The Council today approved the Commission’s positive assessment of Luxembourg’s amended recovery and resilience plan. The amended plan, including a new REPowerEU chapter, is now worth €241.1 million in grants.

Luxembourg’s RepowerEU chapter will focus on the deployment of renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and sustainable transport.

The modified plan allocates 80% of available funds to measures that support climate objectives, up from 69% in the original plan. The digital ambition and social dimension of the plan are maintained.

Background

Luxembourg’s original national recovery and resilience plan was approved on 13 July 2021. On 16 May 2024, Luxembourg submitted an amended plan, including a REPowerEU chapter. The Commission adopted a proposal on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Luxembourg on 23 July 2024.

The RRF is the EU’s large-scale financial support programme in response to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to the European economy. It is the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU, a temporary recovery instrument that allows the Commission to raise funds to help repair the immediate economic and social damage caused by the pandemic.

To benefit from the facility, member states must submit recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) to the Commission, setting out the reforms and investments they intend to implement by the end of 2026.

Regulation (EU) 2023/435 as regards REPowerEU chapters, in force since 1 March 2023, aims to end the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels by saving energy, diversifying energy supplies and accelerating the clean energy transition.

Under the REpowerEU regulation, EU countries have added specific chapters to their national RRPs in order to finance key investments and reforms which will help achieve the REPowerEU objectives.

RepowerEU increases the RRF financial envelope by €20 billion in new grants. In addition, member states are able to voluntarily transfer up to €5.4 billion from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to the RRF to finance REPowerEU measures. This comes on top of the existing transfer possibilities of 5% from the cohesion policy funds (up to €17.9 billion).

So far, €648 billion have been committed to this end. To date, all RRPs have been approved, 68 payment requests have been received and €265 billion have been disbursed.

• Council implementing decision on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Luxembourg
• A recovery plan for Europe (background information)
• REPowerEU: energy policy in EU countries’ recovery and resilience plans (background information)

Today the Council agreed to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France, relating to six natural disasters occurred in 2023. The assistance will come from the EU’s 2024 budget.

The European Union Solidarity Fund will be mobilised for a total amount of €1028.54 million in commitment and payment appropriations, including the amount of €231.78 million as advance payments, of which respectively:

• €446.64 million to provide assistance to Italy further to floods caused by extremely intense rainfall in the Emilia-Romagna region in May 2023 (€378.83 million), including the amount of €94.71 million as advance payment, and the Tuscany region in October and November 2023 (€67.81 million)
• €428.41 million to provide assistance to Slovenia further to floods caused by heavy rainfall across the country in August 2023, including the amount of €100 million as advance payment
• €5.20 million to provide assistance to Austria further to floods caused by heavy rainfall in its southern regions in August 2023
• €101.53 million to provide assistance to Greece further to floods caused by the Mediterranean storm “Daniel” in multiple locations in central Greece, particularly in the Thessaly region, in September 2023, including the amount of €25.38 million as advance payment
• €46.76 million to provide assistance to France further to floods caused by heavy rainfall in the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in November 2023, including the amount of €11.69 million as advance payment

Next steps

In practice, once the decision has entered into force, the EU will transfer money from the solidarity and emergency aid reserve in its 2024 budget to the so-called EU Solidarity Fund operational budget line, from where it can be paid to the countries that have applied for financial assistance from this fund after being struck by natural disasters.

Background

The EU Solidarity Fund is designed to provide financial assistance in the event of a major disaster in a member state or a country holding accession negotiations with the EU.

• Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France relating to six natural disasters occurred in 2023
• How the EU responds to crises and builds resilience

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Recognized as one of the world’s most promising emerging regulated markets, South Africa’s gaming industry is set to benefit from NSoft’s extensive portfolio, including Sportsbook (Prematch and Live), Lottery, and Virtual Games. This strategic collaboration with Intelligent Gaming has enabled the deployment of NSoft’s advanced Stark T-1000 terminals, currently operational with five major operators across the country. NSoft extends its appreciation to Intelligent Gaming for their commitment and expertise in facilitating this significant milestone.

Building on this success, NSoft eagerly anticipates the imminent integration of its Casino games into Intelligent Gaming’s aggregator platform, further enhancing the gaming experience available to South African operators and players.

Marko Golemac, Sales Manager at NSoft, said: “We are thrilled to enter the South African market through this exclusive partnership with Intelligent Gaming. South Africa represents a key market in our global expansion strategy, and Intelligent Gaming’s profound market knowledge and network make them the perfect partner. We are confident that our cutting-edge products, including the Stark T-1000 terminals and our comprehensive gaming portfolio, will resonate well with operators and players alike. We eagerly anticipate the addition of our Casino games to their aggregator, which will further solidify our presence in this dynamic market.”

Marc Plaxton Harrison, Managing Director at Intelligent Gaming, commented: “We are excited to partner with NSoft, whose innovative solutions and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our mission to deliver the best gaming experiences in South Africa. The introduction of NSoft’s Sportsbook, Lottery, and Virtual Games, along with the Stark T-1000 terminals, provides our network of operators with compelling new offerings. We look forward to the upcoming integration of NSoft’s Casino games into our aggregator, which will undoubtedly enrich our platform’s content.”

With this exclusive partnership, NSoft and Intelligent Gaming are poised to deliver unparalleled gaming experiences, marking a significant advancement in South Africa’s online and retail gaming landscape.