The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) plays a pivotal role within the German economy. By encouraging private investments and fostering structural reforms, the RRF is driving Germany's transition toward a more modern and future-oriented economy. This support extends to renewable energy and digital infrastructure in order to address Germany's climate objectives and digital transitions.

We are looking forward to discussing in Leipzig how the RRF facilitates the integration of economic areas within Germany through its reforms and incentives. Furthermore, we are eager to discuss how the RRF also facilitates cross-border cooperation with neighbouring countries like Poland and the Czech Republic, strengthening economic integration across the region.

The Recovery and Resilience Facility is the largest investment program in the history of the EU. It provides member states with a total of 338 billion Euros to stimulate the economy again after the Covid pandemic. At the same time, digitalization and decarbonisation should be pushed.

While other EU member states are already successfully using this EU program, Germany is lagging behind. The federal government has not yet been able to access larger amounts of this European funds – a total of around 30 billion Euros for Germany. This needs to change.
With this conference in Leipzig we want to help provide information about the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the possibilities of this EU program. Cities and municipalities in the East of Germany can in particular benefit from EU funds. That's what we are working for.

The European Union has established the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) as its main mechanism to address the challenges of recovering from the consequences of the Covid pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

It is vital that this unprecedented instrument of European solidarity is used effectively.

The RRF meeting in Leipzig will bring together local representatives of the EPP with European decision-makers to assess the progress made in implementing the RRF in Germany. The success of the Recovery and Resilience Facility depends to a large extent on the effective involvement of the local and regional level in its implementation.

The EPP Group is actively committed to ensuring that this principle is indeed respected.

As EPP regional and local politicians, we are committed to ensure all levels of government work together on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Indeed, as we approach the half-way lifetime mark of the RRF - in December 2023 – and with it the deadline for committing RRF funds – we need to continue to insist that the RRF achieves balanced reforms and investments, based on concrete projects for the betterment of citizens, ensuring better access for LRAs to RRF funds and full transparency and parliamentary control. On this, we welcome the additional requirement introduced with REPowerEU where Member States have to explain how the input of subnational governments is reflected in the REPowerEU chapters. In the case of Germany's implementation of the RRF, there is untapped potential at large and this needs to be addressed to avoid, in particular, the Länder and other municipalities losing out.

The European Recovery and Resilience Facility is a €750 billion fund that will be distributed across the EU to support member states in their recovery efforts following the challenges we had to face during the pandemic and currently with the Russian aggression against Ukraine. I am thrilled to be part of this as an EPP politician as we are side by side with the people on this road to recovery. This fund will help create jobs, stimulate economic growth and support the transition to a more sustainable and digital future. With this facility, people in rural areas can expect to see a boost in infrastructure, such as the improvement of roads and public transportation systems.