The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is the key instrument at the heart of Next Generation EU. RRF is a performance-based temporary recovery instrument designed to mitigate the economic and social impact of COVID19. It is also designed to make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of green and digital transitions, with sustainable mobility being one of the priorities.
RFF supports Member States through loans (€385.8 billion) and grants (€338 billion) in implementing reforms and investments that align with the EU priorities and that address the challenges identified in country-specific recommendations under the European Semester framework of economic and social policy coordination.
In terms of sustainability and climate financing, 37% of the RRF will be spent on climate-related objectives. An overall climate target of 30% will apply to the total amount of expenditure from both MFF 2021-2027 as well as NGEU.
To benefit from the support of RRF, Member States submit their national recovery and resilience plans to the European Commission. Each plan sets out the reforms and investments to be implemented by end-2026, with Member States receiving funding up to a previously agreed allocation. Fulfilling agreed milestones and targets towards achieving the reforms and investments in the national plans will unlock regular payments.
RRF will provide around €72.2 billion for sustainable and green mobility investments (predominantly in grants), with “Clean, smart and fair urban mobility” identified as one of the flagship reform and investment components. Transport measures most eligible for RRF funding are related to transport-specific challenges such as green transition, digital transformation or territorial cohesion and those on Country Specific Recommendations, including accelerating the use of low and zero-emission technologies in transport. RRF will complement with other EU funding programmes, notably the European Structural and Investment Funds and InvestEU. This will contribute to leveraging the use of EU funds and avoiding duplications.
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