The European Parliament adopted by 514 votes to 163, with 9 abstentions, a resolution on the views of Parliament on the ongoing assessment by the Commission and the Council of the national recovery and resilience plans.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled as a joint resolution by the EPP, Greens/EFA, Renew and S&D groups.
European Parliament’s scrutiny
Members called for Parliament's right to be informed about the ongoing assessment of national recovery and resilience plans to allow for Parliament's democratic scrutiny of the Commission's evaluation and implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The Commission is invited to provide Parliament with all relevant information on the state of implementation of the RRF Regulation and to take into account any elements arising from the views expressed in the dialogue on recovery and resilience, including the views expressed by the relevant committees and in the resolutions adopted in plenary.
Convinced that funds should be distributed fairly across sectors, societies and future generations, Parliament expects the Commission to approve only plans that fully respect the provisions and objectives of the RRF regulation, including the regulation's requirements for minimum shares of 37% and 20% for the green and digital transitions respectively.
Members called on the Commission to insist that each Member State include ambitious reforms in its national plan and to carefully assess whether the RRF’s resources meet the objective of advancing territorial, social and economic cohesion in the Member States. They demanded full transparency and accountability in the allocation and use of funds.
The Commission should also ensure that national recovery and resilience plans contain provisions to ensure that recipients of EU funding report on the origin of funds and ensure the visibility of EU funding.
Ecological transition
Parliament called on the Commission to ensure that the ‘do no significant harm’ principle is fully respected, including during the implementation phase, and to publish all the related assessments. It stressed that the implementation of the RRF cannot lead to any lowering of environmental standards or run against environmental laws and regulations.
The Commission is invited to publish a list of measures that effectively contribute to the ecological transition, including biodiversity-related measures listed in the recovery and resilience plans that effectively contribute to biodiversity.
Digital transition
Parliament called on the Commission to ensure that all national plans containing investments in digital capabilities and connectivity provide a security self-assessment based on common objective criteria for identifying security issues and that measures in this area do not run counter to the EU's strategic interests. It expressed concern about the lack of balance in some national plans for investment in digital transformation, including digital infrastructure.
Boosting growth, economic, social and territorial cohesion and prosperity for all
Parliament welcomed the measures contained in the national plans to support smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, economic cohesion, productivity, competitiveness, research and innovation, health and a well-functioning single market with strong small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as to enhance the creation of high-quality employment.
The Commission should in particular:
- ensure that national plans give sufficient attention to measures for children and young people, especially in the areas of early school leaving, youth unemployment, child poverty;
- carefully assess the social consequences and impact of each measure;
- ensure that the most vulnerable communities and regions, such as lignite and coal producing regions in transition, and those most affected by climate change, benefit from green and digital investment;
- ensure that gender equality and equal opportunities for all and the mainstreaming of these objectives are taken into account throughout the development and implementation of national plans;
- assess the national plans with regard to national measures to combat aggressive tax planning, tax evasion or tax avoidance;
- ensure that the plans fully respect the rule of law regulation and that measures in the plans go against the EU's values during both the evaluation and implementation phases.
Members stressed that recovery and resilience plans should be consistent with the country-specific challenges and priorities identified in the European Semester. They also insisted on supporting the creation of quality jobs through a comprehensive package of reforms and investments to promote stable contracts, decent wages, collective bargaining coverage and social protection floors, including decent pensions above the poverty line.
Stakeholder involvement, milestones and targets
The Commission is asked to encourage Member States to consult all national stakeholders and ensure that they are involved, including civil society, social partners and local and regional authorities, in the implementation of the plans.
Members stressed that all reforms and investments must be linked to relevant, clear, detailed and properly monitored milestones, targets and costings.