Spain had difficulties in arriving and in Brussels the examination tasks are multiplied, with which the two parties have had an interest in agreeing a two-month extension to evaluate the fourth payment of European funds. 10,000 million euros are at stake, subject to the fulfillment by Spain of 61 milestones and objectives, and with a deadline expiring on March 20, therefore, it was predicted to be very fair. Now Spain gains time until May 20 to finish the homework.
With the new date, the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, is confident that one of the key issues that is committed and that is still very green, the reform of the unemployment benefit, can be resolved. “We are moving forward in a fairly substantive way and I hope that we can also have it in time and we will devote the next two months to this”, said the minister.
In this way, for the time being, the possibility of the other option that was on the table, a partial payment of the 10,000 million due to the lack of compliance with some of the milestones, is removed. “At this time there is no decision on a partial payment. Spain is working on alternative measures”, said the European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, in a joint appearance with Cuerpo this Thursday in Madrid.
If this partial payment were to be reached, Brussels would have to decide what amount would be subtracted from the total of 10,000 million and would do so depending on the number of unfulfilled milestones and also on the importance given to those left in the air. However, for the moment, this option is parked. The postponement is not exceptional either, it has already been carried out with Germany and Italy.
This period will also be used to technically adapt the supervision of some milestones, that is to say, to simplify procedures that in some cases are proving to be too confusing and inefficient. The European Commission states that these are strictly technical changes and that in no case can they affect the essence of meeting the objective. Spain has yet to transmit to Brussels the proposal for these technical changes, but the minister has set an example. In the case of investments in transport networks, the total number of awarded contracts could be used instead of the millions of euros awarded, as until now.
In the longer term, the European Commission emphasizes that August 2026 is a deadline for the disbursement of European funds, and that those who are not by then will lose out. The regulations specify this and any change would require unanimity from all member states, something that is seen as unfeasible.
In this sense, and with this limit in sight, Gentiloni has remarked that the application of the recovery plan in Spain is going well, but that the most difficult is what is coming now. “It is important to know that, taking into account the deadline of 2026, which is a definitive deadline, the second part of the plan will be more complicated than the first”, he warned, in reference to both Spain and the rest of countries.
