In a message published on the website of the Presidency of the Republic, it reads that the head of state “greeted this morning (21 July) in Madrid the historic outcome of the European Council, which ended in Brussels”.

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, “by agreeing a budget of €1,820 billion for the next seven years, the European Union shows its strength and dynamics, its ability to make democratic decisions in dialogue, difficult but fruitful , among its 27 Member States, with respect for all and in pursuit of common interests”.

“For Portugal it is also an excellent result with a perspective of receiving more than €45 billion, a decisive aid to fight the social and economic crisis that the pandemic caused, that we must use with rigor and criteria, constituting a new hope for the future of all of us “, added the President of the Republic.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had been in Madrid since Monday, 20 July, where he had lunch with Felipe VI, which came from an invitation made by the Spanish king at the reopening ceremonies of the border between Portugal and Spain, earlier this month.

The Prime Minister, António Costa, also commented on the agreement reached at the European Council considering that it gives “a sign of confidence” to Europe and Portugal for economic recovery following the crisis caused by the pandemic.

Speaking to journalists, after the European Council reached agreement on a total package of €1,820 billion for economic recovery, António Costa said that “in total, between funds available through the next Multiannual Financial Framework and funds mobilised from the Recovery Fund, Portugal will have €45 billion available over the next seven years.

“This European Council has finally ended - it seems that it was the second longest in the history of the European institutions - and I believe it ended with an important sign of confidence for the effort of economic and social recovery that Europe and Portugal have to learn”, affirmed the Portuguese head of government.

António Costa pointed out that “a specific economic recovery instrument was approved for the first time, financed on the basis of debt issued by the European Union and that will finance national recovery programmes, either in the form of grants or in the form of loans”.

For the Prime Minister, this Recovery Fund joins “the firm action that the European Central Bank has been developing since the beginning of the pandemic and also the three lines of security that the Eurogroup has developed and approved in support of States, business and employment”.

Although initially, non-refundable grants were “slightly larger”, according to António Costa, the most important step was that the 27 took over, “for the first time and together, this debt issue to finance a recovery programme” and with “a sufficiently robust dimension”.

Added to this fund is the EU’s long-term budget, to which the Portuguese Prime Minister stressed that “it was possible to overcome the blockages that had prevented its approval at previous meetings of the European Council”.

The agreement at the European Council came at 5.30am (local time, minus one in Lisbon) on 21 July, minutes after the heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) resumed formal work in Brussels.

At this meeting, a Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 of €1,074 billion and a Recovery Fund of €750 billion were then approved, with just over half in grants.

Regarding the Recovery Fund, €390 billion will be allocated in grants (non-refundable transfers) and the remaining 360 billion in the form of a loan.

Portugal is expected to receive €15.3 billion in non-refundable transfers under this fund.