Premier Alexander De Croo (Archive photo: Sébastien Pirlet / Belga)
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The EU wants to provide its member states with a total of 337 billion euros in the form of subsidies and a further 385 billion euros in loans. This is intended to stimulate the recovery of the economy, which has been hard hit by the corona crisis.
Belgium could thus receive 3.4 billion euros in grants over the next two years. In the following years, a further 1.75 billion euros in subsidies would be available.
However, this requires a national economic recovery plan, which must be submitted to the European Commission. Before releasing the funds, the EU Commission must check whether the plan meets all requirements and priorities, especially with regard to climate change and the digital turnaround. It will also monitor that recipient states can actually report progress before further funds can flow in.
It must be clarified by the end of this year how the funds would be distributed within Belgium. In addition, the first talks with the EU Commission are to be held, according to the De Croo cabinet. The final version must then be available by April 2021 in order to be submitted to the EU.
According to Thomas Dermine, State Secretary for Economic Recovery, all the country’s governments should work together in five thematically structured working groups. Some of them are due to start work this week. The working groups will report to a political monitoring committee made up of members of the federal and state governments.
Final approval of the recovery plan will then be made by the conciliation committee.
Boris Schmidt
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