These are Slovenia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Croatia, following the approval of the plans of Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovakia

The EU is expected to approve the recovery plans of four more countries on Monday

photo_camera AFP/YANN SCHREIBER - People wearing face masks walk in front of a large Euro poster

The European Union's economy and finance ministers plan to approve the recovery plans of Slovenia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Croatia this Monday, in a meeting to be held by videoconference.

On 13 July, they approved Spain's plan, along with those of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovakia.

Therefore, one year after the EU agreed on the 800 billion euro recovery fund to deal with the economic crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic, sixteen member states will now be able to receive the first disbursement, which in the case of Spain will be 9 billion euros.

Reunión del Consejo Europeo

This first disbursement is automatic, once the recovery plans have been approved, while the rest of the disbursements until 2026 will be made every six months and will be conditional on the countries demonstrating that they have achieved the objectives of their plan within the timetable set with the Commission.

Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to analyse Hungary's plan, about which it still has doubts, and is negotiating an extension with Budapest to continue studying the document, given that the regulatory deadline for Brussels to issue a verdict ended on 12 July.

The EU executive reprimanded Hungary again this week for its failure to comply with the rule of law.

La UE espera aprobar este lunes más planes de recuperación

In addition, the recent law passed by the Hungarian parliament banning homosexuality in schools and on television during children's hours has also contributed to Brussels delaying its approval of the recovery plan sent to it by Budapest.

"The Commission was not in a position to give a positive assessment of the plan," said EU spokeswoman Dana Spinant on Friday.

Brussels has not yet given its approval to Poland's recovery plan and, according to Spinant, does not plan to do so this week, despite the fact that the deadline for the extension that Warsaw has already agreed with Brussels expires on 31 July.

Unión Europea

The Commission's approval of the recovery plans is a prerequisite before EU finance ministers give the final go-ahead.

To date, the Netherlands and Bulgaria are the only two EU countries that have not submitted their proposals to the EU executive, which has already approved a total of eighteen of the twenty-five plans it has received.

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