Spain is the first State to request the third disbursement and the most advanced in the implementation of the Plan.

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A disbursement that is associated with the fulfilment of 29 milestones and targets which, if confirmed, would mean a total of 121 milestones and targets achieved out of a total of 416.

The Government of Spain has formally requested the third disbursement of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism in the amount of 6 billion euros linked to the fulfilment of 29 milestones and targets (23 milestones and 6 targets), which have been met throughout the first half of 2022.

With the request made by the General Secretariat of European Funds, under the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, Spain becomes the first Member State to request the third disbursement and shows that it is the most advanced country in the implementation of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).

Bankruptcy Law, VET and the Self-Employed: Some key milestones

This request for payments is a continuation of the intense process of reforms already underway. Of particular note is the entry into force of the reform of the Bankruptcy Law, which establishes a second chance procedure and introduces a special procedure aimed at micro-SMEs that reduces the duration and cost of the procedure and which will be processed entirely by electronic means.

In the field of education, one of the milestones is the entry into force of the Law on the Comprehensive Vocational Training System, the purpose of which is to regulate a system of vocational training and accompaniment capable of responding flexibly to people’s interests and aspirations for professional qualifications throughout their lives and to the skills demanded by new production and sectoral needs.

In the area of pensions and social security, very important advances have been made, such as the reform of the social security contribution system for the self-employed to gradually introduce a new contribution system based on real income.

It is also important to highlight the entry into force of the Law on Measures to Prevent and Combat Tax Fraud. This law, which brings Spain into line with neighbouring countries, allows for the adaptation of tools to combat the new types of fraud associated with new technologies and reinforces mechanisms to combat tax avoidance by large multinationals through abusive tax planning. It also prohibits tax amnesties.

Other reforms have also been adopted that lay the foundations for the development and promotion of investments related to innovative renewable energies.

This payment request also involves advances in R&D&I projects in the automotive sector with the aim of favouring the development of components and platforms for electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles or autonomous driving, among others. One of the government’s commitments is to facilitate the entry and participation of small and medium-sized enterprises.
It is also worth mentioning the financing of projects to promote the sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture and livestock farming and investments in the fisheries sector to promote research in this area.

The objectives of this payment request also include strengthening the fight against forest fires with the modernisation of fire-fighting aircraft.

From the point of view of social cohesion and equality, this third disbursement includes actions to improve the rate of access to the minimum living income and projects to promote equality in sport.

Investments are also made in the field of culture, with support for the digitisation of cultural services in the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía National Museum and Art Centre, the National Library and the INAEM, among others.

The European Commission will now have two months to analyse and verify the documentation submitted by the Spanish Government in order to make the disbursement