EU Recovery Fund Finances Infrastructure in Florence and Madrid

The European Union is utilizing its NextGenerationEU post-covid recovery programme to finance a wide array of digital and infrastructure projects across member states. While the overall effectiveness of the fund as a transformative tool remains a point of debate, specific urban investments have proceeded in Italy and Spain.

In Florence, Italy, the fund supports 56 distinct projects. The most significant of these is a 500 million euro tramway extension. Mayor Sara Funaro described the project as "a momentous juncture in the history of Florence."

In Madrid, Spain, the programme has targeted smaller-scale digital modernization. A fishmongers’ association received a 400,000 euro grant to replace manual processes with a digital-payment and ordering system to increase operational efficiency.