“The European Commission has approved a positive preliminary assessment of the payment request of 1.16 billion euros presented by Portugal, of which 553.44 million euros are grants and 609 million euros are loans under the Recovery Mechanism and Resilience”, states the EC.

“With its request, the Portuguese authorities presented detailed and complete evidence that demonstrates the fulfilment of the 38 milestones and targets”, the EC adds.

In mid-January, the Minister of Finance, João Leão, signed the operational agreement for the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) in Brussels.

The European Commission specifies that at stake are “reforms in the fields of health, social housing, social services, investment and innovation, qualifications and skills, forestry, blue economy, bioeconomy, renewable gases (including hydrogen), public finance and public administration”.

“Several of these milestones also concern investments in the fields of infrastructure, decarbonisation of industry and digital education”.