The commission issued loans of €1 billion to Czechia, €2.2 billion in Belgium, €4.06 billion to Spain, €2.47 billion to Ireland, €1.87 to Italy, and €1.4 billion to Poland. "The crisis is tough on many workers, who fear for their jobs. [...] This helps protect jobs and enables economies to recover faster from the crisis," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen commented.
Earlier this month, the commission estimated the SURE had provided support for between 25 and 30 million people and between 1.5 and 2.5 million companies during the ongoing pandemic.
The Commission has published its first preliminary assessment of the impact of SURE, the €100 billion instrument designed to protect jobs and incomes affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Commission has so far proposed a total of €90.6 billion in financial support to 19 Member States. SURE can still make over €9 billion of financial assistance available and Member States can still submit requests for support.
"SURE has successfully supported tens of millions of people and firms across the EU, protecting against the risk of unemployment and safeguarding livelihoods. As we move towards the recovery, we will continue with measures to support a job-rich recovery and provide active support for workers and labor markets," European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis stated.
Back in November, the commission issued €8.5 billion worth of bonds under SURE to help its member states support jobs affected by the pandemic.