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Following the formal adoption of the decisions, these two member states will be able to use the facility’s funds to foster their economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Recovery and Resilience Facility is the EU’s programme of large-scale financial support in response to the challenges the pandemic has posed to the European economy. The facility’s €672.5 billion will be used to support the reforms and investments outlined in the member states’ recovery and resilience plans.
The Council decisions are preceded by the Commission’s assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans. The plans have to comply with the 2019 and 2020 country-specific recommendations and reflect the EU’s general objective of creating a greener, more digital and more competitive economy.
Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan consists of €6.3 billion in grants. Bulgaria intends to use 58.9% of the plan’s total allocation for its climate objectives, by accelerating the decarbonisation of its energy sector, improving the energy efficiency of private and public buildings, and supporting sustainable forms of transport. 25.8% of the plan’s total allocation will be dedicated to digital objectives such as enhancing digital skills and the digitalisation of public administration as well as supporting the development of very high capacity networks across the country.
Sweden’s recovery and resilience plan consists of €3.3 billion in grants. 44.4% of the plan’s total allocation supports climate objectives. Sweden intends, among other things, to support the conversion to renewable energy for heating in industry, further decarbonise the industrial sector and improve its railway capacity. Sweden plans to allocate 20.5% of the plan’s total allocation for reforms and investments supporting digital objectives, such as accelerating broadband network rollout in sparsely populated areas and investing in an administration-wide digital infrastructure.
Future disbursements from the facility will take place once the member states reach milestones and targets set for each investment and reform.