political will, there are solutions,” concluded Victor Negrescu.
