REACT-EU stands for Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe and is an initiative that continues and extends the crisis response and crisis repair measures delivered through the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative and the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus. REACT-EU provided a €50.6bn additional investment under the investment for growth and jobs goal. €39.6bn was allocated in 2021 with €11bn allocated in 2022.
Member States could use the REACT-EU budget for the ESF, the European Regional Development Fund (including for cross–border cooperation under ETC), the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), and the Youth Employment Initiative.
Ireland’s allocation for 2021 was €88.3m and was programmed through the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.
The continuation of education and training was an essential step in ensuring a resilient recovery from COVID-19. The additional funding has been used to support the continuation of safe and inclusive education and training in a COVID-19 context and focused on measures introduced to support the reopening of schools.
Ireland’s 2022 REACT-EU allocation of €53.3m was also programmed through the PEIL 2014-20 Operational Programme to support a number of measures assisting Ukrainian refugees on arrival in Ireland including, for example, reception, processing, transport and short-term and medium term accommodation.
Further information on REACT-EU can be found at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_2140