Italy has failed to accelerate its use of EU COVID-19 recovery funds, with government data showing it has spent only about half of the money received so far.
By 2026 Rome is due to have received 194.4 billion euros ($209.87 billion) from the EU's so-called Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), but the government is struggling to put the latest windfall to good use due to red tape and administrative delays.
As of December 2024 Rome had spent 63.9 billion euros of the 122 billion of EU funds it had received since Brussels began disbursing the cash in instalments in 2021, EU Affairs Minister Tommaso Foti said in a statement on Thursday.
When including the seventh instalment worth 18.2 billion euros, for which Italy requested payment to EU authorities at the end of last year, the spending rate stood at 45%, unchanged from June last year.
In late 2022, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni targeted investment of around 108 billion by the end of 2024.
"Around 92% of the entire plan is in the implementation or closure phase," Foti said in a statement.
Opposition parties asked the government for an urgent report to parliament over the implementation of the plan.
However, Meloni's office said Italy was first in Europe for total resources received and number of payment requests formalised.
Rome had hoped to see a major economic boost from the EU cash, but the euro zone's third largest economy has expanded by just 0.7% in each of the last two years, and economists expect a similar rate this year.
Foti said all relevant institutions would make every effort to achieve the objectives needed to unlock the last three instalments worth 54 billion euros.
Italy, which has already revised its recovery plan four times, is also negotiating with Brussels a final overhaul with the aim of replacing or downscaling projects that the government will be unable to complete by the 2026 deadline, with others that could be wrapped up within the allowed timeframe.
Delays affect dozens of projects in areas including the rollout of ultra-fast broadband networks, high-speed train lines and plans to create more affordable childcare.
In 2013, just a month after becoming president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared that the days of mutinous soldiers undermining government authority in...
Polling closed on Sunday (7 December) in Hong Kong’s overhauled “patriots-only” legislative election, with vote counting now underway....
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is set to make an official visit to Türkiye on Monday....
Greetings from Tripoli — a city that stands at the heart of Africa’s energy landscape and today hosts one of the continent’s key regional gather...
Children are forming new patterns of trust and attachment with AI companions, entering a world where digital partners shape their play, their confiden...
In 2013, just a month after becoming president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared that the days of mutinous soldiers undermining government authority in the capital, Bamako, were over. Yet, seven years later, Keita himself was toppled, facing the very fate he had vowed to prevent.
Polling closed on Sunday (7 December) in Hong Kong’s overhauled “patriots-only” legislative election, with vote counting now underway.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is set to make an official visit to Türkiye on Monday.
Greetings from Tripoli — a city that stands at the heart of Africa’s energy landscape and today hosts one of the continent’s key regional gatherings: the Libya–Africa International Gas Forum 2025.
A coup attempt by “a small group of soldiers” has been foiled, Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said on Sunday on national television, urging citizens to continue their daily activities.
FIFA releases the 2026 World Cup schedule with match dates, venues, and key fixtures. See when host nations USA, Mexico, and Canada play and get an overview of group stage and knockout rounds.
A delayed local vote in the rural Honduran town of San Antonio de Flores has become a pivotal moment in the country’s tightest presidential contest, with both campaigns watching its results as counting stretches into a second week.
Lava fountains shot from Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano from dawn to dusk on Saturday, with new footage showing intensifying activity at the north vent.
McLaren’s Lando Norris became Formula One world champion for the first time in Abu Dhabi, edging Max Verstappen to the title by just two points after a tense season finale.
In 2013, just a month after becoming president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared that the days of mutinous soldiers undermining government authority in the capital, Bamako, were over. Yet, seven years later, Keita himself was toppled, facing the very fate he had vowed to prevent.
Polling closed on Sunday (7 December) in Hong Kong’s overhauled “patriots-only” legislative election, with vote counting now underway.
Greetings from Tripoli — a city that stands at the heart of Africa’s energy landscape and today hosts one of the continent’s key regional gatherings: the Libya–Africa International Gas Forum 2025.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will meet US President Donald Trump later this month, saying discussions will focus on the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan, regional peace prospects and the future governance of the enclave.
A delayed local vote in the rural Honduran town of San Antonio de Flores has become a pivotal moment in the country’s tightest presidential contest, with both campaigns watching its results as counting stretches into a second week.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment