In a debate in the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on Monday 13 June, several MEPs expressed concern about the European Commission’s proposed funding scheme, which reallocates funds under the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework to finance the future constellation for secure connectivity.
Several MEPs have raised questions about how the project will be financed. Christian Ehler (EPP, Germany), speaking also on behalf of Massimiliano Salini (EPP, Italy), expressed concern about the tendency to dip into the Horizon Europe framework programme to fund research for new initiatives. A trend that cannot continue ad vitam aeternam, according to him.
Ivo Hristov (S&D, Bulgaria) stressed the importance of creating synergies with other existing programmes. The question of GovSatCom’s place was regularly mentioned in this context. Marc Botenga stressed the importance, in all cases, of a return on investment of public funds. Niklas Nienass (Greens/EFA, Germany) also highlighted the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) which is currently being prepared.
For the rapporteur of the BUDG Committee opinion, José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portugal), things are clear: the new initiatives must be financed by new money and solutions must be found to properly fund this important programme for the Union’s strategic autonomy, before the next revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework.
In response, Mr Grudler acknowledged that the Commission had proposed a “clever mix” to finance the project without bringing in “new money”. He indicated that Mr Fernandes would be present at the next rapporteurs’ meetings. He said that there were, nevertheless, ways to make better use of the budgetary margins.
He also invited his colleagues to call on their respective governments to provide additional resources. In this respect, the rapporteur has clarified in the text the contribution of the Member States (see EUROPE 12968/13). He believes that it is essential to avoid the experience of the early Galileo programme, where private investment was not sufficient and forced the project to become a 100% publicly funded programme.
On the European Commission’s part, the senior official present indicated that, naturally, the GovSatCom programme was integrated into the project and that transfers between programmes carried out by the Commission were done in accordance with the correspondence between the objectives of the source programmes and the constellation programme. He also mentioned that there were satellite telecommunication objectives in the context of the Horizon Europe framework programme.
The deadline for the tabling of amendments is 16 June. The first rapporteurs’ meeting will be held on 29 June. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)