European Commission pays Italy fifth NRRP instalment

The European Commission has today paid Italy the fifth instalment of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), worth EUR 11 billion. The payment follows the Commission's positive assessment, formally adopted on 2 July, of Italy's fulfilment of 53 milestones and targets related to the fifth instalment of its NRRP.

With the payment of the fifth instalment, Italy is confirmed as the EU Member State to have received the most funding, equal to EUR 113.5 billion, corresponding to 58.4% of its Plan's total resources.

"Italy ranks first in Europe in terms of both the number of milestones and targets reached and the total amount received - stated the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni -; we were the first to request payment of the fifth instalment and we are now the first to have requested payment of the NRRP's sixth instalment. Recent GDP figures by Istat estimate carry-over growth of 0.7% in the first half of 2024, and the latest data in the Svimez report highlight a significant acceleration of GDP growth in the Mezzogiorno in 2023, with a 2.6% rise in new jobs; these figures show the effective work the Government and the administrations responsible have carried out to achieve the planned objectives and implement beneficial measures for Italy's structural economic growth".

The milestones and targets achieved regarding the fifth instalment payment refer to 14 reforms and 22 investments in strategic sectors for the nation's modernisation. These include competition, public procurement, justice, waste management and water management, secondary and tertiary education, infrastructure, healthcare, culture, universities and the public administration, with measures being rolled out for the digital transition.

"Over the coming months, alongside the assessment work required for payment of the sixth instalment, - stated the Minister for European Affairs, Southern Italy, Cohesion Policy and the NRRP, Raffaele Fitto - the Government will be intensifying monitoring of the Plan's implementation, in constructive collaboration with the European Commission and all administrations involved, in order to achieve the milestones and targets set for the seventh instalment, paying particular attention to the measures included in the last three instalments, the updating of the 'ReGiS' platform, increases in expenditure, and the Plan's progress from both a procedural and a financial point of view".

[Courtesy translation]