The European Commission has proposed a Council Implementing Decision to amend Estonia's recovery and resilience plan (RRP), following a reasoned request from Estonia on 29 May 2026, because 14 measures are partially no longer achievable due to objective circumstances. The proposal, published on 13 July 2026, maintains the total EU financial contribution at EUR 953,184,800, with the estimated total cost of the amended RRP at EUR 953,380,000.
The amendments, made under Article 21 of the Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation, revise 14 measures: two are replaced with better alternatives (measure 1.4 on skills reform for digital transformation and measure 6.1 on comprehensive change in health care organisation), and 12 are modified to reduce administrative burden (measures 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 4.2, 4.3, 4.6, 4.7, 5.3.a, and 8.3). Additionally, clerical errors in the descriptions of three measures (3.8 on very high capacity broadband, 5.3.b on railway renovation from Rapla to Lelle, and 6.6 on youth unemployment measures) are corrected. The Annex to the Council Implementing Decision of 29 October 2021, which originally approved Estonia's RRP, is to be replaced entirely.
The proposal now requires adoption by the Council. The unchanged financial contribution means Estonia will not receive additional EU funds despite the revisions, but the adjustments aim to ensure the plan remains feasible and effective. The changes affect stakeholders including the Estonian government, which must implement the revised measures; EU taxpayers, whose contribution remains fixed; and sectors such as digital skills training, healthcare, and transport infrastructure, which will see altered targets or reduced administrative requirements. The reduction in administrative burden may ease implementation for national authorities but could also imply lower ambition in some areas. The proposal reflects the Commission's flexibility in accommodating member states' changing circumstances while keeping the overall budget envelope intact.