Germany Revamps Recovery Plan to Boost Green and Digital Projects

What the document is about
The European Council is amending the 13 July 2021 decision that approved Germany’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). Germany has asked for changes because some parts of the plan are no longer achievable because of objective circumstances (e.g., market changes, new timelines, better alternatives). The Council will update the plan, keep the overall EU financial contribution the same, and set new milestones and targets for the remaining measures.

How the problem is being solved

• Germany submitted an amended RRP that changes 35 measures.
• 4 measures are removed (because they are no longer feasible).
• 1 measure is increased in its implementation level.
• 28 measures are simplified or replaced with better alternatives that keep the same goals but reduce administrative burden.
• The European Commission has assessed the amended plan and found that it still meets the green‑transition, digital‑transition, and other assessment criteria.
• The Council will therefore amend the 13 July 2021 decision, replacing its annex with a new annex that lists the updated measures, milestones, and targets.

What changes as a result of this document

Other important information that does not fit into the above points

1. Milestones and targets – The annex lists detailed milestones for each measure (e.g., grant decisions, project approvals, disbursements, and completion of infrastructure). For example:

• Hydrogen projects: €1 411 722 000 committed, 200 MW electrolysis capacity installed by 2026.
• Decarbonisation in industry: €55 million disbursed by 2026.
• Charging infrastructure: 2 500 public charging points by 2025, 689 000 residential points by 2023.
• Zero‑emission commercial vehicles: 1 139 vehicles and 1 000 charging stations by 2026.

2. Assessment criteria – The Commission confirmed that the amended RRP still gives a large‑extent (rating A) contribution to the green transition (48 % of the REPowerEU chapter) and to the digital transition (45.8 % of the total).

3. Monitoring and reporting – A coordination unit in the German Federal Ministry of Finance will monitor progress, report milestones, and ensure that the Commission has full access to underlying data for payment requests.

4. Legal and procedural notes – The decision is addressed to the Federal Republic of Germany, is published in the Official Journal (OJ L 57, 18 Feb 2025), and does not affect other EU programmes or state‑aid procedures.

5. Annex structure – The annex is divided into components (e.g., decarbonisation, climate‑friendly mobility, digitalisation, social inclusion, healthcare, public administration, etc.) and lists each measure, its objectives, investment amounts, and specific milestones.

This summary captures the core purpose, the solution, the key changes, and the most relevant quantitative details of the Council’s proposed amendment to Germany’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.