Commission publishes guidelines for the closure of its multi-billion recovery and resilience fund

The European Commission published today guidelines on the closure of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) – the €723.8 billion centrepiece of NextGenerationEU.

They provide further technical guidance to Member States on the operational handling of final payment requests in view of the applicable deadlines. It also covers the handling of cases where milestones and targets have not been satisfactorily fulfilled or where reversals – when a milestone or target is initially deemed fulfilled but is subsequently found to be unmet – may occur in the RRF’s final phase.

Additionally, the guidance provides detailed explanations on certain post-2026 obligations, including reporting, monitoring, control, audit, and data retention, to ensure continued protection of the EU’s financial interests. While the RRF’s funding phase will conclude in 2026, Member States must maintain robust oversight to ensure accountability and compliance with EU financial rules.

The RRF was established in 2021 to bolster the EU’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen Member State’s long-term resilience, economic growth and competitiveness.

Access to RRF funding is conditional on Member States implementing agreed reforms and investments from their Recovery and Resilience Plans.

The final deadline for meeting milestones and targets is 31 August 2026, as provided by the RRF Regulation, in line with the European Union Recovery Instrument and the Own Resources Decision. Member States need to submit final payment requests by September 2026 and all payments by the Commission must be executed by 31 December 2026.