Finland's Recovery Plan Gets a Fresh Start

What the document is about
The Council of the European Union is amending the 29 October 2021 decision that approved Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). Finland has asked for changes because, after the plan was approved, some of its measures are no longer fully achievable because of objective circumstances (price rises, tax incentives not working, low tender turnout, labour shortages, etc.). The amendment keeps the overall financial support from the EU unchanged but updates the plan’s measures, milestones and annex.

How the problem is being solved

1. Assessment – The European Commission has re‑assessed the amended RRP and confirmed that it still meets all the assessment criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, etc.).
2. Amendments – 53 measures are amended, 45 are revised to better match the new circumstances, and one measure’s implementation level is increased.
3. Financial contribution – The total cost of the amended RRP is EUR 1 949 226 000. Because this cost is only slightly higher than the maximum contribution available for Finland, the EU contribution remains at EUR 1 949 059 854.
4. Annex replacement – The annex to the 29 October 2021 decision is replaced entirely by a new annex that lists the updated measures, milestones, targets and timelines.

What changes as a result of this document

Other important information that does not fit into the above points

• Decision date and reference – 12 December 2025, COM(2025) 774 final, 2025/0411(NLE).
• Target of the RRP – Finland aims to become the world’s first fossil‑free welfare society, reaching carbon neutrality by 2035 and halving transport emissions by 2030.
• Pillars of the plan – The plan is organised into five pillars:

1. Green transition (energy system, industry, buildings, transport).
2. Digitalisation and data economy.
3. Employment and skills.
4. Research, development and innovation (RDI).
5. REPowerEU (renewable energy, hydrogen, offshore wind).

• Milestones and targets – The annex lists detailed milestones (e.g., adoption of new laws, publication of calls for projects, award of grants) and quantitative targets (e.g., reduction of coal use to 36 PJ by 2026, 35 MW of new renewable capacity, 8 665 000 EUR committed to EV chargers).
• Financial instalments – The EU contribution will be paid in six instalments, each linked to the achievement of specific milestones and targets.
• Monitoring and reporting – Finland will monitor progress through a national IT tool, with the Ministry of Finance coordinating reporting and audit. The Commission will have full access to the underlying data for payment requests and audit purposes.

This decision confirms that Finland’s amended RRP remains fully supported by the EU, with the same financial contribution, while adjusting the plan to reflect the new economic and technical realities.