EU Recovery fund: Commission insists on 2026 deadline as Poland causes headaches

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In today’s news from The Capitals:

BRUSSELS

Despite several challenges member states such as Poland face in implementing projects on time under the EU Recovery Fund, the European Commission insists on the agreed 2026 deadline, stressing the fund’s “temporary” nature.

“The Recovery and Resilience (RRF) Regulation states that recovery and resilience plans can include measures whose implementation takes place from 1 February 2020. It also establishes that milestones and targets must be achieved by 31 August 2026, and any payment under the RRF must be executed by 31 December 2026”, an EU spokesperson told Euractiv. Read more.

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BERLIN | MADRID

Socialists’ fading influence puts Sánchez and Scholz to the test. The European socialists kick off their EU election campaign in Rome on Saturday in a less than jubilant mood: The party is losing its grip on power across Europe, with Germany and Spain the last important strongholds. Read more.

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PARIS

French far right vows to re-write EU treaties, fight ‘Vonderleyenism’. Jordan Bardella, the head of French far-right Rassemblement National’s list for the European elections, wants to re-write EU treaties and fight ‘Vonderleyism’, according to a statement given to journalists in Paris on Thursday. Read more.

US money propping up France’s investment allure, but will it last? Foreign investment projects in France are on the rise for the third year in a row, confirming the country as global business’ favourite within the EU, new data released on Thursday showed – although managers from its largest investor, the US, voiced growing concerns over its labour costs and administrative complexity. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

LISBON

Portugal at crossroads as far-right advances ahead of snap elections. After Portugal’s snap elections on 10 March, the nation may be at a crossroads in forming a government, given the exponential growth of the far right, from which all other parties promise to keep their distance. Read more.

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ROME

Rome clashes with Budapest over punishment of Italian prisoner. Tensions were high after a meeting between Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó after the latter accused Italy of ‘interfering’ with Hungarian justice in the case of Italian prisoner Ilaria Salis. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain’s Supreme Court initiates terrorism investigation against Puigdemont. Spain’s Supreme Court is investigating former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who has been on the run since Catalonia’s 2017 secession attempt, about terrorism, a move that puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who relies on the separatist’s support to stay in power. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

WARSAW

Following Latvia, Poland considers import bans for Russian, Belarusian grain. Poland will study Latvia’s decision to ban agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus and will look at imposing embargoes for grain to prevent it from destabilising the Polish market, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced at a press conference with his Latvian counterpart, Evika Siliņa. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak court halts criminal code reforms amid EU fund suspension threat. Several parts of the criminal code reform were suspended by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday after the EU Commission criticised it and warned that Bratislava could face a fine or the complete suspension of European funds if it goes ahead. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

ZAGREB

Macron’s troops to Ukraine message fuels conflict between Plenković, Milanović. The rift between Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović continued to widen after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that a future deployment of Western troops in Ukraine should not be ultimately “ruled out”. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič hosts Secretary General at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Chris Lockyear;
Parliament President Roberta Metsola on official visit to Madrid, Spain; Meets Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez; Delivers keynote speech at event of El Mundo entitled “Europa, el momento decisivo”; Holds meetings with Senate President Pedro Rollán, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]