On 15 June 2026, European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis addressed the 23rd Recovery and Resilience Dialogue, detailing the final steps for the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). He announced that disbursements under the Facility have surpassed €425 billion and stressed the urgency of implementation to unlock remaining funds. Dombrovskis presented the Commission's recently published Guidelines on the Closure of the RRF, which set key deadlines: all milestones and targets must be implemented by 31 August 2026; all outstanding payment requests must be submitted by 30 September 2026; and, as a rule, all payments must be completed by the end of the year.
Dombrovskis explained that after 31 August, no amendments to national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) will be accepted. The Commission will have a short window to assess final payment requests and will not pause assessments for additional evidence, urging Member States to submit complete and robust evidence well ahead of September. After 31 August, the Commission will no longer launch suspension procedures for unsatisfactory milestones but will instead initiate a reduction procedure, allowing Member States to make observations. A similar mechanism applies if reversals occur after that date.
The Guidelines also outline post-2026 obligations. Member States must maintain reporting on the 100 largest final recipients of RRF funds until 2028 and keep national portals publishing this information at least until 31 December 2028. Audit and control activities will continue as long as needed to protect the Union's financial interests, requiring Member States to keep internal control systems operational beyond 2026, including for financial instruments.
Dombrovskis addressed two recent European Court of Auditors (ECA) reports. On transparency and traceability, the ECA confirmed that Member States generally collect actual cost data but noted it is not consistently used to update cost estimates, nor requested by the Commission to manage implementation. Dombrovskis clarified that the RRF Regulation precludes controls on actual costs, though Member States can submit such data to justify RRP revisions. He stated the report confirms the Commission correctly implemented transparency provisions. On tackling fraud, the ECA acknowledged that Commission audits improved national anti-fraud systems. While the Commission disagrees with some conclusions, it has implemented five of seven sub-recommendations. The Commission is currently working with the ECA on six performance audits, including on REPowerEU and energy efficiency.
Dombrovskis concluded that Member States have two and a half months to finalise implementation, and the Commission is prepared to process the last wave of payment requests efficiently and rigorously. He called for continued engagement from the European Parliament to maximise the Facility's impact in its final months.
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