The European Commission said on Monday it “presented proposals to the [EU] Council for decisions to grant financial support of EUR 81.4 billion to 15 Member States under the bloc’s SURE instrument.”
Of this, Poland is expected to receive EUR 11.2 billion, the third-highest amount among member states, after Italy’s EUR 27.4 billion and Spain’s EUR 21.3 billion, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.
Once the Council of the European Union approves these proposals, the financial support will be provided in the form of loans granted to member states on favourable terms, the European Commission said.
It added that the loans were intended to assist member states in addressing sudden increases in public expenditure to preserve employment.
Specifically, they aim to help member states cover the costs of financing national "short-time work schemes" and similar measures put in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic, in particular for the self-employed.
Loans provided to EU countries under the SURE instrument will be underpinned by a system of voluntary guarantees from member states, the Commission also said.
Its head Ursula von der Leyen was quoted as saying: "We must do everything in our power to preserve jobs and livelihoods.”
She added: “Today marks an important step in this regard: just four months after I proposed its creation, the Commission is proposing to provide EUR 81.4 billion under the SURE instrument to help protect jobs and workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic across the EU.”
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, the European Commission said on its ec.europa.eu website.
(gs/pk)
Source: PAP, ec.europa.eu