Spain's recovery bolstered with more Brussels' cash as plan to introduce tolls on every motorway ditched

The European Commission has given the green light to extra 93.5 billion euros, as long as the country moves to promote rail transport in a bid to help slash greenhouse gas emissions

Olatz Hernández

Madrid

Monday, 2 October 2023 | Updated 03/10/2023 09:45h.

The European Commission has approved a revision of Spain's recovery plan which eliminates a controversial idea to introduce new tolls across every motorway in the country next year.

Brussels instead approved 93.5 billion additional euros to go towards the country's anti-crisis plan this Monday 2 October. About 7.7 billion will be in transfers and 83.2 billion euros in loans, in addition to the 2.6 billion euros that will be dedicated to the green transition through the REpowerEU programme.

Plans to introduce tolls on all fast roads in the country were scrapped in exchange that Spain makes moves to promote rail transport in a bid to help slash greenhouse gas emissions. According to EU sources, this decision was sparked by rising costs hitting road users due to the energy crisis.

Brussels accepted 52 modifications to the Spanish recovery plan due to "disruptions" caused by the war in Ukraine and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The extra 93.5-billion comes after the 37 billion euros that Spain has received to date, as well as an imminent fourth payment of 10 billion euros, which the European Commission also approved.

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