Brussels – The revision of EU funds is advancing well and may be finalized ahead of the mid-June deadline set by the government. The European Commission (EC) is open to utilizing a portion of these funds for energy price compensation, with the final decision hinging on the structure of the aid mechanism. This was announced on Wednesday in Brussels by Samuel Migaľ, the Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, following a meeting with Raffaele Fitto, the EC’s Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, as reported by TASR.
“The EU Commissioner has been briefed on the issue and has not raised any objections. He mentioned that the next steps depend on how we process the matter and establish the conditions for using the funds for targeted assistance, particularly for gas price compensation,” Migaľ stated, indicating that further discussions on this matter are anticipated.
He expressed that it is encouraging that Fitto did not reject the proposal and that discussions are progressing. However, he refrained from specifying the necessary amount for such assistance, noting that it could change over time and might reach hundreds of millions of euros.
The primary focus of Wednesday’s meeting was the planned revision of EU funds to redirect them toward new priorities, ensuring that Slovakia does not forfeit these resources. This involves a package of nearly 1.3 billion euros that the government temporarily halted in mid-June. Migaľ noted that the EU Commissioner did not object to including part of the funds earmarked for local government in this freeze.
“This revision is moving forward continuously, and I believe that, as per our government resolution, we can meet our commitments even before the deadline,” the minister evaluated.
As part of the revision, it is crucial to allocate EU funds towards five current priorities set by the European Commission (EC). These priorities include dual-use of funds for defense and civilian purposes, enhancing competitiveness, water retention initiatives, energy transformation, and creating affordable housing. Migaľ indicated that Slovakia is already implementing many of these priorities, which align with the Slovak government’s and the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization’s objectives.
One specific proposal put forth to the EC is to recognize the investment in the construction of the D3 highway as already accounted for within the EU funds. This technical adjustment would decrease the amount of unspent funds and enable the release of 200 million euros that were temporarily frozen due to slow absorption rates. “We are in close contact with the Ministry of Transport and are doing everything possible to include this significant investment in the revision. If successful, it would bring good news for the regions, as we could unlock 200 million euros for them,” Migaľ elucidated. (July 2)
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