The Diputació de Tarragona has established a dedicated information platform to assist local authorities across Baix Penedès, Camp de Tarragona, and Terres de l'Ebre in accessing Next Generation EU funds. This initiative aims to ensure these municipalities can fully use the European recovery funding available.
The European Union's Next Generation programme seeks to drive a transformation process for societies and economies, focusing on digital transition, green transition, cohesion, and inclusion. Local bodies are expected to play a significant role in this process, according to the Diputació de Tarragona.
To support this, the Tarragona Provincial Council has formed an Interdepartmental Commission for strategic cross-cutting projects. This commission has created a Technical Office specifically for monitoring Next Generation funds. The council has also hired a specialist consultant to help local entities understand and use the various opportunities these funds present.
Supporting Local Entities
The Diputació de Tarragona is committed to serving local entities and other involved parties within its jurisdiction. The new website section was created in response to requests for support from the Provincial Council. This support will primarily involve managing and transferring valuable information to maximise future opportunities arising from the application of these funds.
Local authorities seeking advice on the Next Generation programme can contact the Diputació de Tarragona directly via email at [email protected]. The online platform also provides access to current news, open calls for proposals, and relevant documentation.
Key Resources and Regulations
Available documentation includes a guide for entities receiving European funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), a glossary of Next Generation terms, and an informative note on updates to the execution of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan programmes. Additionally, operational provisions approved by the European Commission and the Spanish Government for plan application are provided, alongside a guide for anti-fraud measures in Next Generation fund management.
The platform also lists crucial regulatory documents. These include a practical guide for applying Order HFP/55/2023, which concerns the systematic analysis of conflict of interest risks in procedures executing the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Other regulations cover aspects to incorporate into contract files and bidding documents for contracts financed by these funds, as outlined in an instruction from the State Public Procurement Advisory Board dated 23 December 2021.
Further regulatory information includes Orders HFP/1031/2021 and HFP/1030/2021, which establish the procedure and format for information provision by public sector entities for monitoring milestones and budgetary execution, and configure the management system for the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, respectively. The legal framework is completed by EU Regulation 2021/241, establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and Spanish Royal Decree-Law 36/2020, approving urgent measures for public administration modernisation and plan execution. Catalonia's own Decree-Law 5/2021 also outlines urgent measures for implementing and managing funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and the REACT-EU fund for the Generalitat de Catalunya and its public sector.
