The massive economic, financial and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis presents a huge policy challenge at all levels of government. The EU agreed in April 2020 on a ‘road-map’ for a recovery to relaunch the EU economy. The European Commission has now put forward proposals to implement the road-map, the Recovery Plan for Europe, including territorially focused interventions to support economic, social and territorial cohesion.
This special EoRPA paper by John Bachtler, Carlos Mendez and Fiona Wishlade provides a first assessment of the Commission’s proposals, reviewing the political reactions to the proposal, identifying the main differences between Member States and the principal issues of concern. It also examines the budgetary implications, focusing particularly on how the REACT-EU instrument might be allocated across Member States. Lastly, the paper reviews the implementation issues associated with the proposals, particularly regarding absorption and coherence of the package, taking account of experience on the ground and the views of regions.
To read the full report, click here.
