Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Slovenia receive more than €1. 86 billion under NextGenerationEU - The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting. com European Union News -
Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Slovenia receive more than €1. 86 billion under NextGenerationEU The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting. com European Union News -
August 4, 2026byThe Sting's Team(Credit: Unsplash)This article is brought to you in association with theEuropean Commission. The European Commission has disbursed today more than€1. 86 billionto Belgium, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Denmark under theRecovery and Resilience Facility(RRF), the centrepiece ofNextGenerationEU. These payments reflect the successful fulfilment of key milestones and targets linked toreformsandinvestmentsset out in the four Member States’ national recovery and resilience plans. They underscore theperformance-based natureof the RRF, under which funds are disbursed only once agreed reform and investment commitments have been satisfactorily completed. Following the Council’s approval to proceed with these disbursements, the Commission adopted the corresponding payment decisions and released the funds today. BelgiumThe Commission disbursed€567 millionto Belgium under itsfourth RRF payment requestfollowing the satisfactory fulfilment of the relevant milestones and targets. The payment supports reforms and investments contributing to Belgium’s clean, digital and social transition. These include, among others:measures to strengthensustainable mobility and biodiversity, including the construction ofecoducts– also known as wildlife crossings or green bridges;reforms and investments to improveenergy efficiencyand support theclean transitionwith rules streamlining environmental assessment procedures and planning requirements for wind farms. actions to fosterdigitalisation, innovation and public sector modernisation, including the creation of a database on court proceedings, covering key data such as new, closed and pending cases as well as average lead times;initiatives reinforcingsocial inclusion, for example by ensuring an adequate minimum pension, and supporting jobseekers and workers through skills development such as training and testing. Today’s disbursement follows Belgium’s fourth payment request, submitted on 19 December 2025 andgreenlighted by the Commission on 2 July 2026. This payment brings Belgium’s overall RRF disbursements to69% of the country’s total €5. 26 billion allocation. BulgariaThe Commission disbursed€896 millionto Bulgaria under itsfourth RRF payment request, following the fulfilment of a broad set of milestones and targets. The payment reflects progress on important reforms and investments, supporting:therule of law and the business environment,including anti-corruption measures introducing a politically and financially independent Anti-corruption Commission for preventing and countering corruption among persons holding public office, and the introduction of rules to regulate lobbying activitiestheincreased useof renewable energyby supporting almost 1,400 solar domestic hot water systems or photovoltaic systems to produce electricity in households. the development ofsustainable infrastructureandtransportthrough new public rail service contracts and legal frameworks for zero- and low-emission mobility, such as electric mobility rules and low-emission zones. Today’s disbursement follows Bulgaria’s fourth payment request for a total of €1. 1 billion, submitted on 2 April 2026, and partiallygreenlighted by the Commission on 18 June 2026. Additional steps are still needed to fulfil milestone 176, concerning the entry into force of legislation on public transport; milestone 208, concerning the entry into force of legislation on water supply and sewerage; and target 308, concerning support for the cultural sector. Following the Council’s favourable opinion, the Commission adopted a decision to disburse the funds linked to the milestones and targets deemed satisfactorily completed. The Commission will consider the disbursement of the remaining funds once Bulgaria has addressed the outstanding milestones and target. With this payment, Bulgaria has now received68% of its total €6. 17 billion allocationunder the RRF. DenmarkThe Commission disbursed€359 millionto Denmark under itsfifth and final RRF payment request, marking the completion of all disbursements under Denmark’s recovery and resilience plan. The payment reflects the implementation of key reforms and investments, including:measures to reduce CO2 emissions fromagricultureand increase sustainable farming by investing in climate technologies such as biorefineries and removing peatlands from agriculture use. reforms and investments supporting theclean transitionaway from fossil fuels in road transport and private housing by supporting reduced registration fees for more than 250,000 zero-emission cars between 2021 and 2025, alongside a reduced electricity tax for private households charging electric vehicles at home. efforts toimprove energy efficiencyby replacing oil burners or gas furnaces in nearly28,000 householdswith heat pumps or district heating connections, as well as energy renovation works in more than11,500 homes, including the installation of energy-efficient windows and improved insulation. initiativesstrengthening economic resilience and sustainable growth, notably by supporting vocational education and training institutions. Today’s disbursement follows Denmark’s fifth payment request, submitted on 21 May 2026. TheCommission greenlighted Denmark’s fifth payment request on 30 June 2026. With this fifth and final payment, Denmark becomes the first Member State to receive all the grants linked to its RRF plan well ahead of the end of 2026 deadline. Denmark has now received100% of its total €1. 63 billion allocationunder the RRF. SloveniaThe Commission disbursed€41 millionto Slovenia under itssixth RRF payment request, after the successful completion of the associated milestones and targets. The payment supports further implementation of reforms and investments in areas such as:the rollout ofe-healthsolutions and broaderhealthcare modernisation, through new functionalities of the national telemedicine system, ensuring remote communication between patients and doctors, as well as between doctors themselves. investments contributing to theclean transition, resilience and sustainable growth such as upgraded air-conditioning and ventilation systems in 22 municipal buildings, covering over 40,000 m², mainly schools and kindergartens, to improve energy efficiency and provide healthier indoor conditions. reforms enhancing thecountry’s social and economic resilience, with a special focus on reducing long-term unemployment. Today’s disbursement follows Slovenia’s sixth payment request, submitted on 27 March 2026 andgreenlighted by the Commission on 9 June 2026. This brings Slovenia’s total RRF disbursements to87% of its €2. 08 billion allocation. BackgroundThe Recovery and Resilience Facility is aperformance-based instrument. This means that Member States receive payments only once they have satisfactorily fulfilled the milestones and targets set out in their national recovery and resilience plans. The RRF continues to support ambitious reforms and strategic investments across the European Union, contributing to a cleaner, more digital and more resilient economy. As the instrument approaches its conclusion, all reforms and investments must be completed by31 August 2026, all payment requests must be submitted by 30 September 2026 and all corresponding payments must be carried out by31 December 2026. Aninteractive map showcasing examples of reforms and investmentssupported by the RRF is available online. Further details on theRRF payment claim processare also available online. For more informationBelgium’s recovery and resilience planBulgaria’s recovery and resilience planSlovenia’s recovery and resilience planDenmark’s recovery and resilience planRecovery and Resilience FacilityRecovery and Resilience Facility RegulationRecovery and Resilience Facility project mapRecovery and Resilience ScoreboardEU as a borrowerDiscover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting. comSubscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.