EU backs €3.26 billion for France

Green Forum
The European Commission published a positive preliminary assessment of France's request for a €3.26 billion disbursement under the NextGenerationEU programme, the EU's flagship initiative for post-pandemic recovery aimed at fostering a greener, more digital, and more competitive Union.

This amount corresponds to the fourth payment under France's Recovery and Resilience Plan.

According to the Commission's initial evaluation, France has successfully met all the milestones and targets necessary to qualify for this payment. The funds are provided through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which forms the core of the NextGenerationEU mechanism.

This instalment follows the completion of eleven investments across various sectors, including energy efficiency upgrades in public buildings, the development of sustainable transport infrastructure to ease daily mobility, and the digital transformation of enterprises, cultural institutions, schools, and the healthcare system. Additionally, France has implemented two key reforms: one targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas and another aimed at improving how public expenditure is assessed.

Among the flagship measures covered by this payment request are:

Expanding digital training in higher education: Over 1.7 million students in French universities now have access to enhanced digital learning tools.
Improving energy efficiency in public buildings: This includes the renovation of an additional 8.75 million square metres of public buildings and energy upgrades in over 680 schools.

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