Text · Amendment list
Establishing the European Competitiveness Fund ('ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities
Document ITRE-AM-788897 · COM(2025)0555 – 2025/0555(COD)
- Kind
- Amendment list ITRE-AM-788897
- Date
- 18 May 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
- Dossier
- 2025-0555
More facts (2)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Reference
- COM(2025)0555 – 2025/0555(COD)
Text
The text as parsed from the official Word file. Every paragraph has a link (¶) and can be saved to a project as a passage.
Jump to an amendment (182)
- Amendment 1842
- Amendment 1843
- Amendment 1844
- Amendment 1845
- Amendment 1846
- Amendment 1847
- Amendment 1848
- Amendment 1849
- Amendment 1850
- Amendment 1851
- Amendment 1852
- Amendment 1853
- Amendment 1854
- Amendment 1855
- Amendment 1856
- Amendment 1857
- Amendment 1858
- Amendment 1859
- Amendment 1860
- Amendment 1861
- Amendment 1862
- Amendment 1863
- Amendment 1864
- Amendment 1865
- Amendment 1866
- Amendment 1867
- Amendment 1868
- Amendment 1869
- Amendment 1870
- Amendment 1871
- Amendment 1872
- Amendment 1873
- Amendment 1874
- Amendment 1875
- Amendment 1876
- Amendment 1877
- Amendment 1878
- Amendment 1879
- Amendment 1880
- Amendment 1881
- Amendment 1882
- Amendment 1883
- Amendment 1884
- Amendment 1885
- Amendment 1886
- Amendment 1887
- Amendment 1888
- Amendment 1889
- Amendment 1890
- Amendment 1891
- Amendment 1892
- Amendment 1893
- Amendment 1894
- Amendment 1895
- Amendment 1896
- Amendment 1897
- Amendment 1898
- Amendment 1899
- Amendment 1900
- Amendment 1901
- Amendment 1902
- Amendment 1903
- Amendment 1904
- Amendment 1905
- Amendment 1906
- Amendment 1907
- Amendment 1908
- Amendment 1909
- Amendment 1910
- Amendment 1911
- Amendment 1912
- Amendment 1913
- Amendment 1914
- Amendment 1915
- Amendment 1916
- Amendment 1917
- Amendment 1918
- Amendment 1919
- Amendment 1920
- Amendment 1921
- Amendment 1922
- Amendment 1923
- Amendment 1924
- Amendment 1925
- Amendment 1926
- Amendment 1927
- Amendment 1928
- Amendment 1929
- Amendment 1930
- Amendment 1931
- Amendment 1932
- Amendment 1933
- Amendment 1934
- Amendment 1935
- Amendment 1936
- Amendment 1937
- Amendment 1938
- Amendment 1939
- Amendment 1940
- Amendment 1941
- Amendment 1942
- Amendment 1943
- Amendment 1944
- Amendment 1945
- Amendment 1946
- Amendment 1947
- Amendment 1948
- Amendment 1949
- Amendment 1950
- Amendment 1951
- Amendment 1952
- Amendment 1953
- Amendment 1954
- Amendment 1955
- Amendment 1956
- Amendment 1957
- Amendment 1958
- Amendment 1959
- Amendment 1960
- Amendment 1961
- Amendment 1962
- Amendment 1963
- Amendment 1964
- Amendment 1965
- Amendment 1966
- Amendment 1967
- Amendment 1968
- Amendment 1969
- Amendment 1970
- Amendment 1971
- Amendment 1972
- Amendment 1973
- Amendment 1974
- Amendment 1975
- Amendment 1976
- Amendment 1977
- Amendment 1978
- Amendment 1979
- Amendment 1980
- Amendment 1981
- Amendment 1982
- Amendment 1983
- Amendment 1984
- Amendment 1985
- Amendment 1986
- Amendment 1987
- Amendment 1988
- Amendment 1989
- Amendment 1990
- Amendment 1991
- Amendment 1992
- Amendment 1993
- Amendment 1994
- Amendment 1995
- Amendment 1996
- Amendment 1997
- Amendment 1998
- Amendment 1999
- Amendment 2000
- Amendment 2001
- Amendment 2002
- Amendment 2003
- Amendment 2004
- Amendment 2005
- Amendment 2006
- Amendment 2007
- Amendment 2008
- Amendment 2009
- Amendment 2010
- Amendment 2011
- Amendment 2012
- Amendment 2013
- Amendment 2014
- Amendment 2015
- Amendment 2016
- Amendment 2017
- Amendment 2018
- Amendment 2019
- Amendment 2020
- Amendment 2021
- Amendment 2022
- Amendment 2023
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 11 | deleted |
| Association of third countries to activities under the ECF | |
| 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: | |
| (a) members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino; | |
| (b) acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates; | |
| (c) European Neighbourhood Policy countries; | |
| (d) other third countries. | |
| 2. Provided any possible specific conditions laid down within each policy window or component are met by the interested third country, the Association Agreements for programme participation in the ECF shall: | |
| (a) ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country participating in the ECF; | |
| (b) lay down the conditions of participation in the programmes, including the calculation of financial contributions, consisting of an operational contribution and a participation fee, to the ECF and its general administrative costs; | |
| (c) not confer on the third country any decision-making power in the programme; | |
| (d) guarantee the rights of the Union to ensure sound financial management and to protect its financial interests; | |
| (e) ensure the protection of strategic, security, defence and public order interests of the Union and its Member States. | |
| 3. For the purposes of point (d), the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required under Regulations (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, and guarantee that enforcement decisions imposing a pecuniary obligation on the basis of Article 299 TFEU, as well as judgements and orders of the Court of Justice of the European Union, are enforceable. and ensure that its competent authorities cooperate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in the investigations and prosecutions of criminal offences affecting the Union’s financial interests in accordance with applicable international agreements or other applicable rules. | |
| 4. Separate specific agreements may be concluded in accordance with Article 218 TFEU for activities under the ECF related to security, the provision of secured services and critical assets to the EU. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: | 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries which do not contravene the security and defence interests of the Union or its Member States, including respect for the principle of good neighbourly relations, through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: | 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, including to specific parts of the programme such as double-sided auctions in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: |
The European Hydrogen Bank (EHB) plays an important role in facilitating early market creation for hydrogen. Both domestic production and imports are important to meet potentially large future demand from industrial sectors such as steel and chemicals. However, This will require additional financing. Furthermore, there is currently no dedicated funding available for the international leg of the EHB to support imports of renewable hydrogen. In order to design a scheme for renewable hydrogen imports from third countries into the EU, substantial analytical and preparatory work is required in the immediate term. Such preparatory work could include, amongst other tasks, analysing the hydrogen market landscape globally, identifying the specific risks associated with the import of hydrogen and the associated financing challenges, and the advantages and disadvantages of different auction design elements, building on existing experience available, such as the international auctions organised by the H2Global Foundation.
Yvan Verougstraete, Brigitte van den Berg, Stine Bosse, Morten Løkkegaard, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: | 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, including to specific parts of the programme, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: | 1. The ECF may, in the interest of the Union, be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: | 1. The ECF shall be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino; | (a) members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Agreement on the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino; | (a) members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Agreement on the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b) acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates; | (b) acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, in particular Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, taking into account their EU pre-accession trajectory and, where relevant, their participation in the Union's security and defence framework; |
Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have been recognised as candidate countries by the European Council and have engaged in accession negotiations with the Union. Their explicit mention in Article 11(1), point (b), is consistent with the Commission proposal's existing references to Ukraine in Articles 47, 49 and 50, and ensures legal coherence of the third-country participation framework with the Union's enlargement and security policy.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (c) European Neighbourhood Policy countries; | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d) other third countries. | deleted |
Yvan Verougstraete, Brigitte van den Berg, Stine Bosse, Grégory Allione, Sigrid Friis, Christophe Grudler, Barry Andrews, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d) other third countries. | (d) other third countries and territories, with a similar commitment to a rules-based open market economy, respecting human rights and Union standards and values, including climate commitments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d) other third countries. | (d) other third countries adhering to a rules-based open market economy, respecting human rights and Union standards and values, including climate and biodiversity commitments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d) other third countries. | (d) other like-minded third countries. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d a) The ECF will not be open to the participation of third countries involved in the illegal occupation or annexation of territories; neither to third countries responsible for gross and systematic violations of human rights or other violations of international law |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b) lay down the conditions of participation in the programmes, including the calculation of financial contributions, consisting of an operational contribution and a participation fee, to the ECF and its general administrative costs; | (b) lay down the conditions of participation in the programmes, including the calculation of financial contributions from third countries, consisting of an operational contribution and a participation fee, to the ECF and its general administrative costs; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b a) ensure reciprocal access of EU entities to relevant third country financing instruments; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (c) not confer on the third country any decision-making power in the programme; | (c) not confer on the third country any decision-making power in the programme nor any control over essential infrastructure, including energy, health and digital |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (e) ensure the protection of strategic, security, defence and public order interests of the Union and its Member States. | (e) ensure the protection of strategic and public order interests of the Union, its Member States and people. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Brigitte van den Berg, Stine Bosse, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Bart Groothuis
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| The association agreement may provide for the reciprocal participation of legal entities established in the Union in equivalent programmes of associated countries in accordance with the conditions laid down in those programmes. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. For the purposes of point (d), the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required under Regulations (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, and guarantee that enforcement decisions imposing a pecuniary obligation on the basis of Article 299 TFEU, as well as judgements and orders of the Court of Justice of the European Union, are enforceable. and ensure that its competent authorities cooperate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in the investigations and prosecutions of criminal offences affecting the Union’s financial interests in accordance with applicable international agreements or other applicable rules. | 3. For the purposes of point (d), the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required under Regulations (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 to the Commission, EPPO, OLAF and the European Court of Auditors, and guarantee that enforcement decisions imposing a pecuniary obligation on the basis of Article 299 TFEU, as well as judgements and orders of the Court of Justice of the European Union, are enforceable. and ensure that its competent authorities cooperate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in the investigations and prosecutions of criminal offences affecting the Union’s financial interests in accordance with applicable international agreements or other applicable rules. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 a. Association or partial association with third countries shall only be possible if they fulfil all the following criteria: | |
| a) full adherence to international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; | |
| b) commitment to a rules-based open market economy, including fair and equitable dealing with intellectual property rights, respect of human rights, backed by democratic institutions; | |
| c) demonstration of environmental and social standards at least equivalent to Union ones, and having submitted enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions to the UNFCCC by the date of signature of the association agreement; | |
| d) active promotion of policies to improve the economic and social well-being of citizens. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 b. The association agreement shall include provisions allowing for the suspension, restriction or termination of the association in the event of a serious breach of the conditions laid down therein, including in cases of a serious breach of fundamental rights, or the rule of law. If there is strong and persistent evidence that an associated country is failing to comply with the requirement of full adherence to international law set out in paragraph 3a, the Commission shall without delay initiate the procedure for termination of the association agreement. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 c. Association agreements pursuant to paragraph 2 shall be concluded in accordance with Article 218 of the TFEU and shall require the consent of the Parliament pursuant to Article 218(6)(a) TFEU. Pursuant to Article 218 (10) TFEU, the Parliament shall be immediately and fully informed at all stages of the procedure. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article11a | |
| Safeguards applicable to entities not established in a Member State | |
| 1a. The participation of entities established in the countries referred to in paragraph 1, points (b), (c) and (d), shall be subject to: | |
| (a) the absence of control by an entity of a non-eligible third country; | |
| (b) a verifiable security of supply guarantee; | |
| (c) a condition of reciprocity of access for Union entities to the public procurement markets and funding programmes of those countries; | |
| (d) compliance with the transfer restrictions referred to in Article 10, paragraph 2, point (b). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. Work programmes that relate to the ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be adopted in accordance with the investment guidelines referred to in Article 21(5). |
Christian Ehler, Oliver Schenk, Matej Tonin, Adina Vălean, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Hildegard Bentele, Angelika Niebler, Eszter Lakos, Radan Kanev, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Eva Maydell
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, with the exception of the budget referred to in Article 4(2)(a), which is established upfront. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, with the exception of the budget referred to in Article 4(2)(a), which is established upfront. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, ensuring complementarity and synergies with other relevant Union instruments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The ECF is to be implemented through work programmes in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | 1. The ECF is to be implemented through multi-annual work programmes of at least 3 years, in accordance with Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 a. When preparing the work programmes, the Commission shall closely cooperate with the Member States, including the competent regional authorities, with a view to ensuring consistency between interventions under the ECF and national and regional development strategies, smart specialisation strategies, and other relevant programming documents, while safeguarding the European strategic objectives of the Fund. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 a. The Commission shall ensure that the average time-to-grant for award procedures under this Regulation does not exceed five months from the deadline for submission of proposals, and that the average time-to-pay does not exceed thirty days from the date on which the conditions for payment are met. The Commission shall report annually to the European Parliament and the Council on these indicators. |
Borys Budka, Danuše Nerudová, Davor Ivo Stier, Nikolina Brnjac, Eszter Lakos, Karlo Ressler, Miriam Lexmann, Adam Jarubas, Krzysztof Hetman, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Mirosława Nykiel, Iuliu Winkler, Loránt Vincze, Andrzej Halicki, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Inese Vaidere, Tomáš Zdechovský, Siegfried Mureşan, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Daniel Buda, Gheorghe Falcă, Adina Vălean, Romana Tomc, Radan Kanev, Jan Farský, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrey Novakov, Ilia Lazarov, Emil Radev, Sandra Kalniete
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The ECF shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c) of that Regulation. | 2. The ECF shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c) of that Regulation, in a manner that ensure simplification of procedures, in particular reporting requirements and application processes for calls, in order to enhance accessibility for all beneficiaries and end recipients, including smaller actors and less experienced applicants. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The ECF shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c) of that Regulation. | 2. The ECF shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c) of that Regulation, ensuring coordination, complementarity and synergies with other relevant Union instruments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The ECF shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c) of that Regulation. | 2. The ECF shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2 a. The work programmes may provide for the implementation of selected ECF instruments through decentralised or hybrid delivery mechanisms, involving national and regional implementing bodies, in particular with regard to territorially targeted actions or measures addressed to SMEs. |
Christophe Clergeau, Jean-Marc Germain, Romana Jerković, Kristian Vigenin, Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2 a. The ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be the privileged option for implementation to unlock additional public and private investments. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Pascal Canfin, Stine Bosse, Sigrid Friis, Morten Løkkegaard, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2 a. The ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be the privileged option for implementation to unlock additional public and private investments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 a. Where work programmes implement activities referred to in Article 42, they shall include a dedicated chapter for critical raw materials. That chapter shall specify at least: the eligible categories of costs; the forms of Union support available, including grants, procurement, budgetary guarantees, financial instruments and blending operations; the conditions for supporting exploration, extraction, processing, refining, recycling, stockpiling, purchasing, long-term offtake and related infrastructure; and the criteria for the selection and award of support for raw materials projects. |
Critical raw materials projects, in particular in extraction, processing and recycling, are characterised by long lead times, high capital intensity and specific permitting and environmental risks. The architecture of work programmes set out in Article 12 should make explicit, for these projects, the eligible categories of costs, the available forms of Union support and the conditions for selection and award. This ensures predictability for project promoters and reflects the recommendations of the Critical Raw Materials Act on operational pathways.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 a. In award procedures the evaluation shall take into account, in addition to excellence criteria, geographical balance, economic resilience, cross-border dimension, economic growth dynamics of the Member States and regions, the support of EU-wide value chains, and access to critical and rare raw materials, ensuring that all Member States can benefit from these resources. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 a. In order to ensure a balanced development across the Union, at least 35 % of the resources under the ECF shall be directed to entities from Members States whose GNI per capita remains below the EU average. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Where award procedures concern more than one specific objective laid down in Article 3(2), the work programme may specify that the award procedure is implemented under a single set of rules by applying directly Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, complemented by the general rules set out in Chapter I and II, or by applying the rules of one of the concerned specific objectives. | 4. Where award procedures concern more than one specific objective laid down in Article 3(2), the work programme may specify that the award procedure is implemented under a single set of rules by applying directly Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, complemented by the general rules set out in Chapter I and II, or by applying the rules of one of the concerned specific objectives. A call for proposals may take place under more than one policy window, combining funds from relevant policy windows to contribute to a call for proposals which contributes to the specific objectives of more than one policy window, as set out in Article 3(2). Calls and award procedures related to technology infrastructures may be designed and financed across multiple policy windows where relevant to address cross-sectoral investment needs, including clean transition, health and bioeconomy, resilience and security, and digital. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Where award procedures concern more than one specific objective laid down in Article 3(2), the work programme may specify that the award procedure is implemented under a single set of rules by applying directly Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, complemented by the general rules set out in Chapter I and II, or by applying the rules of one of the concerned specific objectives. | 4. Where award procedures concern more than one specific objective laid down in Article 3(2), the work programme shall specify the dedicated award procedure aligned with the rules of the concerned specific objectives. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In addition and beyond indicators set out in Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance Regulation], the Commission shall implement the ECF on basis of a regular analysis of programme implementation, participation trends and access barriers, including relevant programme management data and network analytics. On that basis, the Commission shall take preventive and corrective measures to ensure broad participation, avoid unjustified concentrations and achieve an EU-wide coverage. To that effect, the Commission shall in particular: | |
| (a) establish minimum indicative thresholds, based on objective and transparent criteria, for the allocation of funding to start-ups and first-time applicants under certain calls or instruments of the ECF with a specific view to ensuring a fair geographical distribution and bolstering the innovation capacity of SMEs and entities from less developed and transition regions and Member States; | |
| (b) support the integration of entities from different Member States into Single Market value chains, as referred in Article 16, including through promoting multinational composition of consortia or in the value chain. and by facilitating the meaningful participation of SMEs, in particular from less developed and transition regions, in such value chains. This shall include preference points, targeted matchmaking, capacity-building programs, and provisions for reduced administrative burdens for smaller entities; | |
| The Commission shall regularly involve Member States in the design and monitoring of those measures. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. Best efforts shall be made to ensure that, at the end of the investment period, a wide range of sectors and regions are covered and excessive sectoral or geographical concentration is avoided. The Commission shall develop a coherent approach to support those efforts. The monitoring mechanism shall annually monitor and report on fulfillment of this objective at the level of Member States and regions. In case of a sectoral or geographical concentration, the Commission shall take corrective measures to ensure the fulfillment of the objective under this paragraph. | |
| In order to promote a balanced distribution of resources within the ECF, the Commission shall implement it on basis of a regular analysis of participation trends and access barriers. To that effect, the Commission shall take specific measures, in particular: | |
| (a) establishing minimum indicative thresholds for the allocation of funding to Member States referred to in paragraph 3 of Article 12 under certain calls or instruments of the ECF, on the basis of objective and transparent criteria; | |
| (b) supporting the integration of entities from different Member States into Single Market value chains as referred in Article 16, notably through ensuring geographic balance in the composition of consortia or in the value chain. The Commission shall regularly involve Member States in the design and monitoring of such measures. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In addition and beyond indicators set out in Regulation (EU) [XXX]23 of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance Regulation], the Commission shall implement the ECF on basis of a regular analysis of programme implementation, participation trends and access barriers, including relevant programme management data and network analytics. On that basis, the Commission shall take preventive and corrective measures to ensure broad participation, avoid unjustified concentrations and achieve a wide pan-Union impact. | |
| To that effect, the Commission shall in particular: | |
| (a) establish minimum indicative thresholds, based o objective and transparent criteria, for the allocation of funding to start-ups and first-time applicants under certain calls or instruments of the ECF; | |
| (b) support the integration of entities from different Member States into Single Market value chains, as referred in Article 16, including through promoting multinational composition of consortia or in the value chain. | |
| The Commission shall regularly involve Member States in the design and monitoring of those measures. |
Borys Budka, Radan Kanev, Romana Tomc, Adina Vălean, Gheorghe Falcă, Daniel Buda, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Siegfried Mureşan, Tomáš Zdechovský, Inese Vaidere, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Andrzej Halicki, Loránt Vincze, Iuliu Winkler, Mirosława Nykiel, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Krzysztof Hetman, Adam Jarubas, Miriam Lexmann, Karlo Ressler, Eszter Lakos, Nikolina Brnjac, Davor Ivo Stier, Danuše Nerudová, Eva Maydell, Jan Farský, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrey Novakov, Ilia Lazarov, Sandra Kalniete
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. The implemention of the ECF shall be conducted on basis of a regular analysis of programme implementation, participation trends and access barriers, including relevant programme management data and network analytics. On that basis, the Commission shall re-assess and take measures to ensure broad geographical participation, avoid unjustified concentrations and achieve a wide pan-Union impact. To that effect, the Commission shall in particular: (a) establish minimum indicative thresholds, based on objective and transparent criteria, for the allocation of funding to start-ups and first-time applicants under certain calls or instruments of the ECF; (b) support the integration of entities from different Member States into Single Market value chains, as referred in Article 16, including through promoting multinational composition of consortia or in the value chain. (c) create a geographical scoreboard for projects funded by ECF, which should be duly updated every year. The Commission shall regularly involve Member States and the European Parliament in the design and monitoring of those measures. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In addition and beyond indicators set out in the Performance Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Commission shall implement the ECF on basis of a regular analysis of programme implementation, participation trends and access barriers , including relevant programme management data and network analytics. On that basis, the Commission shall take preventive and corrective measures to ensure broad participation, avoid unjustified concentrations and achieve a wide pan-Union impact. | |
| To that effect, the Commission shall in particular: | |
| (a) establish minimum indicative thresholds, based on objective and transparent criteria, for the allocation of funding to start-ups and first-time applicants under certain calls or instruments of the ECF; | |
| (b) support the integration of entities from different Member States into Single Market value chains, as referred in Article 16, including through promoting multinational composition of consortia or in the value chain. The Commission shall regularly involve Member States in the design and monitoring of those measures. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In award procedures implemented under the ECF, priority shall be given to applications submitted by consortia comprising companies established in different Member States. The evaluation committees may apply a financing bonus to the funding rate or the award score of such consortia if at least one of the participating companies is established in a territory that has received support under the Just Transition fund as laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/1056. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In award procedures implemented under the ECF, priority shall be given to applications submitted by consortiums comprising companies established in different Member States. The evaluation committees shall apply a financing bonus to the funding rate or the award score of such consortiums if at least one of the participating companies is established in an Eastern border region of the Union affected by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. |
ECF resources should be equally spent in all Member States, especially those more exposed by Russia’s aggression to Ukraine, avoiding concentration only in some
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In award procedures implemented under ECF, priority shall be given to applications submitted by consortia comprising companies established in different Member States. The evaluation committees may apply a financing bonus to the funding rate or the award score of such consortia if at least one of the participating companies is established in an Eastern border region of the Union affected by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Brigitte van den Berg, Sigrid Friis, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In award procedures implemented under the ECF, priority shall be given to applications submitted by consortia comprising companies established in different Member States. The evaluation committees may apply a financing bonus to the funding rate or the award score of such consortia if at least one of the participating companies is established in an Eastern border region of the Union affected by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5. In certain duly substantiated circumstances, Union funding may be granted without a call for proposals in accordance with Article 198 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including with point (e). | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5. In certain duly substantiated circumstances, Union funding may be granted without a call for proposals in accordance with Article 198 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including with point (e). | 5. In certain duly substantiated and exceptional circumstances, Union funding may be granted without a call for proposals in accordance with Article 198 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including with point (e). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5 a. For all award procedures under the ECF, the work programme shall set a time-to-grant target not exceeding eight months from the deadline for submission of proposals to the signature of the legal commitment. For award procedures targeted at SMEs and small mid-caps, including those benefiting from the SME bonuses referred to in Article 25, the time-to-grant shall not exceed five months and proportionate, light-touch audit and reporting obligations shall apply. The Commission shall report on compliance with these targets in the Annual Activity Report referred to in Article 74(9) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. |
Both the Letta report and the Draghi report identify the duration and complexity of Union award procedures as a structural weakness for European competitiveness, in particular for SMEs and small mid-caps. The recitals of the Commission proposal commit the ECF to user-centric, fast and harmonised procedures which should be translated into general time-to-grant target and a shorter target for SME-targeted procedures. The reporting obligation enables effective monitoring without creating an additional administrative burden on beneficiaries.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments. | 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments. Preference should be given to market-based instruments. The Commission and implementing partners shall give priority to de-risking that maximise private leverage. Direct grants shall be used only as a last resort and in strict complementarity with private capital. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments. | 6. Union support shall be provided primarily to promote direct public investment, through loans and public procurement; |
Yvan Verougstraete, Sigrid Friis, Morten Løkkegaard, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Bart Groothuis
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments. | 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments, including through public-private partnerships. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments. | 6. Union support may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, equity holdings, prizes, procurement, non-financial donations, budgetary guarantees, and financial instruments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6a. As a starting point and as a general rule, Union support shall be provided in the form of budgetary guarantees and financial instruments. Direct grants may be awarded only in exceptional cases and when there are compelling reasons to do so. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7 a. Reporting, monitoring, audit and control requirements imposed on beneficiaries, final recipients and other recipients of Union support, in sectors that are not considered as high risk sectors, shall be proportionate to the amount of Union support, the risk profile of the action and the type of beneficiary. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, including when combined in blending operations with other forms of repayable support not supported by the Union budget, funding shall be provided in accordance with Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and in the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1), point (a), of that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, or, where necessary, simplified cost options. Funding may be also provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise or where this form is necessary to enable other sources of funding, including financing from Member States. | 8. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, including when combined in blending operations with other forms of repayable support not supported by the Union budget, funding shall be provided in accordance with Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and in the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1), point (a), of that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, or, where necessary, simplified cost options. Particular attention shall be given to minimising administrative burden and facilitating access for operators of all sizes. Funding may be also provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise or where this form is necessary to enable other sources of funding, including financing from Member States. |
Nicola Procaccini, Alessandro Ciriani, Elena Donazzan, Pietro Fiocchi, Lara Magoni, Francesco Torselli, Mariateresa Vivaldini
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, including when combined in blending operations with other forms of repayable support not supported by the Union budget, funding shall be provided in accordance with Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and in the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1), point (a), of that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, or, where necessary, simplified cost options. Funding may be also provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise or where this form is necessary to enable other sources of funding, including financing from Member States. | 8. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, including when combined in blending operations with other forms of repayable support not supported by the Union budget, funding shall be provided in accordance with Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and in the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1), point (a), of that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, or, where necessary, simplified cost options. Particular attention shall be given to minimising administrative burden and facilitating access for operators of all sizes. Funding may be also provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise or where this form is necessary to enable other sources of funding, including financing from Member States. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, including when combined in blending operations with other forms of repayable support not supported by the Union budget, funding shall be provided in accordance with Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and in the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1), point (a), of that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, or, where necessary, simplified cost options. Funding may be also provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise or where this form is necessary to enable other sources of funding, including financing from Member States. | 8. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, including when combined in blending operations with other forms of repayable support not supported by the Union budget, funding shall be provided in accordance with Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and in the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article 125(1), point (a), of that Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, or, where necessary, simplified cost options. Funding may be also provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise or where this form is necessary to enable other sources of funding, including financing from Member States. Financial aid should not support operational costs. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8 a. Union funding provided in the form of a grant shall be exclusively dedicated to non-profit legal entities, social economy entities and to for-profit legal entities that are SMEs or innovative scale-ups. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8 b. The paragraph 8a shall not apply to support for actions that contribute to the specific objectives set out in Article 3(2), point d, point (2) indent (ii). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9. In accordance with Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, for actions implementing research and innovation activities, the evaluation committee may be composed partially or fully of independent external experts. | 9. In accordance with Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, the evaluation committee shall be composed of independent external experts, unless duly justified. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9. In accordance with Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, for actions implementing research and innovation activities, the evaluation committee may be composed partially or fully of independent external experts. | 9. In accordance with Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, for actions implementing research and innovation activities, the evaluation committee shall be composed of a majority of independent external experts. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9 a. The Commission shall pay due attention to ensuring, to the extent possible, subject to the specificities of the sector, an appropriate gender and pan-EU representation of expertise and experience in evaluation committees, as well as in other relevant advisory bodies such as boards and expert groups, including through the involvement of national experts. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9 a. The Commission shall pay due attention to ensuring, to the extent possible subject to the specificities of the sector, an appropriate gender and pan-EU representation of expertise and experience in evaluation committees, as well as in other relevant advisory bodies such as boards and expert groups, including through the involvement of national experts. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9 a. The Commission shall pay due attention to ensuring, to the extent possible subject to the specificities of the sector, pan-EU representation of expertise and experience in evaluation committees, as well as in other relevant advisory bodies such as boards and expert groups, including through the involvement of national experts. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9 a. The Commission shall do utmost to ensuring, subject to the specificities of the sector, an appropriate gender and pan-EU representation of expertise and experience in evaluation committees, as well as in other relevant advisory bodies such as boards and expert groups, including through the involvement of national experts. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions. | 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. |
Christian Ehler, Oliver Schenk, Matej Tonin, Adina Vălean, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Hildegard Bentele, Angelika Niebler, Eszter Lakos, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Susana Solís Pérez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions. | 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions. | 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions and inclusive governance structures, with a view to promoting transparency and balanced representation. |
Effective coordination between the ECF and other Union instruments is essential to avoid duplication, maximise synergies and ensure coherent implementation. Promoting long-term, place-based investment approaches, while reducing administrative burdens, will enhance accessibility for beneficiaries of all sizes and contribute to sustainable competitiveness, resilience and territorial cohesion across the Union, in line with the objectives of cohesion policy.
Nicola Procaccini, Alessandro Ciriani, Elena Donazzan, Pietro Fiocchi, Lara Magoni, Francesco Torselli, Mariateresa Vivaldini
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions. | 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions, inclusive governance structures, ensuring transparency and balanced representation. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions. | 11. Where necessary to achieve the objectives set out in Article 3, parts of the ECF may be implemented through Public-Private or Public-public Partnerships established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, in particular by entrusting budget implementation tasks, in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, to joint undertakings established pursuant to 187 TFEU. Support from the ECF shall be conditional upon efficient use of Union financing, a proportionate financial and/or in-kind contribution from other partners at least matching the Union contribution and voting rights for the Union in the governing bodies ensuring protection of the interests of the Union in the partnership. For that purpose, joint undertakings shall be established through a single establishing act ensuring centralised administrative functions. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11 a. The evaluation of proposals shall be based exclusively on the quality and excellence of the proposal, without any advantage or disadvantage arising from the level of Member State co-funding rate. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12. In addition to the grounds set out in Article 132 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, award procedures and resulting legal commitments shall allow for termination where the objectives of the action are unlikely to be achieved at all or within the set timelines, or the action has lost its policy relevance | 12. In addition to the grounds set out in Article 132 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, award procedures and resulting legal commitments shall allow for termination where the objectives of the action are unlikely to be achieved at all or within the set timelines, or the beneficiaries do not comply with collective agreements or with relevant social and labour law provisions. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12 a. In all large-scale collaborative projects and value-chain actions implemented under this Regulation, the work programmes shall provide for the implementation of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), or 'cascade funding', to facilitate the participation of SMEs and startups. These calls shall utilize standardized models and streamlined processes to minimize administrative costs, and provide technical and training support, including mentoring and access to advanced infrastructures, with the assistance of local contact points. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Brigitte van den Berg, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Bart Groothuis
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12 a. Union support under the ECF shall be provided at a funding intensity calibrated to the nature, objectives and specific characteristics of the supported action, considering the stage of the maturity and the degree of technological, financial or market risk, in a manner consistent with the principles applicable to Union funding under the Financial Regulation and with other Union programmes. |
Christian Ehler, Oliver Schenk, Matej Tonin, Adina Vălean, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Hildegard Bentele, Angelika Niebler, Eszter Lakos, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Susana Solís Pérez, Dimitris Tsiodras
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12 a. Where the supported activity concerns production at scale of goods and the support is provided in the form of a grant, the support shall take the form of production-linked incentives. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12 a. Where the supported activity concerns production at scale of goods and the support is provided in the form of a grant, the support shall take the form of production-linked incentives. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12 a. Where Union support is provided to linear infrastructures, annual work programmes shall foresee that at least 50% of the funding should be provided in the form of grants. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article12a | |
| Upside sharing arrangements | |
| 1. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant to a for-profit legal entity, adequate upside sharing arrangements shall be established between the Union and the beneficiary. | |
| Those arrangements shall ensure that, where the realised returns of the supported operation exceed the base-case projections approved at the time of the award decision, excess returns generated during a period of up to 5 calendar years from the final payment of the Union contribution is repaid to the Union budget. For the purposes of this paragraph, those returns shall be assessed by reference to the internal rate of return of the supported operation. | |
| Where the realised internal rate of return exceeds the approved base-case internal rate of return, the full amount of the excess return above that approved base-case internal rate of return shall be repaid to the Union budget. | |
| 2. Where Union support is provided in the form of a budgetary guarantee or financial instrument, including in blending operations, appropriate risk-reward arrangements shall be established between the Union, implementing partners and final recipients. Those arrangements shall ensure that the Union’s participation in the risks of an operation is matched by a fair and proportionate participation in the economic returns generated by that operation. | |
| Where Union support is used to absorb first losses or otherwise reduce the downside risk borne by private investors, such support shall be conditional upon corresponding mechanism ensuring that the Union budget participates proportionately in any upside generated by the supported operation. | |
| That participation shall be additional to any revenue otherwise due to the Union, including guarantee fees, interest, remuneration or other amounts, and shall be calculated by reference to the excess-return mechanism set out in paragraph 1, adapted to the nature of the budgetary guarantee or financial instrument. | |
| In blending operations, detailed arrangements shall distinguish between returns attributable to the repayable support and returns attributable to the non-repayable support component. | |
| Any returns generated by Union support under this Regulation and received by implementing partners shall be entered in the Union budget in accordance with Article 212(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | |
| 3. The revenue generated pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 shall constitute internal assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | |
| 4. The Commission shall adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 84 to supplement this Regulation by laying down the methodology and detailed arrangements necessary for the application of this Article, including the calculation of realised returns and excess returns, the treatment of different forms of Union support and categories of beneficiaries, the applicable thresholds and reference periods, reporting and audit obligations, and the modalities for repayment to the Union budget. |
Jana Nagyová, Ondřej Knotek, Tomáš Kubín, Klara Dostalova, András Gyürk, Vilis Krištopans, Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik, Afroditi Latinopoulou, Anna Bryłka, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, António Tânger Corrêa
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article12a | |
| The Fund shall ensure a balanced geographical distribution of resources by incorporating 'inclusive excellence' criteria. At least 25% of the budget by mid-term shall be dedicated to consortia that include at least one partner from Member States classified as Moderate Innovators or Emerging Innovators in the latest European Innovation Scoreboard referred to in Article 2 (4a). Evaluation criteria shall reward the integration of emerging innovation ecosystems into European strategic value chains. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Union institutions, bodies and agencies involved in the implementation of the Union budget shall have access to information, including classified information, necessary for the purpose of carrying out the award procedures, implementing actions, including reporting and payments, as well as checks, reviews, audits, and investigations. | (4) Union institutions, bodies and agencies involved in the implementation of the Union budget shall have access to information, including classified information, necessary for the purpose of carrying out the award procedures, implementing actions, including reporting and payments, as well as checks, reviews, audits, and investigations, through clear provisions and conditions of access, including access periods. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5. To ensure compliance with the requirements set out in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including the principles of transparency and equal treatment, in all stages of the award procedures involving classified information, administrative data necessary to evaluate, award and audit Union support, limited to legal, financial and procedural information, shall be treated as sensitive non-classified information. | 5. To ensure compliance with the requirements set out in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including the principles of transparency and equal treatment, in all stages of the award procedures involving classified information, administrative data necessary to evaluate, award and audit Union support, limited to legal, financial and procedural information, shall be treated as sensitive non-classified information, unless defence and security considerations necessitate a different treatment. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5 a. The Commission is obliged to establish clear and comprehensive guidance on the management and handling of confidential, sensitive, and classified information. It shall ensure that Security Classification Guides are developed with due regard for the operational capacity of entities of all sizes, including research-performing organisations and public sector participants, to implement such requirements effectively within their specific operating environments. |
Ambiguity in information classification creates significant participation barriers in strategic sectors. This provision mandates clear, stakeholder-informed guidance to ensure operational certainty and feasibility from the inception of the ECF and FP10, preventing administrative friction for all beneficiaries.
Yvan Verougstraete, Morten Løkkegaard, Christophe Grudler, Barry Andrews, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Governance and Advisory Boards | Governance |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. A Strategic Stakeholders Board is established. | 1. A Member States Steering Board and a Strategic Stakeholders Board are established. The Member States Steering Board shall be composed of one representative per Member State, and shall, before the adoption of each work programme, deliver an opinion on its strategic orientations, the indicative distribution of resources and the use of derogations from competitive procedures. The opinion of the Member States Steering Board shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Stine Bosse, Grégory Allione, Christophe Grudler, Barry Andrews, Emma Wiesner, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. A Strategic Stakeholders Board is established. | 1. The Commission shall establish a Competitiveness Coordination Mechanism as the overarching governance framework of the ECF to support its long-term strategic direction and ensure alignment between the ECF and relevant Union and national policy measures and funding instruments, including through effective involvement of regional and local authorities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. A Strategic Stakeholders Board is established. | 1. A Common Industrial Future Board is established. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. A Strategic Stakeholders Board is established. | 1. A Stakeholders Board is established. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. The Commission shall organise the appointments in such a way as to ensure a staggered renewal of the Board, so that, as a general rule, no more than half and no less than one third of the members are replaced at the end of any given term, both for the Board as a whole and, to the extent feasible, within each policy-oriented configuration. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity and shall be subject to strict rules on independence and on the prevention and management of conflicts of interest, including the obligation to submit and update a declaration of interests. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate. Members of the Board shall be appointed based on their scientific, academic, financial or professional expertise and experience in the relevant sectors or investment environment. The Commission shall also take into account the need to ensure balanced representation in terms of sector, organisation type and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The Board shall include representatives of industrial stakeholders and innovators, academia and the scientific community, civil society and the social economy, regional and local authorities, implementing partners, and private and other investors. The term of members of the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board shall act with integrity and probity |
This amendment clarifies the criteria for the appointment and composition of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board. By emphasizing expertise and ensuring balanced representation across sectors, stakeholders and geographical areas, the amendment strengthens the Board’s capacity to provide high-quality strategic advice. Including representatives from industry, academia, civil society, regional and local authorities and investors ensures that the Board reflects the diversity of actors involved in the Union’s competitiveness and investment ecosystem, thereby enhancing the legitimacy and effectiveness of its work.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. Members of the Board shall be appointed by the Commission in consultation with the European Parliament and Member States following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, . The Board shall consist of representatives of national/regional governments, strategic sectors, trade unions, public research organisations, and the broader public, in balanced proportion, taking into account as well the need for balance in sector, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. No sector shall hold a majority. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board shall have no conflicts of interest and act with integrity and probity. The European Parliament shall appoint two additional representatives. The Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open, fair and transparent call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate. Members of the Board shall be appointed primarily based on their scientific or practical expertise of the sectors and investment environment. Additionally, the Commission shall take into account the need for balance in sectors and disciplines represented, including a balance between members of the private sector and members acting in the general public interest, organisation type, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board shall act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. Adequate and balanced representation of micro-enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, including through their representative organisations, shall be ensured. The Commission shall guarantee a permanent seat for a representative of micro-enterprises and SMEs on the Board. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
Regional and local public authorities should be represented in the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board because they possess first-hand knowledge of territorial industrial ecosystems. Organisations representing micro-enterprises and SMEs must have a guaranteed permanent seat to ensure that the Fund's priorities reflect the needs of the vast majority of European businesses.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission based on clear selection criteria, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate. To align the ECF with market realities, support predictable multiannual investment pipelines, and crowd in private investment, the participation of experts from European and national industry of all sizes, R&I representatives, and private investors should be ensured, thereby guaranteeing a truly balanced composition, takng into account expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution . The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, universities and research institutions, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The composition of the Strategic Stakeholders Board shall include at least one nominee from each Member State, so as to ensure that all Member States have a voice in the strategic orientation of the ECF. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, universities and research institutions, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The composition of the Strategic Stakeholders Board shall include at least one nominee from each Member State, so as to ensure that all Member States have a voice in the strategic orientation of the ECF. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
Nicolás González Casares, Mohammed Chahim, Elena Sancho Murillo, Lina Gálvez, Yannis Maniatis, Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, Annalisa Corrado, Christophe Clergeau, Bruno Tobback, Sofie Eriksson
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open and transparent call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate. Members of the Board shall be appointed primarily based on their scientific, technical or practical expertise of the sectors and investment environment. Overall, the Commission shall take into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, scientific expertise, civil society participation, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
Nicola Procaccini, Carlo Fidanza, Alessandro Ciriani, Elena Donazzan, Pietro Fiocchi, Lara Magoni, Francesco Torselli, Mariateresa Vivaldini
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following a transparent process based on clear selection criteria and an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and including experts from European and national industry and R&I representative organizations and private investors, ensuring a truly balanced composition. Meaningful industry involvement will be considered essential to align the ECF with market realities, support predictable multiannual investment pipelines, and crowd in private investment. The term of members of the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board shall act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. A balanced representation of social partners in the Strategic Stakeholder Board must be achieved. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. The Strategic Stakeholders’ Board adopts annual opinions, which must be taken into account when preparing the annual work programmes. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, regional and local public authorities and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. In addition to the Strategic Advisory Board, regional and local authorities should be included in the various official governance structures developed under this Regulation The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, regional public authorities, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. In addition to the Strategic Advisory Board, regional and local authorities should be included in the various official governance structures developed under this Regulation. |
Regions, particularly those with significant innovation activities, should be represented in a structured manner on the Strategy Board of the European Competitiveness Fund. As key actors and hubs where jobs, companies and investments concentrate, regions possess first-hand knowledge of investment needs, market gaps, and policy priorities, and play a crucial role in creating attractive conditions for businesses and investors, on top of being public buyers, thereby strengthening the overall competitiveness of the economy.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. Members of the Board shall represent entities established in the Union and not subject to control by a third country or by a third-country entity. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. Members of the Board shall be EU entities only. EU-based entities of foreign origin shall not be eligible. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution, including representation from the outermost regions as they are defined in a specific article in the TFUE. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, ensuring representation of strategic sectors and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity, probity and full independence from any political instruction. |
Elisabetta Gualmini, Grégory Allione, Bart Groothuis, Morten Løkkegaard, Yvan Verougstraete, Martin Hojsík
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, regional and local public authorities, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including representatives of European industrial primes, mid-cap companies, venture capital and private equity funds, institutional investors, pension funds and managers of alternative investment funds, expertise, and geographical distribution. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Stine Bosse, Christophe Grudler, Barry Andrews, Emma Wiesner, Laurence Farreng, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The members of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | 2. The Competitiveness Coordination Mechanism shall in particular ensure synergy and consistent implementation with the Union's funds in particular, Horizon Europe, the Innovation Fund, the Connecting Europe Facility, and where relevant, Global Europe, Erasmus+, the EU Facility, the National and Regional Partnership Plans, national recovery and resilience plans, and regional smart specialisation strategies. The Mechanism may also identify obstacles to synergies and coordination with other EU funding, including inconsistencies in eligibility. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2 a. The Strategic Stakeholder Board shall be composed of 30 members : | |
| (a) 10 members representing, in balanced proportions, corporates operating in the Union, including start ups and scale ups, SMEs, SMCs and large undertakings from different sectors of the economy, including social economy; | |
| (b) 10 members representing social partners, civil society organisations, youth organisations and other relevant stakeholders operating in the Union; | |
| (c) 5 members who are independent, high-level experts from academia, research organisations or innovation ecosystems recognised expertise relevant to the objectives and activities of the ECF; and | |
| (d) 5 members representing local and regional authorities and regional innovation ecosystems across the Union. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Stine Bosse, Grégory Allione, Christophe Grudler, Barry Andrews, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Bart Groothuis, Sophie Wilmès
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the ECF Stakeholder Board. Members of the Board shall be bound by these terms. | 3. It shall also take into account input from relevant reports, including the European semester, the National Energy and Climate Plans, the Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report, as well as input from the observatory on emerging technologies and the stakeholder board. It shall also ensure coherent application with existing and future Union initiatives, including the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, the Net-Zero Industry Act, and the Critical Raw Materials Act. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the ECF Stakeholder Board. Members of the Board shall be bound by these terms. | (3) The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the ECF Stakeholder Board. Members of the Board shall be bound by these terms, or else bear the consequences under the legal provisions in force. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the ECF Stakeholder Board. Members of the Board shall be bound by these terms. | 3. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the ECF Stakeholder Board. Members of the Board shall be bound by the terms established by the Commission as well as the following: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (1) Any activities carried out for executing a position in the board shall not be remunerated, excluding the reimbursement of costs strictly related to the mandate |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (2) any Member of the board shall be subject to a 'cooldown period'. This means refraining from holding a position in any enterprise or other for-profit organisation where ECF support directly or indirectly benefits the Member, nor having any financial interests in such organisations as a result of ownership of assets for at least 5 years after the termination of their position as Member of the board. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (3) The board shall adequately represent the Union's full diversity, including geographical, ethnic, gender,... |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. | 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. The Board shall have no role in the determination of priorities, allocations or project selection, nor as regards the sectors of resilience and security, defence industry and space, or the activities for those sectors funded under the ECF. Strategic priorities, multiannual indicative envelopes per window and per component referred to in Article 4(2), and the criteria of European Defence Projects of Common Interest referred to in Article 45 shall be set in close cooperation with the Member States, in accordance with their respective competences under the Treaties, and shall be subject to scrutiny by the European Parliament. National security and defence shall remain a Member State competence within the meaning of Article 4(2) TEU; work programmes implementing the specific objectives referred to in Article 3(2), point (d), shall not have the effect of transferring decisions on national security and defence to the Commission. |
The Strategic Stakeholder Board, composed in part of private investors and sectoral interests, cannot have a role in the determination of priorities, allocations or project selection without giving rise to a structural risk of incumbent capture. The amendment confirms the strictly advisory nature of the Board, excludes it from the resilience, security, defence and space sectors, and reaffirms Member State competence over national security and defence pursuant to Article 4(2) TEU. Strategic decisions affecting indicative envelopes per window, the criteria of European Defence Projects of Common Interest, and matters connected to national security must be taken in cooperation with the Member States and remain subject to scrutiny by the European Parliament.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. | 4. The Competitiveness Coordination Mechanism shall enable the Commission to establish investment priorities for the ECF in line with the objectives set out in article 3, in accordance with the following criteria: |
| a) the action tackles a market failure or investment gap, | |
| b) support for the action through the ECF is the most appropriate way to ensure success | |
| c) the action delivers added value at Union level and would not be better achieved if undertaken at a national, regional, or local level, | |
| d) the action supports the development of an international competitive edge for the Union, | |
| e) the action is likely to deliver network effects that simultaneously advance multiple strategic objectives |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. | 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board should also contribute to funding decisions, ensuring that its input is reflected in the objectives and priorities of the work programmes and that policy windows respond to real technological and market needs. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. | 4. The ECF Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies and market developments, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF. Its advice shall focus exclusively on horizontal framework conditions for research excellence, innovation capacity and the global competitiveness of European companies, and shall not include vertical selection of specific sectors, technologies or companies as “winners”. The Board may meet in different policy-oriented configurations but shall always maintain a horizontal, bottom-up and market-driven perspective. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. | 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies and their environmental impact, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term economic, environmental and social trends impacting European competitiveness, advise on areas of market failures, environmental and social risks and opportunities and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, advise on skills development in new emerging sectors as well as transitioning industries, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. |
Nicola Procaccini, Alessandro Ciriani, Elena Donazzan, Pietro Fiocchi, Lara Magoni, Francesco Torselli, Mariateresa Vivaldini
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. | 4. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board, informed by an observatory on emerging technologies, shall advise on the overall direction for the ECF, advise on long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF, and advise on the identification of strategic portfolios of projects within and across activities of the ECF, for which it may be composed in different policy-oriented configurations. The ECF Strategic Stakeholder Board will also have a say on funding decisions, ensuring that its feedback is reflected in the work programs objectives and priorities and that policy windows reflect real technological and market needs. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Pascal Canfin, Brigitte van den Berg, Grégory Allione, Sigrid Friis, Christophe Grudler, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In coordination with the monitoring provided for in the Performance Regulation, the Commission shall develop a robust monitoring and evaluation system to track ECF funding, focusing on : | |
| a) competitiveness and the repartition of funds across Member States, | |
| b) the participation rate of SMEs in calls for proposals, | |
| c) the budget dedicated to actions on skills, | |
| d) climate spending. | |
| The evaluation shall assess whether the Commission's actions have effectively contributed to achieving the objectives set out in Article 3, taking into consideration those indicators, published in an annual report. | |
| Where the evaluation finds that the actions set out did not give the expected results, the report shall include recommendations for different investment priorities and methods for future work programmes and calls. |
Beyond the Performance Regulation, ensuring an efficient use of the budget cannot be done without actively setting and monitoring targets contributing to the objectives of the Regulation.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4 a. In coordination with the monitoring provided for in the Performance Regulation and to meet the relevant spending targets, the Commission shall develop a robust monitoring and evaluation system to track ECF funding, focusing on climate and biodiversity spending and mainstreaming; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5. An independent Investment Committee shall be established under the ECF InvestEU Instrument (the ‘Investment Committee’). | deleted |
A separate article on the InvestEU Investment Committee, building on current structure, is introduced
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5. An independent Investment Committee shall be established under the ECF InvestEU Instrument (the ‘Investment Committee’). | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | deleted |
A separate article on the InvestEU Investment Committee, building on current structure, is introduced
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is geographically and gender-balanced. Members of the Investment Committee shall be selected on the basis of their competence, professional experience and independence, and shall act in the interest of the Union as a whole. They shall be subject to strict rules on the prevention and management of conflicts of interest, including the obligation to submit and update a declaration of interests and to abstain from deliberations and decisions in case of such conflicts. The composition of the Investment Committee shall, to the maximum extent possible, reflect a balanced representation of different Member States and regions and of different types of expertise, including public and private investment, financial institutions and real-economy sectors. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. Members of the Investment Committee shall represent entities established in the Union and not subject to control by a third country or by a third-country entity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall include at least one member with proven professional experience in venture capital or growth equity, and one member with proven experience in institutional investment management. |
Jana Nagyová, Ondřej Knotek, Tomáš Kubín, Klara Dostalova, Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik, Afroditi Latinopoulou, Anna Bryłka
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced and geographically balanced . |
Borys Budka, Danuše Nerudová, Davor Ivo Stier, Nikolina Brnjac, Eszter Lakos, Karlo Ressler, Miriam Lexmann, Adam Jarubas, Krzysztof Hetman, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Mirosława Nykiel, Iuliu Winkler, Loránt Vincze, Andrzej Halicki, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Inese Vaidere, Tomáš Zdechovský, Siegfried Mureşan, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Daniel Buda, Gheorghe Falcă, Adina Vălean, Romana Tomc, Eva Maydell, Jan Farský, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrey Novakov, Ilia Lazarov, Sandra Kalniete
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender and geographically balanced. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | (6) The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender and geographically balanced. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | 6. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is geographically-balanced. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7. The Investment Committee shall examine the proposals for financing and investment operations submitted by implementing partners for coverage under the Union guarantee and verify the compliance with the applicable rules of the proposals for financing under the ECF InvestEU Instrument. | deleted |
A separate article on the InvestEU Investment Committee, building on current structure, is introduced
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7. The Investment Committee shall examine the proposals for financing and investment operations submitted by implementing partners for coverage under the Union guarantee and verify the compliance with the applicable rules of the proposals for financing under the ECF InvestEU Instrument. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7. The Investment Committee shall examine the proposals for financing and investment operations submitted by implementing partners for coverage under the Union guarantee and verify the compliance with the applicable rules of the proposals for financing under the ECF InvestEU Instrument. | 7. The Investment Committee shall examine the proposals for financing and investment operations, which may be in the form of framework operations, submitted by implementing partners for coverage under the Union guarantee and verify the compliance with the applicable rules of the proposals for financing under the ECF InvestEU Instrument. |
The InvestEU regulation provides the flexibility for the Investment Committee to approve programmes or structures which have underlying sub-projects, without needing to approve such sub-projects individually. The Investment Committee always retains the right to approve the sub-projects (except if smaller than EUR 3 million). Such provision (art. 14(6) of the current InvestEU regulation) has been extremely valuable to ensure better time to market and a more efficient governance.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7 a. The Investment Committee shall review the participation of co-investment partners referred to in Article 25a in supported operations and verify their compliance with the applicable investment guidelines and strategic safeguards laid down under this Regulation, including requirements relating to the long-term competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the Union, alignment of investment strategies with the Union's strategic interests, sound and responsible investment practices, and conditions governing the exit, transfer or resale of supported assets and strategic capabilities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7 a. The Investment Committee shall also review the participation of co-investment partners in supported operations and verify their compliance with the applicable investment guidelines and strategic safeguards laid down under this Regulation, including requirements relating to the long-term competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the Union, the alignment of investment strategies with the Union’s strategic interests, sound and responsible investment practices, and conditions governing the exit, transfer or resale of supported assets and strategic capabilities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. The Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be composed of one representative of each implementing partner and one representative of each Member State. the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall, provide advice on the design of financial products and on the strategic and operational direction in its area of competence. It shall also provide advice on the coordination with the EIC to ensure complementarity with other Union funding or private investments. The Advisory Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. The Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be composed of one representative of each implementing partner and one representative of each Member State. the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall, provide advice on the design of financial products and on the strategic and operational direction in its area of competence. It shall also provide advice on the coordination with the EIC to ensure complementarity with other Union funding or private investments. The Advisory Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. | deleted |
A separate article on the InvestEU Advisory Board, building on existing InvevstEU structure, is introduced
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. The Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be composed of one representative of each implementing partner and one representative of each Member State. the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall, provide advice on the design of financial products and on the strategic and operational direction in its area of competence. It shall also provide advice on the coordination with the EIC to ensure complementarity with other Union funding or private investments. The Advisory Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. | 8. The Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be appointed by the Commission in consultation with the European Parliament and Member States. The Advisory Board shall include representatives of national and regional governments, trade unions and civil society, alongside representatives of public financial institutions in balanced proportion taking into account as well the need for balance in sector, expertise, gender, age and geographical distributionNo single sector shall hold a majority. The European Parliament shall appoint two additional representatives. The Advisory Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8 a. The Advisory Board shall publish its agendas, minutes and reports of its annual activities publicly. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Investment Committee and the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument. | deleted |
Separate articles on the InvestEU Investment Committee and Advisory Board, building on existing InvestEU structure, are introduced
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Investment Committee and the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Investment Committee and the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument. | 9. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Investment Committee and the Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument. Members of the Board shall adhere to the terms established by the Commission as well as the following: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (1) Any activities carried out for executing a position in the Advisory Board shall not be remunerated, excluding the reimbursement of costs striclty related to the mandate; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (2) any Member of the Advisory Board shall be subject to a 'cooldown period'. This means refraining from holding a position in any enterprise or other for-profit organisation where ECF support directly or indirectly benefits the Member,, nor having any financial interests in such organisations as a result of ownership of assets for at least 5 years after the termination of their position as Member of the board. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (3) The Advisory Board shall adequately represent the Union's full diversity, including geographical, ethnic, gender,.. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9 a. Every two years, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the implementation of this Regulation. The report shall set out, in particular, how the advice and recommendations of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board, the Investment Committee and the Advisory Board on the ECF InvestEU Instrument have been taken into account in the design and implementation of the Fund. The report shall describe the functioning of stakeholder consultations and thematic platforms referred to in paragraph 11, including their composition, frequency of meetings and main conclusions, and shall explain how those contributions have been reflected in the work programmes, financial products and strategic portfolios of projects. Where the Commission decides not to follow, in whole or in part, the advice or recommendations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the report shall provide a reasoned justification. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 10. The Commission and Implementing partners shall establish regular Policy Review Dialogues to discuss progress with the implementation of the financial products and engage on relevant policy developments. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders at all levels of government, including regional innovation agencies, clusters, development agencies, and representatives of micro-enterprises and SMEs, are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. Each thematic platform shall include a structured consultation with relevant stakeholders, guaranteeing the participation of a representative of micro-enterprises and SMEs. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall carry out broad, inclusive and timely stakeholders consultations along the different stages of development of the work programmes, including via the creation of several thematic platforms per policy window in accordance with the Strategic Priorities Framework referred to in Article 6a. |
| The Commission shall also consult the relevant programme committee established under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. The thematic platforms shall include balanced representation of European industrial primes, mid-cap companies, institutional investors, venture capital and private equity funds. Minutes of platform meetings shall be made publicly available. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. The design of calls shall take into account the specific characteristics and territorial potential of all Member States, so as to ensure that supported activities correspond to the actual needs of enterprises across the Union. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. The design of calls shall take into account the specific characteristics and territorial potential of all Member States, so as to ensure that supported activities correspond to the actual needs of enterprises across the Union. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window, including one on sustainable and smart mobility, where possible, with a composition similar to the representatives of the ECF Strategic Stakeholders Board. |
Nicola Procaccini, Alessandro Ciriani, Elena Donazzan, Pietro Fiocchi, Lara Magoni, Francesco Torselli, Mariateresa Vivaldini
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. | 11. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders, including micro and SMEs representatives, are consulted in the development of the work programmes, with the creation of one or several thematic platforms per window. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11 a. The ECF shall provide dedicated project advisory capacities to support applicants from all Member States, with particular attention to newer Member States and less represented regions. To correct existing geographic imbalances in access to advisory support, the Commission shall ensure a guaranteed minimum level of advisory services for applicants from underrepresented Member States, including through the allocation of a minimum number of advisory hours per Member State per year. The Commission shall report annually on the uptake of advisory services by Member State. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11 a. The Commission shall publish, before the entry into force of each work programme, a regulatory impact assessment quantifying the cumulative administrative burden imposed on beneficiaries by the Fund's reporting obligations. Where the cumulative burden exceeds 3 % of the value of awards, the Commission shall propose corrective measures |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11 a. Given the revamped importance of InvestEU, the Board of Governors of the European Investment Bank should establish appropriate arrangements to comply with the highest standards of external prudential oversight, while considering the necessary adaptations derived from the EIB’s unique business model. |
Borys Budka, Eva Maydell, Romana Tomc, Adina Vălean, Gheorghe Falcă, Daniel Buda, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Siegfried Mureşan, Tomáš Zdechovský, Inese Vaidere, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Andrzej Halicki, Loránt Vincze, Iuliu Winkler, Mirosława Nykiel, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Krzysztof Hetman, Adam Jarubas, Miriam Lexmann, Karlo Ressler, Eszter Lakos, Nikolina Brnjac, Davor Ivo Stier, Danuše Nerudová, Jan Farský, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrey Novakov, Ilia Lazarov, Sandra Kalniete
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14a | |
| Economic and Technological Advisory Council | |
| 1. An Economic and Technological Advisory Council (the ‘Advisory Council’) is established. 2. The members of the Advisory Council shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations and an open call for expressions of interest. The term of members of the Advisory Council shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Advisory Council shall act with integrity and probity. There shall be maximum fifteen members at any given point in time. The selection of members should follow the principle of geographic diversity within the Union. 3. Members of the Advisory Council shall be selected based on their expertise in economics, innovation and technology development, especially in sectors covered by the ECF. Experts should come from diverse professional and institutional backgrounds across academia and the private sector. 4. The Advisory Council shall have the following tasks: (a) advise the Commission on economic developments of the Union, including the state of innovation convergence across Member States; (b) advise the Commission on technological and innovation developments within the sectors covered by the ECF; (c) advise the Commission on areas of market failure and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF; (d) advise the Commission on the identification of strategic portfolios across sectors covered by the ECF. The Advisory Council shall have no role as regards the sectors of security and defence, as well as the activities for those sectors funded under the ECF. 5. The Advisory Council shall publish each year in September an annual report containing an outlook on the European economy for the following years. The report shall include recommendations to the Commission for the implementation of the ECF in relation to the Advisory Councils’ tasks pursuant to paragraph 4, as well as the underlying analysis. 6. The Commission, during the implementation of this Regulation, shall be guided by and take due account of the recommendations and analysis from the annual report referred to in paragraph 4. 7. The Advisory Council shall act independently from the Commission. In the performance of their tasks, the members of the Advisory Council shall neither seek nor take instructions from Union institutions or bodies, or any other natural or legal person. 8. The Commission shall provide the Advisory Council with adequate resources and staff to conduct their tasks according to this Regulation. The staff allocated to the Advisory Council shall take instructions only from the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council shall be given access to relevant Commission-internal expertise. 9. The Advisory Council, based on a proposal by the Commission, shall establish the detailed rules on rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Advisory Council. Members of the Advisory Council shall be bound by these terms. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14a | |
| Investment Committee | |
| 1. A fully independent Investment Committee shall be established under the ECF InvestEU Instrument (the ‘Investment Committee’). | |
| 2. The Investment Committee shall meet in five different configurations, corresponding to the cross-cutting objectives in Article 3 and to the four policy windows referred to in Article 1(2). | |
| 3. Each configuration of the Investment Committee shall be composed of six remunerated external experts. The experts shall be selected following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and shall be appointed by the Commission. The experts shall be appointed for a term limited to three and a half years, renewable once. Members of the Committee shall act with integrity and probity, perform their duties impartially and in the sole interest of the ECF and they shall not seek or take instructions from any public or private body. They shall be remunerated by the Union. | |
| 4. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the policy windows referred to in Article 1(2), including market experience in project structuring and financing or financing of SMEs, start-ups or corporates, and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender-balanced. | |
| 5. Four members of the Investment Committee shall be permanent members of each of the five configurations of the Investment Committee. The Investment Committee shall elect a chairperson from among its permanent members and it shall be assisted by a secretariat, administratively located in the Commission. | |
| 6. The Investment Committee shall examine the proposals for financing and investment operations submitted by implementing partners for coverage under the Union guarantee and verify the compliance with the applicable rules of the proposals for financing under the ECF InvestEU Instrument. | |
| 7. Conclusions of the Investment Committee shall be adopted by simple majority of all members, provided that such simple majority includes at least one of the non-permanent members of the configuration relating to the policy window under which the proposal is made. In the event of a draw, the chair of the Investment Committee shall have the casting vote. | |
| 8. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Investment Committee. Members of the Committee shall be bound by these terms. | |
| 9. The European Parliament shall be regularly informed by the Commission of the activities of the Committee and shall receive all conclusions prepared by the Committee in a timely manner. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14a | |
| Promotion of Innovative and Place-Based Industrial Ecosystems | |
| The ECF shall promote and leverage the potential of innovative and place-based industrial ecosystems by learning from local dynamics, aligning European investments with shared priorities, and broadening the potential for productivity growth, thereby ensuring better deployment and scaling. | |
| This shall be achieved by alignment of the governance structures at the EU and national and regional levels around key priorities thereby providing the basis for an active engagement of territorial ecosystems in the specific objectives of the fund. | |
| The following actions shall be envisaged: | |
| a) promote effective synergies in combining EU support for innovative and place-based industrial ecosystems via renewed smart specialisation strategies in Europe’s regions that are aligned with European long-term sustainability and inclusiveness goals; | |
| b) promote effective synergies in combining local, regional and national support from renewed smart specialisation strategies towards EU competitiveness and innovation priorities; | |
| c) elevate innovative and place-based industrial ecosystems through capacity-building measures that promote transformative innovation approaches; | |
| d) allow co-creation and mutual learning across policy areas, borders and governance levels to ensure horizontal and vertical coherence via supporting the networking of innovation ecosystems particularly along European value chains; | |
| e) provide resources for developing new approaches in innovation promotion and testing them at local/regional level, through dedicated regulatory learning spaces; | |
| f) support measures to promote partnership and multilevel governance of policies and measures to support place-based innovation-driven transformation in a coordinated and consistent way. | |
| Each funding objective of the ECF should take into account the need to reach out to the place-based innovation systems when implementing their policies. | |
| These actions should also support the participation of enterprises, especially SMEs, start-ups, scale-ups and mid-caps, in European value chains, facilitate business scaling and market uptake, and ensure that regional ecosystems can act as territorial activators and qualified operational interfaces for the implementation of ECF measures. |
Yvan Verougstraete, Stine Bosse, Michal Wiezik, Christophe Grudler, Barry Andrews, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14a | |
| Advisory bodies | |
| 1. A Stakeholders Board is established. The Stakeholders Board shall inform the Commission on relevant long-term competitiveness trends, advise on areas of market failures and sub-optimal investment situations, and support the work of the Competitiveness Coordination Mechanism through the formulation of recommendations. | |
| 2. The Stakeholders Board may meet in in subconfigurations relevant to any of the policy windows or subdivisions. | |
| 3. The members of the Stakeholders Board shall be appointed by the Commission, following an open call for nominations or for expressions of interest, or both, whichever the Commission finds more appropriate, and shall be appointed primarily based on their scientific, technical, or practical expertise of the sectors and of the investment environment, also taking into account the need for balance in sector, organisation type, including civil society, social economy actors and private investors, and size, expertise, gender, age and geographical distribution. The term of members the Board shall be limited to four years, renewable once. Members of the Board should act with integrity and probity. | |
| 4. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, transparency, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the ECF Stakeholder Board. Members of the Board shall be bound by these terms. | |
| 5. An observatory on emerging technologies is established. It will provide a transparent, evidence-based, academic input to the Commission on relevant long-term competitiveness trends and industrial and technological developments and support the work of the Competitiveness Coordination Mechanism. The observatory shall produce a regular report giving an outlook on these trends for the coming years. | |
| 6. The observatory may meet in in subconfigurations relevant to any of the policy windows or subdivisions. Where the relevant expertise already exists, such as the EU Observatory of Critical Technologies and the European Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions (INCITE), it shall use these formations instead of duplicating them. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 14a | |
| 1. In accordance with its prerogatives as the budgetary and discharge authority under the Treaties and the Financial Regulation, the European Parliament shall exercise full oversight over the implementation of the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). The Commission shall obtain the approval of the European Parliament for the discharge of the budgetary management of the ECF, in line with the annual discharge procedure. | |
| 2. The Commission, the Stakeholders Board, and the Investment Committee shall jointly prepare and submit an annual report to the European Parliament and the Council on long-term competitiveness trends, areas of market failures and suboptimal investment situations that could be addressed in the implementation of the ECF. The report shall focus exclusively on horizontal framework conditions for research excellence, innovation capacity and the global competitiveness of European companies, and shall not include vertical selection of specific sectors, technologies or companies as “winners”. | |
| 3. A permanent dialogue mechanism is established between the European Parliament (through its competent committees, in particular ITRE, ECON and BUDG), the Commission, the Stakeholders Board, and the Investment Committee. This mechanism shall ensure regular exchanges on the overall direction of the ECF, the implementation of its priorities, the advice and orientations provided by the Stakeholders Board and the Investment Committee, as well as emerging competitiveness challenges and market developments. It may include dedicated hearings, joint meetings, and structured consultations at least twice per year. | |
| 4. The Commission shall consult the competent committees of the European Parliament on the shortlist of candidates for the Stakeholders Board prior to final appointment, allowing the committees to provide non-binding observations to ensure balance in sector, organisation type, expertise, geographical distribution, gender, age, and other relevant criteria. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14a | |
| Horizon transition scheme | |
| 1. For the purpose of accelerating valorisation of research outcomes from projects already funded under Horizon Europe or any of the preceding European Framework Programmes, a Horizon transition scheme shall be established. The scheme shall constitute a simplified transition mechanism for already evaluated Framework Programme projects, not a call for proposals under ECF. | |
| 2. The scheme shall provide support for the deployment, commercialisation, scaling, licensing, standardization, validation, demonstration, regulatory readiness, knowledge valorisation or other forms of translation into real-world use of results from projects funded under Horizon Europe or any of the preceding European Framework Programmes which contribute to the achievement of one or more of the objectives set out in this Regulation. | |
| 3. The identification of eligible projects shall be based on the results, evaluation outcomes and reporting information from projects funded under Horizon Europe or any of the preceding European Framework Programmes, while avoiding any requirement for a new full proposal process under this Regulation. | |
| 4. Support under the Horizon transition scheme shall be awarded through a simplified transition request submitted by one or more beneficiaries of a project funded under Horizon Europe Regulation or any of the preceding European Framework Programmes. The request shall include a description of the proposed pathway to real-world use and, where relevant, an updated consortium composition. The Commission shall not require information already submitted, evaluated, or reported under the Framework Programme, except where necessary to verify eligibility, Union added value, compliance with this Regulation or the need for ECF support. | |
| 5. The Horizon transition scheme shall be continuously open for requests. The Commission shall assess transition requests at least four times per year. |
The scheme intends to support the valorisation of results stemming from Horizon funded projects, by allowing a simplified application process that considers the assessments that have already been done before granting of Horizon funds. To easily transition projects from Horizon funding to funding under the ECF, considering the current challenges of bringing innovation to market in Europe, the scheme should run continuesly rather than be call-based while still being aligned with the objectives of the ECF.
Christian Ehler, Oliver Schenk, Matej Tonin, Adina Vălean, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Hildegard Bentele, Angelika Niebler, Eszter Lakos, Wouter Beke, Radan Kanev, Susana Solís Pérez, Virgil-Daniel Popescu
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14a | |
| [14d - Horizon Europe Pathway Actions] | |
| When relevant, joint meetings between the ECF Programme Committees and the [reference to HEU Programme Committee] shall be convened in order to ensure alignment on European priorities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 14a | |
| 14d - Horizon Europe Pathway Actions | |
| When relevant, joint meetings between the ECF Programme Committees and the [reference to HEU Programme Committee] shall be convened in order to ensure alignment on European priorities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14b | |
| ECF InvestEU instrument governance | |
| 1. A fully independent Investment Committee shall be established under the ECF InvestEU Instrument (the ‘Investment Committee’). The Investment Committee shall: | |
| (a) examine the proposals for financing and investment operations submitted by implementing partners for coverage under the Union guarantee; | |
| (b) verify the compliance of the proposals referred to in point (a) with the applicable rules and with the investment guidelines referred to in Article 21(5) and approve or reject them. | |
| 2. The Commission shall select the members of the Investment Committee and shall appoint them for a term of up to four years, renewable once. They shall be remunerated by the Union. The members of the Investment Committee shall have a high level of relevant market experience in project structuring and financing or financing of SMEs or corporates. The composition of the Investment Committee shall ensure that it has a wide knowledge of the sectors covered by the ECF and a wide knowledge of the geographic markets in the Union, and shall ensure that the Investment Committee as a whole is gender balanced. The selection shall be transparent and justified on objective grounds. The Investment Committee shall elect a chairperson from among its members. | |
| 3. The members of the Investment Committee shall perform their duties impartially and in the sole interest of the European Competitiveness Fund. They shall not seek or take instructions from the implementing partners, the institutions of the Union, the Member States, or any other public or private body. The curricula vitae and declarations of interest of each member of the Investment Committee shall be made public and kept up to date. Each member of the Investment Committee shall without delay communicate to the Commission all information and documentation needed to confirm the absence of any conflict of interest on an ongoing basis. The Commission may remove a member from his or her functions if that member does not comply with the requirements laid down in this paragraph or for other duly justified reasons. | |
| 4. The Investment Committee shall adopt the decisions referred to in paragraph 1(b) by a simple majority of all members. In the event of a draw, the chair of the Investment Committee shall have the casting vote. | |
| 5. Decisions of the Investment Committee approving the coverage of the EU guarantee for a financing or investment operation shall be publicly accessible and shall include the rationale for the approval and information on the operation, in particular its description, the identity of the promoters or financial intermediaries, and the objectives of the operation. Information made publicly accessible under the first subparagraph shall not contain commercially sensitive information or personal data that are not to be disclosed under the Union data protection rules. Commercially sensitive parts of the conclusions of the Investment Committee shall be forwarded by the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Council upon request subject to strict confidentiality requirements. Twice a year, the Investment Committee shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a list of the decisions of the Investment Committee to reject the use of the EU guarantee taken pursuant to paragraph 1(b) in the preceding six months. That submission shall be subject to strict confidentiality requirements. Decisions of the Investment Committee pursuant to paragraph 1(b) shall be made available in a timely manner to the implementing partner concerned. | |
| 6. Where the Investment Committee is requested to approve the use of the EU guarantee for a financing or investment operation that is a facility, programme or structure which has underlying sub-projects, that approval shall comprise those underlying sub-projects unless the Investment Committee decides to retain the right to approve them separately. The Investment Committee shall not have the right to separately approve sub-projects of a size below EUR 3 000 000. | |
| 7. The Advisory Board on the ECF InvestEU Instrument shall be composed of two representatives of the EIB Group, one representative of each other implementing partner and one representative of each Member State. The Advisory Board on the ECF InvestEU Instrument shall provide advice on the design of financial products and on the strategic and operational direction in its area of competence. It shall also provide advice on the coordination with the EIC to ensure complementarity with other Union funding or private investments. The Advisory Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. One of the representatives of the EIB Group shall be the vice-chair. | |
| 8. The Commission shall establish the detailed rules on selection and composition, remuneration, rules of procedure, conflicts of interest and confidentiality for the Investment Committee and the Advisory Board on the ECF InvestEU Instrument. | |
| 9. The Commission and implementing partners shall establish regular Policy Review Dialogues to discuss progress with the implementation of the financial products and engage on relevant policy developments. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14b | |
| Advisory Board on ECF InvestEU Instrument | |
| 1. The Commission and the Investment Committee shall be advised by an advisory board (the ‘Advisory Board’). | |
| 2. The Advisory Board shall strive to ensure gender balance and shall comprise: | |
| (a) one representative of each implementing partner; | |
| (b) one representative of each Member State; | |
| (c) one representative of the European Parliament as an observer; | |
| (d) one representative of the European Economic and Social Committee; | |
| (e) one representative of the Committee of the Regions; | |
| (f) one representative of the EIB | |
| 3. The Advisory Board shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. The representative of the EIB Group shall be the vice-chair. The Advisory Board shall meet regularly, at least twice a year, at the request of the Chairperson. | |
| 4. The Advisory Board shall: | |
| (a) provide advice to the Commission and the Investment Committee on the design of financial products to be deployed under this Regulation to ensure financial efficiency; | |
| (b) provide advice to the Commission and the Investment Committee about market developments, market conditions, market failures and suboptimal investment situations; | |
| (c) exchange views on market developments and share best practices; | |
| (d) advice on the coordination with the EIC to ensure complementarity with other Union funding or private investments, with a focus on innovative start-ups and innovative scaleups; | |
| (e) advice on the design of specific financial products set out in article [21a new] | |
| 5. Detailed minutes of the meetings of the Advisory Board shall be made public as soon as possible after they have been approved by the Advisory Board. The Commission shall establish the operating rules and procedures for the Advisory Board and shall manage the secretariat of the Advisory Board. All relevant documentation and information shall be made available to the Advisory Board to enable it to exercise its tasks. |
Christian Ehler, Oliver Schenk, Matej Tonin, Adina Vălean, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Hildegard Bentele, Angelika Niebler, Eszter Lakos, Radan Kanev, Susana Solís Pérez, Virgil-Daniel Popescu
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14b | |
| Implementation of Performance Framework Regulation | |
| 1. By way of derogation from Article 1(2) of [Performance Framework Regulation], the application of the principles of ‘do no significant harm’ and gender equality referred to in Article 33(2), points (d) and (f) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 respectively as well as the other horizontal principles shall be set out in this Article to ensure it is feasible and appropriate for the objectives of this Programme. | |
| 2. As contribution to the overall spending target set out in Article 4(2) of [Performance Framework Regulation], this Programme shall aim to spend 15% of its budget, excluding budgets used to implement defense and security (including dual-use parts of civil projects), on climate action and environmental objectives. Every activity that contributes to the objective in Article 3(2)(a) shall be considered to contribute 100% to climate action and environmental objectives. | |
| 3. All activities funded under this Programme shall be considered to be compliant with the ‘do no significant harm’ principle. Applicants shall not be required to prove compliance with the principle at any stage of the application or funding procedure. | |
| 4. In light of the specific nature of entities able to obtain funding under this Programme, activities under this Programme shall be considered to be compliant with the requirements set out in Article 33(2), point 3 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. | |
| 5. All activities funded under this Programme shall be considered to be compliant with the principle of gender equality. | |
| 6. For the purpose of Article 6(2) orf Regulation [XXXX/XXXX], respecting applicable law and applicable collective agreements shall be considered as implementing the activity in respect of working and employment conditions. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 14b | |
| Implementation of Performance Framework Regulation 1. By way of derogation from Article 1(2) of [Performance Framework Regulation], the application of the principles of ‘do no significant harm’ and gender equality referred to in Article 33(2), points (d) and (f) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 respectively as well as the other horizontal principles shall be set out in this Article to ensure it is feasible and appropriate for the objectives of this Programme. 2. As contribution to the overall spending target set out in Article 4(2) of [Performance Framework Regulation], this Programme shall aim to spend 15% of its budget, excluding budgets used to implement defense and security (including dual-use parts of civil projects), on climate action and environmental objectives. Every activity that contributes to the objective in Article 3(2)(a) shall be considered to contribute 100% to climate action and environmental objectives. 3. All activities funded under this Programme shall be considered to be compliant with the ‘do no significant harm’ principle. Applicants shall not be required to prove compliance with the principle at any stage of the application or funding procedure. 4. In light of the specific nature of entities able to obtain funding under this Programme, activities under this Programme shall be considered to be compliant with the requirements set out in Article 33(2), point 3 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. 5. All activities funded under this Programme shall be considered to be compliant with the principle of gender equality. 6. For the purpose of Article 6(2) orf Regulation [XXXX/XXXX], respecting applicable law and applicable collective agreements shall be considered as implementing the activity in respect of working and employment conditions. |
Borys Budka, Danuše Nerudová, Davor Ivo Stier, Nikolina Brnjac, Eszter Lakos, Karlo Ressler, Miriam Lexmann, Adam Jarubas, Krzysztof Hetman, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Mirosława Nykiel, Iuliu Winkler, Loránt Vincze, Andrzej Halicki, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Inese Vaidere, Tomáš Zdechovský, Siegfried Mureşan, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Daniel Buda, Gheorghe Falcă, Adina Vălean, Romana Tomc, Jan Farský, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrey Novakov, Eva Maydell, Ilia Lazarov, Sandra Kalniete
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article14b | |
| Stakeholder Group | |
| 1. A Stakeholder Group shall be established. 2. The task of the Stakeholder Group shall be to support the Commission in the preparation and design of calls for proposals under this Regulation. It shall provide non-binding advice to the Commission at an early stage of call preparation, with a view to ensuring that funding conditions, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and administrative procedures are proportionate, clear, and aligned with market realities. 3. The Stakeholder Group shall comprise representatives of relevant industry sectors, small and medium-sized enterprises, financial institutions, investors, research and technology organisations, social partners, representatives of regional and local authorities, and other relevant market actors, selected on the basis of expertise, geographic balance, and transparency. 4. The Commission shall ensure that the consultation of the Stakeholder Group contributes to simplifying participation, enhancing business uptake, and strengthening the impact and effectiveness of actions supported under this Regulation. 5. The Stakeholder Group may meet in sub-configurations relevant to the policy windows. 6. For the purposes of this Regulation, the Council for European Competitiveness Research established by Horizon Europe Regulation shall be considered a sub-configuration of the Stakeholder Group. It shall provide advice to the Commission on the calls for proposals related to Horizon Europe Pathway actions. |
Connections
The dossier, the decisions on this text and its other versions.
No connections found for this item.
Sources & citation
Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.
- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “AMENDMENTS 1842 - 2023 - Draft report Establishing the European Competitiveness Fund ('ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities”. Text, 18 May 2026. docId ITRE-AM-788897. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/ITRE-AM-788897 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/ITRE-AM-788897 (CC BY 4.0). BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-itre-am-788897,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{AMENDMENTS 1842 - 2023 - Draft report Establishing the European Competitiveness Fund ('ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-05-18},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/ITRE-AM-788897}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/ITRE-AM-788897},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId ITRE-AM-788897. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}