How has the European Union’s major recovery plan benefited the 27 member states?

The Recovery and Resilience Facility provides for negotiated national plans that entitle member states to grants and, in some cases, loans. These funds have amounted to several percentage points of GDP for member states. The main beneficiaries include Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal, France and Romania.

We turn our attention to a small country at the heart of Europe: Belgium. In Belgium‘s Francophone community government, for example, 149 school sites have been selected for renovation, including the Athénée royal de Ganshoren. Just a few years ago, its secondary school was so dilapidated that students, parents and teachers protested to demand renovation work. Yet the task remains immense: much of the French-speaking school building stock is still outdated and energy inefficient.