Looking on the internet deeply has found these results:

for the past decade is the most popular phrase on the web.

for the recent years 120,200,000 results on the web	for the past decade 123,800,000 results on the web More popular!
Some examples and use cases from the internet:	Some examples and use cases from the internet:
The audited annual financial statements of the scheme for recent years are published by the Department of Education and Skills [24]. For the major crises of recent years (Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq) separate ad hoc financial packages were put together in each case. The figures for recent years show that there has been a gradual fall in the rate at which the population of Europe is increasing. Furthermore, DG RELEX has already had to face a cut in its budget for the recent and forthcoming years. The Commission has been responsible for the ECSC.In recent years preparations have been under way to wind it down in July 2002. The CDSOA disbursements for the most recent year for which data are available relate to the distribution of anti dumping and countervailing duties collected during the Fiscal Year 2005 (1 October 2004 30 September 2005).	It doesn't look like this phrase is very popular! The search could not find any examples on the internet.

for the recent years

120,200,000 results on the web

for the past decade

123,800,000 results on the web

More popular!

The audited annual financial statements of the scheme for recent years are published by the Department of Education and Skills [24].
For the major crises of recent years (Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq) separate ad hoc financial packages were put together in each case.
The figures for recent years show that there has been a gradual fall in the rate at which the population of Europe is increasing.
Furthermore, DG RELEX has already had to face a cut in its budget for the recent and forthcoming years.
The Commission has been responsible for the ECSC.In recent years preparations have been under way to wind it down in July 2002.
The CDSOA disbursements for the most recent year for which data are available relate to the distribution of anti
dumping and countervailing duties collected during the Fiscal Year 2005 (1 October 2004
30 September 2005).

It doesn't look like this phrase is very popular! The search could not find any examples on the internet.