European Council
Council of the European Union
Infographic - Recovery fund: the EU delivers
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So far, 25 EU countries have got the green light for the use of EU recovery and resilience funds to boost their economies and assist the recovery from COVID-19.
After the adoption of Council implementing decisions on the approval of the plans, the member states can sign grant and loan agreements with the Commission.
The EU and its member states have taken action to minimise the fallout on the economy of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this page you can learn more about the concrete measures the EU is taking to support the economic recovery:
Infographic - EU budget 2021-2027 and recovery plan
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On 23 April 2020, EU leaders decided to work towards establishing an EU recovery fund aimed at mitigating the effects of the crisis. They tasked the European Commission to urgently come up with a proposal, which would also clarify the link between the fund and the EU's long term budget. The proposal, a recovery plan for Europe, was presented by the European Commission on 27 May 2020.
On 21 July 2020, EU leaders agreed on a €750 billion recovery effort, Next Generation EU, to help the EU tackle the crisis caused by the pandemic.
Alongside the recovery package, EU leaders agreed on a €1 074.3 billion long-term EU budget for 2021-2027. Among others, the budget will support investment in the digital and green transitions and resilience.
Together with the €540 billion of funds already in place for the three safety nets (for workers, for businesses and for member states), the overall EU's recovery package amounts to €2 364.3 billion.
The European Parliament and the Council reached a preliminary agreement on the package on 10 November 2020. The European Council on 10-11 December 2020 addressed the concerns raised on the agreement and cleared the path for the recovery package to be adopted.
Infographic - Recovery fund: the EU delivers
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The regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) was adopted by the Council on 11 February 2021. This instrument, which is at the heart of Next Generation EU, brings €672.5 billion of support to member states to help them address the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 13 July 2021, the first 12 EU countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain - got the green light for the use of EU recovery and resilience funds to boost their economies and recover from the COVID-19 fallout.
On 28 July 2021, four more EU countries – Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania and Slovenia – also got the green light.
On 8 September 2021, the Council adopted its implementing decisions on the approval of the recovery and resilience plans for Czechia and Ireland.
On 5 October 2021, the Council adopted its implementing decisions on the approval of Malta's recovery and resilience plan.
On 29 October 2021, three EU countries - Estonia, Finland and Romania - got the green light as the Council, following a written procedure, adopted the implementing decisions on the approval of their recovery and resilience plans.
On 3 may 2022, the Council welcomed the assessment of national recovery and resilience plans for two more countries - Bulgaria and Sweden.
On 17 June 2022, the Council adopted the implementing decision on the approval of Poland's recovery and resilience plan.
to support the EU's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
Infographic - The EU’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic
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During these times of crisis, the EU and its member states are working together and helping each other.
The EU has mobilised resources to support the emergency response to the virus: ensuring supply of protective equipment, boosting research and supporting our global partners in need.
Support package for jobs and workers, businesses and member states.
On 9 April 2020, the Eurogroup put forward three immediate safety nets, worth €540 billion, which were finalised in May 2020. They are designed to support:
The EU established an instrument providing temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) to help people keep their job during the crisis. The scheme provides loans on favourable terms to member states to cover part of the costs related to the creation or extension of national short-time work schemes.
Financial support is directed to 19 member states:
These amounts were subject to agreement by the Council. The total financial support of SURE amounts to €94.3 billion for 19 member states.
Other member states can still present their requests for financial assistance. Up to €100 billion can be provided under this EU instrument until the end of 2022.
As of 25 May 2021 (latest disbursement), 19 member states have received a total of almost €90 billion in SURE support.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group put in place a €25 billion pan-European guarantee fund. The fund provides loans up to €200 billion for companies with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the EU.
This comes on top of more emergency funds already leveraged by the EIB to bridge short-term financing needs of SMEs and support the health sector.
The European Stability Mechanism set up the Pandemic Crisis Support based on an existing precautionary credit line, adjusted in light of the COVID-19 crisis. It can provide loans available to all euro area member states up to 2% of their GDP, up to a total value of €240 billion.
There is a great story to tell about how the EU and its member states work together as a team to help people through the COVID-19 pandemic. From securing safe and effective vaccines, to sending medical equipment where it is most needed, to taking in patients from other countries; from protecting jobs and workers to helping partner countries across the globe, EU countries went above and beyond to support each other.
On 9 April 2021, the Council approved additional €121.5 million via the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve to address urgent needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds will support:
In total, the Commission has proposed €245.2 million of additional funding from the EU budget to support these initiatives, as well as €100 million for further emerging needs related to the coronavirus crisis. The draft amending budget which will cover part of this expenditure was adopted by the Council and the Parliament in July 2021.
Infographic - EU budget 2020 amended
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As an immediate response to the COVID-19 consequences, the EU amended its budget for 2020, adding €3.1 billion to:
On 11 September 2020, the Council agreed to add a further €6.2 billion to the EU's budget for 2020. The revised budget increases payments for the:
The EU quickly redirected cohesion funds to help member states tackle the COVID-19 crisis:
The EU also adopted measures to ensure additional flexibility in the use of structural funds. Thanks to the so-called Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus (CRII+):
The initiative also includes support for fishermen and farmers and a revision of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD).
The Horizon 2020-funded European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has also launched a crisis response initiative. The institute will provide €60 million of additional funding to innovators powering high-impact solutions that help tackle social and economic challenges.
The EU enabled maximum flexibility in the application of EU rules on public finances and fiscal policies, e.g. to accommodate exceptional spending.
To preserve jobs and businesses, the EU adopted temporary state aid rules that allow member states to financially support companies and citizens who are struggling due to the COVID-19 economic fallout.
As of October 2020, the overall national fiscal support amounts to 4% of GDP and will continue into 2021.
Infographic - COVID-19: EU support to agriculture and fisheries
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The EU provides support to the agriculture and fisheries sectors, recognising their vital role in ensuring food availability for EU citizens.
Support measures include:
In addition, the EU established 'green lanes' to allow the flow of food across Europe and has recognised seasonal workers as 'critical workers' to ensure continuity in the agri-food sector. It has also granted aid for storage of products and has simplified some administrative procedures in its programmes.
The transport sector has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The epidemiological situation and the slowdown of the economy as a result of lock-downs resulted in a drastic reduction of transport demand and services across the EU territory with economic consequences for the sector.
In recent months, traffic volumes have picked up again. For instance, the number of daily flights in the EU has recently doubled compared to the pandemic period in 2020. The increases in transport volumes is largely due to the economic recovery, as well as to measures and procedures such as the 'green lanes', the EU digital COVID certificate and the passenger locator form, which have been put in place in order to facilitate traffic flows and travelling.
As early as in March 2020, EU member states agreed on the need to have a coordinated approach on how to best ensure economic continuity, protect the health and safety of transport workers and their free movement across borders, while focusing on containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the most immediate EU coordinated actions, member states agreed to establish 'green lanes' to allow the flow of goods across Europe, allowing exceptions and easing check procedures for supplies and personnel.
In addition, to help companies and authorities in the aviation, rail, road and shipping sectors to weather the impact of the coronavirus crisis, a number of measures were undertaken:
On 23 October 2020, the Council adopted conclusions calling on the Commission to swiftly draw up a pandemic and other major crises contingency plan for the European freight transport sector. Such a plan should include EU-level coordination measures and clear guidelines and ensure that in the future EU countries will be better prepared for unexpected events.
In February 2022, given the continuation of disruptions to rail traffic due to the pandemic, the Council extended the emergency measures put in place in October 2020 for the sector until 30 June 2022. The measures give member states the possibility to provide relief from certain infrastructure charges for rail companies while ensuring a timely refund for infrastructure providers.
In March 2020, the European Central Bank announced a €750 billion pandemic emergency purchase programme. The programme received an extra boost on 4 June 2020, with an additional €600 billion, bringing the total to €1 350 billion.
For more updates on COVID-19 related Council meetings, press releases, infographics and publications see here: