DIGITALEUROPE welcomes the creation of the Digital Europe programme and the new digital focus of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) instrument
“Europe urgently needs to deliver on the three Cs: we need a Common market for digital, backed up by digital Competences, as well as access to Capital that leverages Europe’s growth and innovation capacity at global level”, said Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director-General of DIGITALEUROPE.
“The Digital Europe programme and the new CEF funding instrument are very positive signals and important steps for the European Union to deliver on the digital transformation, the digital single market and a competitive Europe”, she added.
“DIGITALEUROPE urges the EU co-legislators, the Council and the European Parliament, to safeguard – or even to increase – the proposed budgets during the upcoming negotiations on the overall EU multi-annual financial framework (MFF)”, she concluded.
Background
Through the Digital Europe programme, a new instrument, the European Union will invest €9.2 billion from 2021 to 2027 on several key digital challenges, from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and advanced digital skills. The programme will focus on deployment, to bridge the gap between research & innovation and infrastructure investment.
The new Connecting Europe Facility has for the first time a full digital component, worth €3 billion. The instrument will fund high-capacity broadband networks. Together with the recent agreement on theElectronic Communications Code, the scene is set for increased investment in deploying world-class digital infrastructure across Europe.
