The European Commission this Thursday said it had made “satisfactory progress” in its assessment of the review – through an addendum – of the Recovery Plan requested by Spain in June and said: It also includes the withdrawal of tolls that the government has promised to establish on highways from 2024.
“Spain demanded that the measure be changed [peajes]As part of the review of the recovery plan (annex) presented by Spain. Work is ongoing on this evaluation of the revised plan, including the modification of the measure,” European Commission Economy spokesperson Veerle Nuyts told EL PERIÓDICO DE CATALUÑA of Prensa Ibérica Group.
The government continues negotiations with Brussels in addition to the Recovery Plan presented in June; This will serve, above all, to free the Government from its initial commitment to impose tolls, as well as to attract an additional €7.7 billion in transfers from European funds to Spain. Next Generation and 84,000 million credits. The goal is to complete these negotiations with the European Commission in the coming weeks so that the European Commission can sit at the table. Next minister council EU Financing for approval on October 17 (Ecofin), EL PERIÓDICO has learned.
“Satisfactory progress has been made and constructive discussions are being held with the Spanish authorities to conclude our assessment as quickly as possible,” the spokesman added. Nuyts said that “as with all Member States, Brussels will communicate the outcome of its review as soon as possible. That stage has been reached.”
government optimism
On the same Tuesday, Raquel Sánchez, Spain’s acting Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, declared herself “optimistic” that the European Commission would accept the “alternative proposals” proposed by the Government to avoid the introduction of tolls on motorways.
These “alternative proposals” include measures “to strengthen other proposals that have already been implemented,” he told the media at the European Parliament headquarters.Like “promoting rail transport” or promoting public transport.
“Conditions that existed at the time this measure was proposed are not the same as they are today,” the transport chief said.
commitment tolls It is part of milestone 3 of Spain’s recovery planAccordingly, Spain needs to create “a payment mechanism for the use of State roads, which will begin to operate in accordance with the ‘polluter pays’ principle from 2024,” as stated in the document.
This is the turning point in particular, in connection with the payment of the sixth tranche of the recovery fund, from which Spain will receive 8 billion euros in direct aid.
The government sent the annex to the recovery plan to Brussels on June 6 and had a three-month period to consider it (initially two months and a one-month extension due to summer in the period), but has not published its plan for now. solution.
Spain will win Access to €84 billion in loans and €10 billion in direct aid Once the revision of the plan has received the green light from the Commission and has been approved by other Member States.