On Wednesday 15 February, MEPs meeting in Strasbourg adopted the first reading of a report by Eva Maydell (EPP, Bulgarian) on the creation of a European Joint Undertaking under the EU’s research and innovation framework programme, Horizon Europe.
Out of 636 MEPs voting in a single vote, 594 voted in favour of the report, 15 against and 27 abstained.
The Joint Undertaking aims to enhance public and private investment in the development and strengthening of a research and innovation network for semiconductors in Europe. It is intended to complement the Chips Act, which will aim to increase European technological capacity for semiconductors.
The report details the elements of governance sought by MEPs.
The latter insist that this initiative will be a new European strategic initiative and as such will require appropriate and new financial means. More generally, MEPs want to ensure that the total amount of funds allocated to the Horizon Europe programme is not reduced in the mid-term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
The initiative is part of a drive to reduce European strategic dependencies. MEPs stress that the beneficiaries of the initiative should take measures to prevent “unwanted technology transfers”.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/5c7 (Original version in French by Emilie Vanderhulst)