Assessment of Estonia’s proposed Recovery and Resilience Facility measures
April 20, 2021
This briefing provides an overview of Estonia’s proposed measures (as of 18 April) for spending funds from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. Estonia has not shared an overarching plan that details how the country will utilise the facility, but
Czech recovery plan a few steps away from being on the right path
April 19, 2021
Thanks to pressure from civil society, several harmful investments in highways and gas infrastructure were taken out of the Czech recovery plan, pushing it towards more of a green recovery. Still, an almost complete lack of allocations for biodiversity and several questionable climate measures set the plan back.
Opportunities for biodiversity and environment missed in Bulgarian recovery plan
April 15, 2021
Instead of reforms, the country plans to rehab an irrigation system that can potentially destroy wetlands, and without transparency and public dialogue, the plan cements business-as-usual. With a 30 April deadline for submitting national recovery plans approaching and recent parliamentary elections, the Bulgarian government is failing to propose reforms and measures for biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and low carbon economy. Instead, actions such as rehabilitating state-owned irrigation systems not only contradict national strategies but might damage valuable wetland habitats. A lack of transparency and public dialogue casts a further shadow on the process.
Biodiversity forgotten in the Latvian recovery plan
April 8, 2021
There is less than one month left for Member States to submit their national recovery and resilience plans to the European Commission. Yet, the Latvian plan is still far from fulfilling the Commission’s requirements to allocate at least 37% of proposed measures to achieving climate objectives.
Devil in the climate details as Slovakia finalises plan for EU recovery fund
March 30, 2021
Thanks to a strong push from the European Commission, Slovakia’s national recovery and resilience plan allocates nearly three billion euros for green, climate-friendly investments. The plan includes commendable aims to renovate buildings, pursue renewable energy sources, clean up dirty industries and develop more sustainable transport infrastructure.
Latest unambitious domino falls as Poland publishes plan for EU recovery fund
March 25, 2021
A lack of ambition, vision and delivery sums up the Polish national recovery and resilience plan that was released on 26 February. The fundamental flaw is that the plan provides no path for the country to reach neither the EU’s climate neutrality target by 2050 nor the much less ambitious targets outlined in the recent Poland’s Energy Policy 2040 (PEP2040), like reducing the share of coal in the electricity mix to 56 per cent.
More of the same secrecy in Latvia and Romania as EU recovery funds planning gets underway
March 10, 2021
National Recovery and Resilience Plans have to be submitted to the European Commission by 30 April, 2021. Yet less than two months before the deadline, the latest updates from the Romanian and Latvian recovery plans raise alarm on public participation and on unambitious climate and energy targets.
Poland’s recovery planning lacks public consultation and transparency
February 10, 2021
With EUR 57 billion at stake, a letter from environmental CSOs urges the Polish Prime Minister to open the planning process for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to the public.
Moment of truth for EU as over one million people and 100 NGOs call for green, healthy and just recovery
May 14, 2020
Over one million people and 100 environmental NGOs across Europe are calling on the European Union to restart its economy by launching the biggest green investment plan the world has ever seen, financed by the bloc’s increased budget and recovery instrument. Tomorrow [Friday], MEPs will decide what they want in the EU’s Recovery Fund and seven-year budget ahead of the European Commission’s much awaited proposal next week.