PD demands govt clarification on NRRP delays

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 29 - The opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD) on Wednesday called for the government to give clarification about delays in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or PNRR in Italian), the post-COVID programme to make the Italian economy Greener and more modern with the help of almost 200 billion euros in EU grants and low-interest loans.
    The call comes after the European Commission delayed a decision on the payment of the third tranche of funding of 19 billion euros while it runs further checks on Italy's progress and European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto admitted on Tuesday that it would be impossible to realize some of the NRRP projects by the deadline of June 2026.
    "Enough already," said PD MP Enzo Amendola.
    "Nothing is known about what is happening with the individual projects. There is no transparency.
    "It is all 'the fault of those who were here before us' or the 'fault of the EU'.
    "A parliamentary session is needed on this.
    "The NRRP is a national mission, it regards Italy's future, it does not belong to a few ministers".
    A European Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday that the delay on the payment decision was "not unusual", stressing that it had also occurred with other States and that the EU executive was satisfied with the "significant progress" Italy has made in recent weeks.
    Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto said Wednesday there was "no alarm" but a need for "maximum attention".
    He also stressed that the NRRP "was conceived as a response to COVID but now the picture has changed". (ANSA).