Slovakia seeks nearly one billion euros from EU recovery plan

Slovakia recently submitted a significant payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, amounting to 977 million euros. This request marks a historic milestone, as it represents the highest application for funding from the European mechanism to date. The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Peter Kmec, who confirmed that this new request aligns with the schedule agreed upon with the European Commission. Slovakia has already secured five payments and anticipates three more, which will total approximately 6.4 billion euros from the EU recovery plan. Among the essential milestones included in this request are 31 targets focused on a variety of initiatives. These include projects aimed at enhancing research, development, and innovation, while also providing scholarships for talented students. Additionally, the funding supports the reforms needed for preschool education financing, as well as ongoing construction and reconstruction efforts for several hospitals. The expansions of social service homes also fall under this payment request. The standard procedure involves the European Commission assessing the payment request, which typically takes around two months. However, the summer break may prolong this process, leading to potential interruptions in the approval timeline. Deputy Prime Minister Kmec anticipates that the evaluation could extend into October, providing time to meet alternative deadlines for several milestones that were still in progress at the time of the request. Looking ahead, Slovakia is preparing to submit its next payment request, the seventh, by the end of October. The government faces the challenge of closing the recovery plan by next year, as the deadlines imposed by the European Commission are becoming increasingly stringent. Originally, Slovakia aimed to submit the final ninth request by mid-2026, but the Commission now requires all milestones to be fulfilled by August 2026, thus necessitating enhanced oversight and monitoring of ongoing investment projects.