12/01/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 12 January, the European Parliament’s Committees on Budgets (BUDG) and Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) endorsed by a large majority (69 votes in favour, 6 against and 3 abstentions) the interinstitutional agreement on the insertion of ‘REPowerEU’ chapters in the national recovery plans in the framework of the Next Generation EU recovery plan (see EUROPE 13084/15). Agreed with the Council of the European Union at the end of 2022, this provisional agreement includes €20 billion of new money from the European Innovation Fund and the ETS, as well as the mobilisation of the loan component of the European Recovery Plan to accelerate the energy transition and reduce dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. It will be put to the vote during the European Parliament plenary session in February. (MB)