Vasakova: Talks on Revising Recovery Plan Were Difficult

Bratislava, June 28 (TASR) - Negotiations on the revision of Slovakia's recovery and resilience plan were difficult, Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery Plan and the Use of EU funds Livia Vasakova said on Wednesday in connection with the fact that the European Commission has positively assessed a revised version of the plan. According to Vasakova, several milestones related to the recovery plan have been successfully delayed thanks to the approved revised version. "These are mainly construction investments. We're talking about hospitals, pre-schools, reconstruction of court buildings, and they are very welcome changes for Slovakia," stressed Vasakova. The deputy prime minister noted that the new REpowerEU chapter in the recovery plan brings new investments and reforms. "These are investments in the transmission grid, in distribution systems to encourage the integration of renewables, but also to reduce the price of electricity," she claimed. The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it greenlighted Slovakia's revised recovery and resilience plan worth €6.4 billion, including the new REPowerEU chapter. The Commission noted that the current Slovak plan is worth €6.4 billion in grants, up from €6 billion, and includes 64 reforms and 60 investments. Slovakia proposed several changes to the original plan, such as a wider range of renewable energy sources eligible for financial support and clarification of the scope of investments in health care, justice and transport. zel