(CIANEWS) - The Czech Republic has submitted its first request to the European Commission (EC) for the disbursement of funds from the National Recovery Plan (NPO). The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) informed that if the EC evaluates the fulfilment of 37 milestones and targets positively, the Czech Republic will receive more than EUR 1bn out of the total amount of EUR 7.1bn. The commission now has a two-month deadline to assess the application. The NPO was created in response to the crisis caused by the pandemic and its economic impact. It consists of reforms and investments to steer the country towards sustainability and digitalisation.