Milestones and targets are measurable commitments whose fulfilment is a condition for the disbursement of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. A milestone represents a qualitative step, for example the adoption of a law or the launch of an information system, while a target is a quantitative indicator, for example the number of renovated family houses or contracted hospital beds. Slovakia submits payment requests to the European Commission generally twice a year, with each one tied to the fulfilment of a specific package of milestones and targets. The Commission assesses fulfilment and, where it is not met, can partially or fully suspend the payment until the commitment is achieved. This mechanism fundamentally distinguishes the Recovery Plan from EU funds: it is not enough to spend money on eligible expenditure; the pre-agreed results and reforms must be achieved. For recipients this means strict deadlines – all investments must be completed by August 2026, otherwise there is a risk of losing funding and having to repay funds at the national level.
See also: Recovery and Resilience Plan, Implementing entity of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
