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  • 12-02-2021 11:09

EU/Presidency: Von der Leyen congratulates Portugal, EP for concluding recovery mechanism


Brussels, Feb. 12, 2021 (Lusa) - The European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament for signing post-crisis Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, speaking of a "historical moment".

"I would like to congratulate the Council and the Parliament for the final adoption of the regulation and this is really a historical moment," Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Speaking to journalists alongside the president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, and the Portuguese prime minister, the leader of the EU executive pointed out that, "as António [Costa] said", the EU is "fighting this pandemic and a serious health crisis through vaccines that are an ally and hope, but it must never forget the other major crisis, the economic one".

"There, our hope is in the Recovery Fund, with €750 billion to support our citizens to keep their jobs, to support companies to stay afloat and communities to maintain their labour fabric," she added.

Saying that the European Union is "an ally and a hope in this fight", Von der Leyen said that the post-pandemic crisis Recovery Fund (which includes the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism) is "more than money, it is a message of solidarity and trust in the EU".

It is also "a unique opportunity for member states to work together on our priorities, the New Green Deal and the digital transition", she added.

Costa, representing the Council of the EU, signed this morning in Brussels the regulation of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, approved this week by the European Parliament, the central pillar of the EU recovery package to address the socio-economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the signing, Ursula von der Leyen called on member states to "ratify the own resources decision as soon as possible", recalling that when the process is completed, the European Commission can go to the markets to finance itself.

"It is necessary and in the interest of the member states to speed up this process," she concluded.

Also present on the occasion, David Sassoli thanked Costa for coming to Brussels to "sign this historic agreement today".

"Today is the day when the work for European legislation comes to an end," he pointed out, also urging national parliaments to "quickly ratify the own resources decision [...] to allow access to funds by countries' businesses and the strengthening of the EU".

Describing this support as an "indispensable tool for the life of European citizens", Sassoli warned that "people and businesses cannot wait".

The European Parliament this week approved the regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, which will come into force in the second half of this month.

Member states will then be able to officially submit their national recovery and resilience plans to access the funds, after they have been assessed by the European Commission and adopted by the Council, currently under the Portuguese presidency.

Provided with €672.5 billion in grants and loans, the Recovery and Resilience Facility is the main element of the recovery package.

So far, 19 member states have submitted their drafts for national recovery and resilience plans to the European Commission, while six have already ratified the own resources decision.

ANE/ADB // ADB.

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