Poland stands to receive EUR 11.2 billion in low-interest loans from EU coffers under the bloc's EUR 100 billion SURE instrument, which aims to mitigate unemployment risks during the COVID-19 crisis.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Thursday that Italy, Spain and Poland would be the first three member states to benefit from the measure.
“We do all we can to keep people in jobs,” she said in a tweet. “With SURE we support short time work schemes with EUR 100 billion.”
She added: “The first countries to receive support are Italy, Spain and Poland. They have been hit hard by the crisis. Money will flow to them rapidly."
The financial support is expected to be provided in the form of loans granted to member states on favorable terms.
The loans are intended to assist member states in addressing sudden increases in public expenditure to preserve employment, according to EU officials.
Loans provided to member states under the SURE instrument will be underpinned by a system of voluntary guarantees from member states, the European Commission said on its ec.europa.eu website in late August.
Von der Leyen was quoted as saying at the time: "We must do everything in our power to preserve jobs and livelihoods.”
The SURE instrument is a crucial element of the EU's comprehensive strategy to protect citizens and mitigate the socioeconomic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the European Commission.
(gs/pk)
Source: IAR, PAP
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