Legislative Train Schedule
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to search

Proposal for a regulation establishing the Digital Europe Programme 2021-2027

In “A Europe Fit for the Digital Age”

PDF version

For a brief overview of the key points of the adopted text and its significance for the citizen, please see the corresponding summary note.

As part of the next long-term EU budget (MFF 2021-2027), the Commission proposed a new "Digital Europe Programme". Its main objective is to boost Europe's digital transformation. The proposal allocated €9.2 billion (in current prices) to five areas, over the period 2021-2027:

  1. High performance computing (HPC): €2.7 billion for projects to build-up and strengthen HPC and data processing in Europe, to deploy a world-class supercomputer and data infrastructure with exascale capabilities by 2022/2023, and post-exascale facilities by 2026/2027, endowing the EU with its own independent and competitive technology supply, achieving excellence in applications and widening supercomputing availability and use.
  2. Artificial intelligence (AI): €2.5 billion to help spread AI. This budget builds on the European approach on AI presented on 25 April 2018. It will give better access for public authorities and businesses to AI testing and experimentation facilities in Member States, complemented with the investments in AI research and innovation foreseen under Horizon Europe.
  3. Cybersecurity and trust: €2 billion to boost cyberdefence and the EU's cybersecurity industry, finance state-of-the-art cybersecurity equipment and infrastructure as well as support the development of skills and knowledge. The proposal builds on the cybersecurity measures presented in September 2017.
  4. Digital skills: €700 million to support advanced digital skills through training courses and on-the-job traineeships.
  5. Digital transformation of public administration and interoperability: €1.3 billion will support the digital transformation of public services and their EU-wide interoperability. It will foresee digital innovation hubs (DIH) providing access to technological expertise of digital transformation projects.

The programme is expected to complement and create synergies with the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and Horizon Europe.

On 4 December 2018, the Council adopted a partial general approach which excludes budget-related and horizontal issues discussed as part of the MFF negotiations. 

In the EP, the file was allocated to the ITRE Committee, with CULT being associated under Rule 54. ITRE voted on 21 November 2018. The EP position was adopted in Plenary on 13 December 2018. The MEPs proposed to invest €8.2 billion in 2018 prices (€9.2 billion in current prices) for the programme. The report underlines the need to support the small and medium-sized enterprises, provide relevant training programmes and encompass robotics powered by AI. The report proposes to grant access to European DIH to EU entities and makes the participation of the third countries in Digital Europe dependent on their contribution and interest of the Union. High performance computing competence centres will also be accessible to entities established in the EU. The EP sees the establishment of at least one DIH Hub per Member State as priority for the first year. Natural persons, included third country nationals if they reside in the EU, may be eligible for grants to foster their advanced digital skills. The report also stresses the need to address the gender gap within the ICT sector. Realising synergies between the programme and other EU funding instruments will be a key element in efficient management of funds. The creation of 'European Partnerships' is also envisaged under which the EU together with private/public partners will commit jointly to support digital innovation and its deployment. They shall be established in cases where the achievement of objectives of the programme would be more efficient that with the EU actions alone. The EP referred the file back to the ITRE for interinstitutional negotiations.

A trilogue took place on 13 February 2019. The agreed text clarified the objectives and scope of the programme to streamline it with existing framework. The EP secured strong emphasis on ethical dimension (particularly concerning AI) and pushed for an open, transparent and competitive procedure for selection of EDIHs. As with other MFF files, horizontal issues were excluded from the negotiations. On 13 March 2019 the COREPER confirmed the common understanding reached at the trilogue. The Parliament adopted its position at first reading on 17 April 2019.

On 4 June 2020 the ITRE Committee decided to open interinstitutional negotiations after the first reading in Parliament. On 17 June 2020 this decision was announced in plenary under Rule 72 of the EP Rules of Procedure. The July 2020 European Council reduced the total budget of Digital Europe to 7.588 billion (in current prices) (€6.8 billion in 2018 prices).

The final trilogue was held on 14 December 2020. The EP secured some key amendments such as additional assurances on the content of the future work programmes and introduction of the concept of partial association of third countries. The financial envelopes available for the different specific objectives are the following (in current prices):

  • High performance computing: €2 226 914 000
  • Artificial intelligence: €2 061 956 000
  • Cybersecurity and trust: €1 649 566 000
  • Advanced digital skills: €577 347 000
  • Deployment, best use of digital capacities and interoperability: €1 072 217 000

The provisional agreement reached at early second reading was endorsed by the Coreper on 18 December 2020 and approved by ITRE on 14 January 2021. The Council adopted its first reading position on 16 March 2021. ITRE adopted the draft recommendation for second reading on 13 April 2021. Parliament adopted its legislative resolution on the Council position at first reading on 29 April 2021, finalising the ordinary legislative procedure.

The new Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/694) was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 11 May 2021, entered into force on the same day, and has applied retroactively since 1 January 2021.

 

References:

Further Reading:

Author: Guillaume Ragonnaud, Members' Research Service, legislative-train@europarl.europa.eu

As of 15/12/2024.