EU Commission approves Slovakia €591 million NextGenerationEU payment request

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) January 19, 2026 – The European Commission approved Slovakia’s fourth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility allocating €591 million following verification of 45 reform milestones and 49 investment targets achievement. The payment represents 26.6 percent of Slovakia’s €6.3 billion grant component supporting digital transformation green transition economic resilience post-pandemic recovery objectives fulfilment. Funds disbursement follows positive assessment January 16 formal approval January 18 enhancing national implementation capacity €2.08 billion total payments received since 2021 programme launch.

Slovakia submitted payment request December 15 2025 detailing progress Digital Slovakia Strategy healthcare digitalisation public administration reform judicial independence strengthening renewable energy capacity expansion energy efficiency building renovation programmes execution. Commission services conducted detailed verification confirming compliance RRF Regulation milestones investments macroeconomic impact assessment satisfactory fulfilment disbursement conditions release authorisation.

Slovakia recovery resilience plan fourth payment details

Slovakia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan approved June 2021 foresees €6.3 billion grants €2.1 billion loans total €8.4 billion allocation 2021-2026 supporting 27 percent green transition 20.8 percent digital transformation objectives EU policy priorities alignment. Fourth payment request €591 million comprises €400 million green transition reforms €191 million digital reforms corresponding investments completion verification Commission positive assessment execution.

Payment breakdown includes €250 million renewable energy capacity 500MW wind power capacity addition 300MW solar photovoltaic installations grid connection completion €120 million public building energy efficiency renovation 150,000 square metres refurbished €80 million hospital digitalisation systems implementation electronic health records deployment citizen access portals operation. Digital component funding supports €100 million public administration reform e-government services 80 percent online availability target achievement €91 million judicial digitalisation case management systems deployment electronic file access judicial independence indicators improvement documentation.

European commission verification process milestones assessment

European Commission Directorate-General Reform Support Investment Package conducted comprehensive verification December 20 2025-January 10 2026 assessing 45 reform milestones 49 investment targets fulfilment evidence submission compliance RRF Regulation Article 24 payment request requirements. Commission services confirmed Slovakia completion judicial reform package three new specialised courts establishment anti-corruption prosecutor’s office operationalisation public procurement transparency platform 95 percent electronic tendering coverage achievement.

Green transition milestones verification included national energy climate plan update 2030 renewable target 28 percent increase hydrogen strategy adoption low-carbon hydrogen production roadmap electrolyser capacity tender launch documentation. Digital transformation assessment validated nationwide 5G coverage 80 percent population access fixed broadband gigabit connectivity 50 percent households availability electronic identification eID national catalogue services integration government platforms operation.

Slovakia national implementation capacity enhancement

Slovakia established Central Coordination Body Ministry Investments Regional Development Economic Recovery management RRF implementation monitoring reporting payment requests preparation Commission communication coordination. National Recovery Plan Office employed 120 specialists technical working groups coordination 15 line ministries implementing agencies project pipelines management public procurement procedures compliance EU state aid rules execution.

Payment disbursement enhances Slovakia fiscal capacity 2026 budget deficit reduction target 5.8 percent GDP achievement sovereign debt sustainability improvement eurozone membership stability mechanism access preservation. Funds allocation supports 12,000 direct jobs creation 45,000 indirect employment green construction digital services public administration modernisation economic multipliers estimation 1.2-1.8 GDP growth contribution 2024-2026 forecast period.

Digital slovakia strategy healthcare digitalisation progress

Digital Slovakia Strategy 2030 implementation accelerated RRF funding supports nationwide electronic health records system deployment 95 percent hospitals integration 85 percent general practitioners connection patient data access portals operation telemedicine platforms 200,000 consultations annual volume. Hospital information systems upgrade €80 million investment 45 acute care facilities digital radiology PACS systems implementation laboratory information management systems LIS deployment medical device connectivity standards compliance achievement.

Public administration digitalisation encompasses e-government services portal gov.sk 2.0 version launch 250 administrative procedures fully online availability 95 percent citizens digital identification eIDAS compliant authentication national service catalogue integration cross-border services recognition execution. Judicial digitalisation reform package includes electronic case management systems deployment 120 district courts electronic file access authorised parties videoconference hearings 70 percent civil cases capacity remote proceedings COVID-19 legacy infrastructure utilisation.

Green transition renewable energy capacity expansion

Slovakia renewable energy capacity expanded 800MW 2025 RRF-supported wind farm projects 300MW capacity grid connection completion five utility-scale solar parks 200MW total capacity commercial operation auction allocation hybrid wind-solar installations grid stability services provision. Energy efficiency building renovation programme delivered 150,000 square metres public buildings refurbished energy performance certificates improvement average 45 percent primary energy savings 12,000 tonnes annual CO2 emission reduction verification.

National hydrogen strategy adoption facilitates low-carbon hydrogen production roadmap 100MW electrolyser capacity tender launch industrial decarbonisation applications green steel production fertiliser manufacturing backup power generation applications development. Energy infrastructure modernisation includes smart grid investments distribution network automation 500km overhead lines underground cabling 200 high-voltage substations digitalisation outage management systems deployment renewable integration capacity enhancement.

Judicial reform anti-corruption measures implementation

Judicial reform package implementation strengthened rule law indicators three specialised courts establishment Administrative Court Bratislava Specialised Criminal Court regional branches operationalisation nine new judges appointment selection procedure merit-based evaluation independent judicial council oversight. Anti-corruption prosecutor’s office established 25 specialised prosecutors appointment handling high-level corruption cases organised crime proceedings asset recovery mechanisms activation 35 investigations initiated 2025 asset freezing orders execution.

Public procurement transparency platform electronic tendering coverage 95 percent public contracts above threshold mandatory electronic submission evaluation automated risk scoring corruption prevention algorithms implementation beneficial ownership register integration bidder verification execution. Whistleblower protection directive transposition national legislation secure reporting channels establishment 1,200 reports received 2025 workplace retaliation prohibition mechanisms operationalisation public interest disclosure reward schemes pilot implementation.

Macroeconomic impact assessment growth contribution

European Commission macroeconomic impact assessment projects RRF payments Slovakia 1.8 percentage points GDP growth contribution 2024-2026 0.6 percent employment rate increase 25,000 full-time equivalent jobs creation green construction digital services public administration modernisation sectors concentration. Fiscal sustainability improvement consolidated budget deficit reduction 2.1 percentage points GDP 2023-2025 sovereign debt ratio stabilisation 55 percent GDP eurozone convergence criteria fulfilment documentation.

Structural reforms labour market activation 150,000 long-term unemployed persons training programmes completion digital skills certification 80,000 citizens upskilling active labour market policies reinforcement employment services digitalisation vacancy matching platforms operation. Education vocational training reform dual education system expansion 12,000 apprenticeships annual capacity 250 secondary schools partnership enterprises certification industry standards compliance execution.

NextgenerationEU facility overall implementation progress

NextGenerationEU Recovery Resilience Facility disbursed €366 billion 23 member states 2021-2025 representing 42 percent total financial allocation grant components loans performance-based conditionality milestones investments verification Commission services coordination. EU27 countries submitted 94 payment requests total €225 billion payments authorised 67 percent requests approved average processing time 45 days verification completion execution.

Italy France Spain Germany Poland received largest shares €122 billion €67 billion €58 billion €52 billion €32 billion respectively reflecting population GDP allocation keys national plan sizes variation. Programme completion targeted 2026 final payment requests submission December 2026 audits closure 2028 legacy financial management accountability transparency requirements fulfilment.

Slovakia fifth payment request preparation milestones

Slovakia preparing fifth payment request submission Q2 2026 targeting €650 million disbursement 50 reform milestones 55 investment targets fulfilment advance planning Central Coordination Body coordination line ministries implementing agencies project pipelines acceleration. Upcoming milestones include railway infrastructure modernisation 150km electrified lines double-track capacity enhancement freight corridors Baltic Adriatic connectivity improvement €300 million investment completion.

Healthcare infrastructure development regional hospitals reconstruction 10 facilities emergency departments expansion intensive care capacity doubling digital operating theatres installation medical equipment procurement €200 million allocation execution. Social inclusion active ageing programme elderly care facilities modernisation 5,000 places creation home care services digitalisation telemedicine monitoring systems deployment €120 million investment social services reform implementation.

Commission enhanced technical support deployment

European Commission Technical Support Instrument deployed 25 experts Slovakia public administration reform project management capacity building digital transformation governance frameworks establishment monitoring evaluation systems implementation coordination. DG REFORM experts seconded national administrations procurement digitalisation green public procurement criteria integration carbon footprint calculation tools deployment lifecycle costing methodologies execution.

Training programmes delivered 8,000 civil servants digital skills certification project cycle management EU funds absorption capacity enhancement public finance management internal audit functions strengthening anti-corruption compliance verification execution. Twinning projects neighbouring countries Czech Republic Hungary Poland public administration best practices exchange peer review mechanisms implementation reform sustainability post-RRF period continuity assurance.

Private sector mobilisation investment leverage

RRF funds leverage private investment €2.5 billion mobilised green transition digital transformation projects public-private partnerships coordination blended finance instruments utilisation European Investment Bank EIB loans €1.8 billion co-financing national promotional banks KfW CEB participation. Strategic investment priority sectors battery manufacturing semiconductor production renewable hydrogen low-carbon steel production attracting €4.2 billion foreign direct investment FDI 2021-2025 greenfield projects establishment 18,000 high-skilled jobs creation documentation.

Digital economy growth 15 unicorns development scale-up funding rounds €750 million venture capital attraction software development cybersecurity fintech artificial intelligence applications national champions international expansion execution. Export promotion strategy reinforcement Made in EU labelling green certification schemes international market access facilitation trade missions organisation third country partnerships establishment supply chain resilience enhancement.