Slovakia’s government has significantly reduced the risk of unspent EU funds, cutting it from €800 million down to €100 million, having re-routed large portions to crisis management, according to Prime Minister Ľudovít Ódor.
Ódor emphasised that the government has been actively addressing the utilisation of EU funds, striving to minimise the risk of losing these resources by at least 50% by year-end. Collaborative efforts have led to an eight percentage point increase in the absorption rate of old EU funds under this administration, rising from an initial 70% to 78%. Deputy Prime Minister Lívia Vašáková estimated this to be approximately €1.2 billion.
In addition to managing existing EU funds, the prime minister highlighted the cabinet’s commitment to tapping into new funds for the 2021-2027 period.
“Out of the total allocation, we’ve already utilised €11.3 billion, with €3.2 billion remaining. A significant portion can be transferred to the state budget to address the energy crisis and manage the refugee influx beyond the conventional project expenditures,” Vašáková stated.
Ódor also noted that they have presented a comprehensive plan for future governments on how to utilise EU funds more efficiently.
On Friday, the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development, and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic will increase the allocation of EU funds for the new programming period, to be determined directly by the regions through Integrated Territorial Investments.
An additional nearly €214 million will supplement the original amount of €2.16 billion, according to Investment Minister Peter Balík, at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
President Zuzana Čaputová commended Prime Minister Ľudovít Ódor’s government for its effective management of EU funds and the third request for payment from the Recovery plan. She expressed gratitude to both the current cabinet members and their predecessors for the meaningful and honourable utilisation of the opportunities provided by the EU, sharing her appreciation on social media.
(Karol Slovík, Barbara Zmušková| Euractiv.sk)
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