On Wednesday 25 March, the European employers’ organisation BusinessEurope published its recommendations on the ‘European Competitiveness Fund’ (ECF), welcoming a number of ideas put forward, but also highlighting aspects that are still “unclear” (see EUROPE 13817/2).
“The merging of 14 existing programmes into a single rulebook and a central digital portal offers an opportunity to reduce fragmentation and create a more efficient and strategic funding framework”, says BusinessEurope.
However, the organisation adds, the impact of the fund “on competitiveness will depend on whether these modifications translate into genuinely streamlined and faster procedures in practice. It is crucial that ECF funding be allocated through open competition, prioritising projects by following the criteria of excellence and highest relevance for European competitiveness”.
With regard to industrial decarbonisation and the energy transition, presented as a central pillar of the ECF, BusinessEurope stresses that the initiatives financed under the ECF should promote projects that improve the efficiency of industrial processes, encourage the sustainable and circular use of resources and promote the adoption of innovative technologies.
However, the reference to ‘net zero emission’ industry academies should be re-examined. “To date, these initiatives have not demonstrated any clear added value within the European skills ecosystem”, says the interest group.
With regard to ‘Digital Leadership’, given the budget allocated to this policy framework of €54.8 billion (current prices), “it remains unclear how the objectives of Digital Leadership can be achieved in various areas, ranging from digital connectivity to semiconductors to AI and quantum computing”. Policymakers should “ensure that these funds are allocated in a way that maximises their impact and incentivises private investment”.
Further information: https://aeur.eu/f/lcn (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)