The Spanish recovery plan: assessing its contribution to the green transition in the European Union

Beatriz Pérez de las Heras

doi:10.24965/gapp.11207

Authors

Beatriz Pérez de las Heras Universidad de Deusto (España – Spain) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-2925

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.11207

Keywords:

Next Generation EU, Recovery and Resilience Facility, Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, green transition, European Green Deal

Abstract

Background: The Next Generation EU (NGEU) is the primary financial instrument of the European Union’s post-COVID recovery policy. In particular, this major stimulus package is being used as an opportunity to accelerate the process of decarbonisation and reinforce climate policies. The article analyses Spain’s recovery plan and assess its potential contribution to the EU’s environmental and sustainability goals. Method: the study is drawn on a combination of academic literature, legal instruments and EU institutions and Spanish Government documents. The approach is mainly analytical. Results: NGEU funds provide Spain with the opportunity to undertake profound changes to construct a more resilient economic model. The green transition is the main axis of the Spanish recovery plan, with almost 40 % of resources allocated to this process. Investments and reforms aimed at the ecological transition are currently being implemented in Spain at a rapid pace, in line with the EU’s goals and policies. Conclusions: The new challenges generated by the war in Ukraine will require Spain to deploy additional efforts not initially covered by the recovery plan. In particular, the deployment of renewable energy and improvement of circular economy policies will be crucial to accelerate the green transition.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Beatriz Pérez de las Heras, Universidad de Deusto (España – Spain)

Beatriz Pérez de las Heras is Professor of European Union Law at the University of Deusto. PhD in Law, she accomplished post-graduate studies at the Centre Européen Universitaire of Nancy. Editor-in-Chief of Deusto Journal of European Studies, her current research interests are chiefly focused on the European Union (EU)’s climate change and energy policy and EU’s role as an international actor.

References

Alfonso, U. & Casamitjana, N. (2021). Early interventions and impact of COVID-19 in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084026

Alonso, D. & de los Llanos, M. (2022). The 2022 European Semester and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Economic Bulletin, (2023/Q1), article 04. https://doi.org/10.53479/29463

Aparici, E. (2022). El Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia: inversiones y reformas. ICE: Información Comercial Española, (924), 99-111. https://doi.org/10.32796/ice.2022.924.7360

Bandrés, E., Gadea, L., Salas, V. & Sauras, Y. (2020). Spain and the European Recovery Plan. SEFO: Spanish and International Economic & Financial Outlook, 9(4), 5-14. https://www.funcas.es/articulos/spain-and-the-european-recovery-plan/

Beyer, J. & Vandermosten, A. (2021). Greeness of Stimulus Index. Vivid Economics. Disponible en: https://www.naturefinance.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/200932-GSI-report.pdf

Bisciari, P., Gelade, W. & Melyn, W. (2022). Recovery and Resilience Plans in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Belgian Financial Forum. https://www.financialforum.be/en/articles/recovery-and-resilience-plans-belgium-germany-france-italy-and-spain

Council of the European Union (2022). Council Recommendation of 12 July 2022 on the 2022 National Reform Programme of Spain and delivering a Council opinion on the 2022 Stability Programme of Spain [Official Journal of the European Union C334/09 of 1 September 2022]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022H0901(09)

Cuerpo, C. (2022). Economic recovery in the age of COVID-19. Intereconomics, (57), 5-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-022-1019-8

D’Alfonso, A. (2022). Energy Policy in the national recovery and resilience plans [Briefing PE 738.194]. EPRS – European Parliamentary Research Service. Https://www.Europarl.Europa.Eu/thinktank/en/document/eprs_bri(2022)738194

D’Alfonso, A. (2023). Agreement on REPowerEU chapters in recovery and resilience plans [At a glance, PE 739.330]. EPRS – European Parliamentary Research Service. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2023)739330

Dafnomilis, I., Chen, H.-H., den Elzen, M., Fragkos, P., Chewpreecha, U., van Soest, H., Fragkiadakis, K., Karkatsoulis, P., Paroussos, L., de Boer, H.-S., Daioglou, V., Edelenbosch, O., Kiss-Dobronyi, B. & van Vuuren, D. P. (2022). Targeted green recovery measures in a Post-COVID-19 world enable the energy transition. Frontiers in Climate, (4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.840933

European Commission (2019). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, The European Green Deal [COM/2019/640 final]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52019DC0640

European Commission (2020). The State Aid Temporary Framework to support the economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/state-aid/coronavirus/temporary-framework_en#:~:text=The%20State%20aid%20Temporary%20Framework%20was%20adopted%20on%2019th,context%20of%20the%20coronavirus%20outbreak

European Commission (2021a). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: ‘Fit for 55’: delivering the EU’s 2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality [COM(2021) 550 final]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A52021AE5481

European Commission (2021b). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, The next generation of own resources for the EU Budget [COM/2021/566 final]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2021:566:FIN

European Commission (2021c). Summary of the assessment of the Spanish recovery and resilience plan. https://commission.europa.eu/document/28f15c05-1219-4110-9038-4135210a50c9_en

European Commission (2022a). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, REPowerEU Plan [COM/2022/230 final]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2022%3A230%3AFIN

European Commission (2022b). Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Review report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility [COM/2022/383 final]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0383

European Commission (2022c). Commission Staff Working Document 2022 Country Report-Spain, Accompanying the document Recommendation for a Council recommendation on the 2022 national Reform Programme of Spain and delivering a Council opinion on the 2022 Stability Programme of Spain [COM (2022) 610 final – SWD (2022) 640 final]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022SC0610

European Commission (2023). Timeline of EU action. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/coronavirus-response/timeline-eu-action_en

European Council (2020). European Council conclusions, 10-11 December 2020. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/12/11/european-council-conclusions-10-11-december-2020/

European Environment Agency (2023). Europe’s changing climate hazards: an index-based interactive EEA report. https://doi.org/10.2800/458052

Eurostat (2022). Developments for GDP in the EU: the rebound observed in 2021 and continued in 2022. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=National_accounts_and_GDP#Developments_for_GDP_in_the_EU:_a_rebound_in_2021_after_a_decline_in_2020

Fabbrini, F. (2022). The legal architecture of the economic responses to COVID-19: EMU beyond the pandemic. Journal of Common Market Studies, 60(1), 186-203. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13271

Feás, E. & Steinberg, F. (2021). Las cifras para España del Plan de Recuperación Europeo. ARI: Análisis del Real Instituto Elcano, (25), 1-10. https://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/analisis/las-cifras-para-espana-del-plan-de-recuperacion-europeo/

Gobierno de España (2019). La Agenda del cambio. Hacia una economía inclusiva y sostenible. https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/consejodeministros/Paginas/enlaces/080219-enlaceagendacambio.aspx

Gobierno de España (2021a). Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia. https://planderecuperacion.gob.es/plan-espanol-de-recuperacion-transformacion-y-resiliencia

Gobierno de España (2021b). Executive Summary. Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/temas/fondos-recuperacion/Documents/05052021-Executive_Summary_Recovery_Plan.pdf

Gobierno de España (2022). II Informe de situación del plan de recuperación. Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia. Disponible en: https://portal.mineco.gob.es/es-es/comunicacion/Paginas/II_Informe_de_Ejecucion_del_Plan_de_Recuperacion.aspx

Gobierno de España (2023). III Informe de ejecución del plan de recuperación. Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia. https://planderecuperacion.gob.es/ejecucion/informe-de-ejecucion-del-plan

Heilmann, F., Reitzenstein, A., Lehne, J. & Dufour, M. (2020). Drafting recovery plans for a resilient and green economy [briefing paper]. E3G. https://www.e3g.org/publications/drafting-recovery-plans-for-a-resilient-and-green-economy/

Kölling, M. & Hernández-Moreno, J. (2023). The Multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and Next Generation EU – a turning point of EU multi-level governance? Journal of Contemporary European Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14782804.2023.2241832

Mas, J. P. (2021). Crevillent, la primera comunidad energética de España. Ambient@. https://sites.google.com/gl.miteco.gob.es/revistaambienta2/revista-131/131-crevillent

Más, P. (2021). The EU budget: the new MFF and the recovery instrument: Next Generation EU. In F. Fernández Méndez de Andés (ed.), The Euro in 2021 (pp.169-195). Fundación de Estudios Financieros & Fundación ICO. https://www.fundacionico.es/documents/137403/183194/ANUARIO-EURO-2021_EN-1.pdf/446d2c25-db1d-485f-2a18-bca1d7fb99af?t=1631189875116

Mileusnic, M. (2023). Spain’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Latest state of play [Briefing PE 698.878]. EPRS – European Parliamentary Research Service. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)698878

MITECO (2020a). Estrategia de Descarbonización a Largo Plazo 2050. Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico – MITECO. Disponible en: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/sites/lts/lts_es_es.pdf

MITECO (2020b). Plan Nacional Integrado de Energía y Clima (PNIEC) 2021-2030. https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/pniec.aspx

MITECO (2020c). Plan Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático (PNACC) 2021-2030. https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cambio-climatico/temas/impactos-vulnerabilidad-y-adaptacion/plan-nacional-adaptacion-cambio-climatico/default.aspx

MITECO (2021). Hoja de Ruta del Autoconsumo. https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/ministerio/planes-estrategias/hoja-ruta-autoconsumo/default.aspx

Molho, N. (2021). Delivering a sustainable, durable, and inclusive recovery for Europe [policy paper by the Aldersgate Group]. Think 2030. https://think2030.eu/delivering-a-sustainable-durable-and-inclusive-recovery-for-europe/

Murillo, E. & García, C. (2022). El plan de recuperación: claves, papel de las CC.AA y algunos retos tras su puesta en marcha. Gestión y Análisis de Políticas Públicas, (30), 6-26. https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.11071

Myant, M. (2021). The economic and social consequences of COVID-19. In B. Vanhercke, S. Spasova & B. Fronteddu (eds.), Social Policy in the European Union: state of play 2020. Facing the pandemic (pp. 53-69). European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). Disponible en: https://www.etui.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/05-Chapter3-The%20economic%20and%20social%20consequences%20of%20Covid%E2%80%9119.pdf

Peña, J. A., del Pino, M. & Sánchez, A. (2021). The Spanish energy transition into the EU Green Deal: alignments and paradoxes. Energies, 14(9), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092535

Pérez de las Heras, B. (2022). Towards sustainable recovery in the European Union: the experience of the Spanish recovery plan. In A. Aristovnik, D. Ravselj and N. Tomazevic (eds.), The road to a smart and sustainable European Union (88-111). Policy Brief. European Liberal Forum and Zavod14. https://liberalforum.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Policy-Brief-The-Road-to-a-Smart-and-Sustainable-EU.pdf

Perovic, M. & Brachet, I. (2022). Further suspension of EU debt and deficit rules show the need for a deep reform of the fiscal rules [press release]. Climate Action Network Europe. https://caneurope.org/spring_package_media_reaction_fiscal_reform/

Pilati, M. (2021). National Recovery and Resilience Plans: empowering the green and digital transitions? [discussion paper]. European Policy Centre (EPC). https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/National-Recovery-and-Resilience-Plans-Empowering-the-green-and-digit~3e58f0

Pinilla, J., Barber, P., Vallejo, L., Rodríguez, S., López, B. G. & Serra, L. (2021). The economic impact of the SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094708

Skjaerseth, J. B. (2021). Towards a European Green deal: the evolution of the EU climate and energy policy mixes. International Environment Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, (21), 25-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-021-09529-4

Tesche, T. (2022). Pandemic politics: the European Union in times of the coronavirus emergency. Journal of Common Market Studies, 60(2), 480-496. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13303

Wahl, T. (2022, 12 december). EP endorses introduction of new own resources. Eucrim. https://eucrim.eu/news/ep-endorses-introduction-of-new-own-resources/

Wuppertal Institut & E3G (2021). Green Recovery Tracker Report: Spain. https://www.greenrecoverytracker.org/country-reports/spain