Poland stands among the 13 European Union countries greenlit for an advance on EU recovery funding, with an allocated sum of EUR 5.1 billion set to bolster its economic revival efforts. This announcement comes following the approval of amended National Recovery Plans by the ECOFIN Council, as confirmed by an EU source in communication with PAP (Polish Press Agency).
Joining Poland in this financial stride, the ECOFIN Council—a collective of finance ministers from the 27 EU member states—has also sanctioned the revised recovery and resilience plans of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, and Romania.
November marked a turning point as the European Commission (EC) granted a favourable opinion on Poland’s amended National Recovery Plan (KPO), clearing the pathway for the disbursement of the EUR 5.1 billion advance from the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund.
Of note, the release of this substantial advance is not contingent upon Poland meeting specific milestones.
Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Kosztowniak, speaking from Brussels, affirmed, “Poland will receive a significant financial infusion upon reaching a specific stage in advancing the KPO. Over EUR 5 billion is now earmarked for use.”
Under its KPO, Poland anticipates a total influx of EUR 59.8 billion—comprising EUR 25.3 billion in grants and EUR 34.5 billion in loans—from the EU’s pandemic relief fund. The comprehensive plan encompasses 55 reforms and 56 strategic investments.
However, Brussels had previously emphasized that the unlocking of these funds hinged on Poland meeting a series of rule-of-law ‘milestones,’ including compliance with an EU court ruling mandating reforms in the judiciary system—a longstanding point of contention between Warsaw and the EC.
The Polish section of REPowerEU, a European initiative aimed at reducing reliance on Russian fossil fuels through energy efficiency and clean energy initiatives, includes seven new reforms, seven investments, and three reallocated investments. These strategic implementations are positioned to contribute significantly to the REPowerEU objectives well before the 2030 target.