Lisbon, April 1, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal is one of only two European countries, alongside Italy, to have received eight payments to date under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), MEP Siegfried Mureşan said on Wednesay in Lisbon.
At a press conference at the end of a two-and-a-half-day visit to Portugal, the MEP, in his capacity as head of the delegation of the Working Group on the RRP, noted that the other European countries had received, on average, between five and six RRP payments.
Portugal had successfully implemented all reforms previously agreed upon with the European Union, which allowed for all eight payments to be executed, he added, describing the overall implementation as a significant success.
According to him, the delegation confirmed they had discussed the impact of extreme weather conditions with the Portuguese government, explaining that all projects in the plan had suffered weather-related setbacks, resulting in their replacement by others that could be completed within the time-frame.
To ensure Portugal does not lose funds, the delegation undertook to inform the European Commission that the Portuguese authorities would propose a formal revision of the plan, so that these projects could be evaluated for alternative funding through the EU budget or the European Investment Bank.
Furthermore, Mureşan and Portuguese MEP Carla Tavares indicated their intention to propose the reinstatement of the POSEI programme (Programme of Options Specific to the Remote and Insular Nature), looking toward the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.
The European Parliament supported this initiative and would advocate for its reintegration, he added.
The delegation’s visit to Lisbon was intended to evaluate the progress, governance, and tangible impact of RRP projects in Portugal.
The group consisted of members from the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), including representatives from various member states and political groups.
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