The European Parliament adopted by 602 votes to 35, with 56 abstentions, a resolution on the right of information of the Parliament regarding the ongoing assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR and the Left groups.
National recovery and resilience plans are eligible for financing if they focus on six policy areas of European relevance: the green transition including biodiversity, digital transformation, economic cohesion and competitiveness, social and territorial cohesion, institutional crisis-reaction and crisis preparedness, as well as policies for the next generation, children and youth, including education and skills.
The RRF Regulation establishes a recovery and resilience dialogue in order to ensure greater transparency and accountability and in order for the Commission to provide information to Parliament concerning, among other things, the recovery and resilience plans of the Member States and the assessment thereof.
Democratic control and parliamentary scrutiny over the implementation of the recovery and resilience plans (RRF) is only possible with the full involvement of Parliament at all stages.
Parliament welcomed the Commission’s efforts to ensure the swift adoption of the relevant Council implementing decisions linked to the national recovery and resilience plans before the summer, and its continuous engagement with
Member States to help them deliver high-quality plans.
The Commission is called on to:
- provide all relevant background information and a summary of the reforms and investment set out in the plans submitted related to the scope based on the six policy areas;
- ensure full transparency with regard to the timeline for the approval of the delegated acts on the recovery and resilience scoreboard and on the methodology for reporting social expenditure, including on children and youth, and to take into account the relevant elements of the recovery and resilience dialogue;
- ensure that Parliament is provided with the preliminary findings concerning the fulfilment of the milestones and targets;
- prompt Member States to consult all national stakeholders and to ensure the involvement of civil society and local and regional authorities in the implementation of the plans and, in particular, in their monitoring, and to ensure that consultations take place for future amendments or new plans, if any.
Moreover, the resolution reiterates Parliament’s expectation that information is provided in an easily understandable and comparable format, including any existing translations of documents submitted by Member States. Parliament is also convinced that full transparency and accountability is required from the Commission in order to ensure and enhance the democratic legitimacy and citizen ownership of the RRF.