EU Praises Greece’s RRF Progress as Revised Recovery Plan Nears Completion

The progress of Greece’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), the challenges faced during its implementation, and the lessons learned from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) were the focus of discussions in Athens this week, as part of a mission by the European Parliament’s working group on the RRF.

During a joint press conference, on Tuesday, April 15, Members of the European Parliament Siegfried Mureșan (EPP, Romania) and Karlo Ressler (EPP, Croatia) praised Greece’s performance, placing the country among the top performers in the EU alongside Italy and Croatia.

“Greece is a frontrunner and one of the main beneficiaries of the Recovery and Resilience Facility,” Mureșan said, adding: “We came here as friends to talk about the implementation of Greece’s development and resilience plan.”

The Romanian MEP highlighted the EU’s rapid response to the COVID-19 crisis, which led to the creation of the RRF — the largest tool in its history — to support resilience and growth across member states.

Karlo Ressler echoed the positive outlook, noting that Greece is performing strongly in absorption rates — a key metric in Brussels. More importantly, he emphasized the real economic impact of the RRF, citing encouraging reports of a significant boost to Greece’s GDP thanks to ongoing reforms and investments.

He also highlighted the visit’s timing, as the EU begins talks on its next long-term budget, stressing the importance of learning from Greece’s experience to shape future funding decisions.

Before departing Athens, the delegation is scheduled to visit two RRF-funded projects on Wednesday: the upgraded Koumoundourou Ultra High Voltage Center, which is crucial for strengthening energy security and expanding electricity production capacity, and Demo Pharmaceuticals, a company benefiting from R&D investments backed by the RRF.

Revised Plan on the Horizon

Meanwhile, Athens is preparing to submit its revised “Greece 2.0” Recovery and Resilience Plan after Easter, with a slight delay from the initial timeline but with the European Commission’s approval.

The government is pushing to meet 44 milestones ahead of a 3.9 billion euros disbursement request, expected after the revised plan’s approval in June. A 3.1 billion euros fifth installment is due shortly, with the final two of nine total requests set for 2026. Greece aims to absorb the entire 9.6 billion euros in grants allocated under the RRF.

Source: tovima.com