The Danish Recovery and Resilience Plan | Odense Bibliotekerne

Last week, on Monday 20th of March, I was at the presentation of the Danish recovery and resilience plan at the headquarters of the Confederation of the Danish Industry. As a young student assistant in Europe Direct Odense, this was a great opportunity to meet and listen to important Danish politicians and to EU high representants. The event was divided into several parts which included roundtables and keynotes. The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Margrethe VESTAGER, Minister for Finance, Nicolai WAMMEN, and CEO of the Confederation of Danish Industry, Lars Sandahl SØRENSEN, were present to expose the possibilities in the Danish Recovery and Resilience Plan – of DKK 11 billion – and discuss how it can bring forward the green and digital transition.

Lars Sandahl SØRENSEN, CEO of the Confederation of Danish Industry, made an introduction speech to explain the context, where « EU global competitiveness is increasingly challenged », and the relevant aspect of this plan in the European and Danish economies. According to him, « The EU recovery plan can help the improve of the danish exports », then the positive externalities of this plan are considering the Danish competitivity not only in the European market but at a global level. Furthermore, at an European scale, this will « help the exports opportunities in the single market, especially in the south-west of Europe like Spain, France and Italy which have interesting investment in renewable energies ». Technically, almost 60 per cent of the funds in the Danish Recovery and Resilience Plan will be invested in the green transition, including a green tax reform, research and development and investments in energy efficiency and sustainable road transport. For Christina KNUDSEN, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Danish Ministry of Finance: Denmark is « developing a new economic model ». This plan should be see like an opportunity for the Danish economy to be even more efficient, Per HAUGAARD, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Denmark, emphasized on « using this crisis as a slingshot ».

After that, some speakers emphasized on the good management of the fund to make it as efficient as possible. For Isabel GRILO, director for economies of the Member States, DG ECFIN, European Commission: « We are looking for results and not expenditures ». She talked about the part of this fund into the Danish economy and made a comparison with other economies benefits, even if the plan represents « 1,4% of the Danish GDP », this is important to « impulse the economy through focusing on milestones like the green transition, the digital transition and the improvement of the healthcare system ». Morten ØSTERGAARD, Head of climate and sustainability for the company Cbrain, had the same vision as Ms GRILO: « It’s not easy to spend public money, so we have to do it in an appropriated way ».

On the other hand, the digital transition plays a key role in the recovery plan and digital strategy was considered as the backbone of the Danish digital plan. This is why the EU Commissioner Margrethe VESTAGER said that « The recovery plan is based on two things : focus and strategic », for her « we can expect long time prosperity and make the good things for the next generation ».The digital transition is a long path were initiatives and innovation play are central, Katrina BAGGE THORBALL, deputy permanent secretary for digitalization at the ministry for digital government and gender equality, talked about « 61 initiatives [which make] Denmark in a unique position to develop new technologies », and she exposed the ambition of the government: « We want to be the most digital is the EU […] We still have a long way to go ». To accomplish that, the recovery and resilience should be see at a European economy level, according to Malene Kirstine HOLST opinion, Head of department of the DTU engineering technology at Technical University of Denmark: « We have very strong alliances across the European community », furthermore this plan should be joined by other policies like « legal migration […] to have a bigger high skilled labour force ». The European cooperation is a key aspect for the digital transition to develop new innovations but also as a goal to be leaders on the single market. I think that the sentence from Margrethe VESTAGER is relevant to summarize this ideas when she said that: « The Danish success does not come automatically, it's decades and decades of careful policy making […] it’s the same for the single market which works very well but it still works in progress ».

To conclude, I will quote Nicolai WAMMEN, who summarized the mindset of the Danish government on this plan: « The EU plan permits to give the flexibility to contribute on the needs of each member states […] i have no doubt that the fund will be a great success for Denmark and for Europe ». Because Denmark was one of the first countries in the world to recover from the pandemic crisis according to him, this plan should be the opportunity to accelerate the key transitions which will « reform Denmark and Europe for the better » and to remain stronger together.