The European Commission has approved the disbursement of 7.021 billion euros following the achievement of more than 70 milestones and targets under the recovery plan

The European Commission has approved the sixth disbursement under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan after verifying that Spain had met 73 milestones and targets (64 relating to grants and 9 to loans).

This new disbursement amounts to just under 7.021 billion euros gross (just under 5.970 billion net, amounting to 1.051 billion in transfers and just under 15.94 billion in loans). The revenue is expected to be received into the public coffers.

Following this payment, Spain will have received more than 77 billion euros in European funds, having met 338 milestones and targets under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, reflecting its commitment to reforms and the effective implementation of the investments made in Spain. This amount represents 76% of the total funds allocated to Spain.

Spain has also secured the Commission's favourable assessment of two further milestones, the funding for which had been held back from the fifth disbursement; these relate to the digitalisation of regional and local bodies and, in part, to tax reform. This amounts to an additional 302 million euros for our country.

Spain is on track to successfully finalise a key instrument for the country's economic, social and territorial modernisation. In this final phase of the recovery plan, three milestones linked to the sixth disbursement will be revised in a technical addendum - which is currently being drafted - with the aim of improving clarity and ensuring they are ready for inclusion in the application for the seventh and final disbursement. This reorganisation of the milestone assessment process - a technical exercise carried out in full coordination with Brussels - reflects the maturity of the implementation process for the Recovery Plan, which Spain aims to bring to a successful conclusion.

In parallel with the submission of the technical addendum, the Government is working on preparing and applying for the seventh and final tranche of European funds, which will involve the review of 146 milestones and targets. The aim is to complete the recovery plan in a timely and proper manner, thereby reinforcing the impact of the reforms and investments in our country.

Key milestones and objectives

The sixth payment request has been characterised by far-reaching reforms of legislation and major investments, notably those implemented in the following areas:

• Sustainable mobility and decarbonisation: the adoption of the Sustainable Mobility Act, which lays the foundations for establishing a decarbonised, digital and efficient transport system. In addition, 250 million euros has been allocated for the scrapping of old vehicles and the acquisition of zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure, along with the implementation of 85 innovative electromobility projects.
• Measures in the housing market: Establishment of CASA47, the State Housing and Land Authority, as a cornerstone of the new public housing system and the guarantor of the right to affordable and permanent housing.
• Strengthening social protection and the healthcare system by establishing a model of genuine shared responsibility (transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/1158), including the extension and remuneration of maternity and parental leave, with particular support for single-parent families and the implementation of measures to improve the stability and working conditions of healthcare staff, with a view to addressing the problem of staffing shortages in more isolated and less well-connected areas.

Also noteworthy is the establishment of more than fifty support centres for victims of sexual violence, which represent a significant step forward in the protection of rights and in the institutional response to sex-based violence; and the adoption of a Royal Decree-law that strengthens the compatibility of the Minimum Basic Income with other benefits, removing barriers to employability and facilitating entry into the labour market.

• Leadership in industrial and digital transformation. The execution of 2.242 billion euros in investments for industrial transformation, largely channelled through PERTE (Strategic Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation). These funding measures have a significant knock-on effect on growth, employment and competitiveness; investments of over 1.8 billion euros in digital transformation and cybersecurity, including efforts to drive the digitalisation of the General State Administration; and significant investments in connectivity and 5G.
• New Agency for the Evaluation of Public Policies and the Quality of Services, for the systematic evaluation of the results of public policies and programmes, as well as to improve accountability to citizens.

Non official translation