Brussels and the Recovery and Resilience Plan: Investing in a sustainable future

The Opens in new windowRecovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) supports EU Member States in structural reforms and investments from February 2020 to August 2026, with a particular focus on the green and digital transition. 

Member States receive grants and loans from the Opens in new windowEuropean Commission based on national plans with milestones and targets to be achieved. Funding is granted only when the agreed-upon results are effectively achieved. For Belgium, an amount of €4.52 billion was allocated to strengthen the economy and to prepare it for future challenges.

The Opens in new windowRecovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) is Belgium’s implementation of the RRF. Funded by the European Union, the plan has a dual ambition: to repair the damage caused by the pandemic while accelerating the ecological and digital transition of society. 

The Brussels-Capital Region (BCR) actively contributes to the Belgian RRP and has been allocated a budget of €341 million for this purpose. A total of 23 projects are implemented: 7 reforms and 16 investments, closely aligned with both Brussels’ policy priorities and European objectives. 

The implementation is coordinated by Brussels International and Brussels Finance and Budget, and Brussels International is responsible for: 

• The overall coordination of the Brussels component within the Belgian Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP);
• Monitoring of and reporting on the progress of the reforms and investments;
• Reviewing whether the reform and investment milestones and targets have been met;
• Verifying the absence of serious irregularities, fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest as well as double funding.

The supported initiatives focus on: 

• energy-efficient renovation of buildings, through e.g. the Opens in new windowRenolution grants and the Opens in new windowRenoClick programme, improving the energy performance in hundreds of (social) housing units and public buildings;
• the digitalisation of public services, through the modernisation of administrative tools and the creation of the Opens in new windowFARI AI research institute;
• sustainable mobility, through the creation of new cycle paths, the purchase of electric buses for Opens in new windowSTIB-MIVB, the installation of charging stations, and the development of Mobility-as-a-Service solutions such as the Opens in new windowFloya app;
• economic transition, through the Opens in new windowShifting Economy strategy and the Opens in new windowreform of economic support measures;
• strengthening the labour market, through targeted training for future-oriented occupations, with an emphasis on the green and digital sectors;
• digital education, by improving IT infrastructure in schools, including Wi-Fi and the distribution of laptops and tablets.

The RRF is a performance-based mechanism: funds are disbursed only when the agreed-upon milestones and targets have been achieved. The strength of the RRP lies in its strategic alignment with the policies of the Brussels-Capital Region. By actively participating in this national plan, the Region confirms its commitment to a green, fair, and innovative recovery for the benefit of all Brussels inhabitants.