The European Commission has approved Belgium’s fifth request for €225 million in funding under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, the main spending tool within the NextGenerationEU programme.
The assessment covers reforms and investments linked to the clean and digital transition, mobility, education and training, labour market policy and biotechnology, the Commission reported on Monday.
Belgium has met seven milestones and 12 targets set out in the relevant Council Implementing Decision.
Measures linked to the request include the rollout of low-emission buses across Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, including investment in charging infrastructure for the updated fleets.
The package also includes a reform of Wallonia’s vehicle circulation tax, with reductions for some households — including large families and single-parent families — as well as for owners of carbon-neutral vehicles.
Support for housing renovations is also included, covering work such as roof and wall insulation, window replacement and heating system upgrades.
What happens next
The Commission has sent its preliminary assessment to the EU’s Economic and Financial Committee, which has four weeks to issue an opinion.
A payment to Belgium can follow the committee’s opinion and a subsequent payment decision adopted by the Commission.
Belgium submitted the payment request on 17 April 2026, and the country’s recovery and resilience plan is financed by €5 billion in grants and €230 million in loans under the facility.
If the payment goes ahead, total funds paid to Belgium under the Recovery and Resilience Facility would reach €3.86 billion — 73% of the total in its plan — with 67.6% of milestones and targets fulfilled.
Member states must complete remaining milestones and targets by 31 August 2026 and submit final payment requests by the end of September 2026, ahead of the facility’s closure at the end of 2026.
