The EU is making additional financial resources available to the member states to strengthen cohesion and boost the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The German Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament today reached a political agreement on REACT-EU, an emergency legislative initiative to release €47.5 billion through the structural funds to the hardest hit member states and regions. Support could be used for short-time work schemes to preserve jobs; education and training, especially teaching digital skills; improving access to social care; or providing working capital to SMEs as well as financing green projects.