Gentiloni plays down importance of NRRP decision delay

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 30 - European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday played down talk of there being tension between Rome and Brussels over Italy's 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 Commission has delayed by a month a decision on the payment of a third tranche of funding of 19 billion euros while it runs further checks on Italy's progress.
    "We are in the phase of evaluating the targets linked to the third payment request," Gentiloni told the Rome Investment Forum organized by the FeBaf finance federation.
    "In agreement with the government, the Commission has extended the time for evaluation, as happened with other countries.
    "It is a sign of the attention with which our services verify the full achievement of the 55 targets.
    "In some cases they are particularly complex".
    He added that he would not "emphasize" the significance of the postponement, saying the same thing had happened with seven or eight other countries.
    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.
    The opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD) is calling for the government to give clarification in parliament about delays in the NRRP. (ANSA).