📋 Tender Overview
In order to repair the damage caused by the corona pandemic and to pave the way out of the crisis to a more modern and sustainable Europe a total of 750 billion euros will be made available at EU level with the Next Generation EU development plan. At the heart of this development plan is the Development and Resilience Facility RRF which is intended to promote investments and reforms for a greener more digitally oriented and more crisis-proof Europe with a volume of 672.5 billion euros. Less than half of this amount is paid to Member States in the form of non-repayable grants. Part of these funds around 3 billion euros should also benefit Austria.In order to be able to access these funds from the facility the national governments are now requested to present their investment and reform plans in detail in national development and resilience plans and to submit these to the EU Commission by April 30 2021 at the latest.To this end - in accordance with the specifications of the EU Commission - a broad dialogue with and close involvement of the social partners and various stakeholders should take place. Speaking to the CoR Committee of the Regions in October Commission President Ursula Van der Leyen said that regions and cities should be involved in the preparations from the start as cities have to bring the projects to life in the local reality.Now the Association of the Public Economy and Community of Austria VWG and the Austrian Association of Cities point out in a joint letter to the Federal Government and the European Commission that the Austrian Federal Government has not yet taken any visible steps to collect this money. There has also been no official communication with stakeholders as to how to proceed with the creation of the national development plan. While around two thirds of the member states are already very far in the preparation of their national plans and have discussed details in an informal exchange with the EU Commission it is still not entirely clear in AustriaThe VWG and the Association of Cities therefore request the Federal Governmentafter comprehensive transparency in the conception of the national development plan and the decision-making process as to which projects will be includedthat the funds from the RRF are actually intended to create economic ecological and social added valuethat the funds from the RRF will not be used to relieve the budget but instead following the basic idea of the instrument the opportunity should be used to invest out of the crisis and thus promote ecological and digital change with social responsibilityIn relation to the cash flows to Brussels Austria receives a small amount of non-repayable financial aid from the RRF compared to other member states. It is therefore all the more important according to the position of the VWG and the Association of Cities that the focus in the national development plan is on smaller projects with a diverse sectoral structure and broad geographical spread in order to achieve the greatest possible multiplier effect. The VWG and the Association of Towns explicitly refer to the central role of public municipal companies and services in the recovery after the crisis In order to cope with the crisis in the long term and ensure an economic recovery investments in innovative green and digital measures are now essential. Here too due to their potential for economic value creation the public municipal companies providing services of general interest - and thus also the cities and municipalities - play a decisive role. The expenditures of all municipalities in Austria for services of general interest generate an overall added value effect of 39 billion euros while those in Vienna generate an added value effect of 18 billion euros. The expenditures of the municipalities lead to an overall labor market policy effect of 460000 full-time equivalents. And further We welcome the Federal Governments path to invest out of the crisis . New reforms and investments with a digital and or environmental policy focus are well suited not only to cushion the acute consequences of the corona pandemic but also to promote long-term growth . Services of general interest but also regional urban projects such as the expansion of regional public transport are particularly suitable for ensuring that the money is used regionally and sustainably. In a resolution by the management of the Austrian Association of Towns in which mayors are represented by four parties the federal government was asked weeks ago to take appropriate steps. With our know-how and expertise of our members we are always available for discussions and expect quick action in order to collect the money made available and use it for new innovative regional projects said VWG and the Association of Cities.
