The Commission has granted an additional Cohesion policy financing of almost €438.2 million to France and Slovenia to help them deal with the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and boost a fair green and digital recovery.
- 08 July 2021
This amount was granted in the framework of a modification of two operational programmes (OP) under the European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) as well as one OP for the Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (FEAD) under REACT-EU.
In Slovenia, €253.3 million of additional resources will mainly support healthcare and long-term care and the green and digital transition, for instance by strengthening the health infrastructure for the management of the coronavirus pandemic and investing in ICT equipment to enable distance teaching and learning.
In France, the national FEAD OP will receive an additional €104 million for food aid to the more than 4.8 million people in need. With the coronavirus crisis, the number of people who cannot afford enough food for themselves and their families has risen by 20% in France and the FEAD contributes in providing around one third of the total food aid, mainly food packages.
In the French region of Île-de-France, an additional €80.9 million will help provide working capital and investments in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This amount will also support thermal renovation of buildings, green mobility and the digital economy with a focus on schools and other educational institutions, and will improve products and services in the health sector.
REACT-EU is part of NextGenerationEU and provides €50.6 billion additional funding (in current prices) over the course of 2021 and 2022 to Cohesion policy programmes. Measures focus on supporting labour market resilience, jobs, SMEs and low-income families, as well as setting future-proof foundations for the green and digital transitions and a sustainable socio-economic recovery.