Citizens and businesses will soon be able to benefit from a big boost in Europe’s digital transformation. On Monday at noon an agreement between the European Parliament and Council was reached on a Digital Europe Programme (DEP), under the leadership of Renew Europe’s MEP Valter Flego (Croatia/Istrian Democratis Assembly).
The agreement is the first Pan-European digital investment programme ever, and is a major step in building up strategic digital capacities of the EU and in facilitating the wide deployment of digital technologies and solutions. The Digital Europe programme will also help overcome the investment gap affecting both public and private sectors in the digital sphere. Furthermore, the programme aims to spread widely tested technologies using European Digital Innovation Hubs, which will help companies improve business and production processes, products, or services using digital technologies.
The financial envelope agreed for the DEP is 6.8 billion euros.
MEP Flego stresses that given the ongoing digital and green transitions, and recent COVID-19 related developments, the programme’s objectives are more important than ever:
"I am convinced that the deal we have sealed on the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) will serve as enabler to achieve one of the main EU priorities for the upcoming decade – assure a new generation of digital technologies. Although we did not witness a top-up for the Programme in final MFF agreement, it remains the most important tool in reaching our goal of asserting Europe’s digital sovereignty. With DEP as one of the EU flagship programmes, Europe will be ready to speed up its digital transformation and become the global leader in the digital field."
Next step:
The adoption in plenary is expected to take place in January 2021.
