There will be no extensions for the recovery and resilience plans (RRPs), as the Commission has always stated and has reiterated today with the adoption of the Communication “NextGenerationEU – the road to 2026” on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). “In line with the legal deadlines and the temporary nature of the Facility, Member States must meet all milestones and targets by 31 August 2026”, a statement from Brussels reads. The deadline for Member States to submit payment requests and evidence to the Commission is 30 September 2026. The Commission will then have until 31 December 2026 to make all payments. Some €335 billion in funding is still available to Member States, which is why it is “vital to accelerate” the implementation of projects and construction works. The Commission also suggests that Member States “streamline their recovery and resilience plans”, that is to say, that they “include only measures achievable by 31 August 2026 and explore alternative measures to use their remaining financial allocations”. The guidance provides a clear menu of options for this purpose. For instance, breaking down large projects into more achievable initiatives, transferring funds to other projects or redirecting unspent funds towards satellite communication programmes or the defence industry. As the Commission points out, 454 days are left for the implementation of the recovery and resilience plans.