By Belén Carreño
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain is set to receive a total of 163 billion euros ($172 billion) of European Union pandemic recovery funds after Brussels announced on Monday the approval of the country's request for 83 billion euros in relief loans and RePowerEU financing.
Spain had been allocated 69.5 billion euros in grants, and will receive an additional 7.7 billion after a recalculation, plus another 2.6 billion to offset the energy price shock in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Commission's clearance of a further 83 billion euros in loans, yet to be confirmed by the European Council, immediately unlocks 1.4 billion euros in REPowerEU pre-financing and allows it to request a loan disbursement of up to 15 billion within 2023, according to the new payment schedule.
In addition, Brussels has agreed to modify the initial recovery plan presented by Madrid in 2021, accepting as many as 52 changes to the initial draft in the face "objective circumstances".
The most significant change is the cancellation of Spain's commitment to implement a pay-as-you-go system for motorway use as a disincentive for polluting transport. Madrid has now committed instead to boosting rail freight transport.
Brussels also accepted that Spain had been unable to achieve some of its milestones and reforms due to early elections in July and that inflation and supply chain disruptions have altered some targets.
These changes are key for Spain to be able to request the fourth disbursement of the grants, worth a further 10 billion euros within 2023. Spain has already received 37 billion euros in the first three approved payments.
($1 = 0.9490 euros)