In its third request to the European Commission for Recovery and Resilience Facility financing, Greece has asked for the release of 1.72 billion euros in order to achieve three main goals: investments in e-mobility and e-vehicle charging infrastructure, financing renovations for the energy upgrade of buildings and digitising public administration combined with greater use of optic fibre infrastructure in buildings.
The goals include a series of reforms for improving the efficiency of public administration, speeding up the delivery of justice and strengthening action against corruption and smuggling. There are also reforms tackling weaknesses in town planning, improving labour force skills, establishing a regulatory authority for water and sewage, regulating urban and inter-city public transport and improving the regulatory framework for industrial zones.
The funds requested form part of the subsidies of the 'Greece 2.0' programme and increase the total from the RFF to 12.8 billion euros. Greece is among the first three EU member-states to apply for a third payment from the RFF, along with Italy and Spain. It first had to reach a series of milestones, while the process for disbursing the new funds depends on the progress in implementing the investments and reforms outlined in the Greek recovery and resilience plan. The European Commission will evaluate the request and whether Greece has met the goals and milestones needed for payment.