The EU is supporting the digitisation of its economies and societies by setting up a new funding programme, Digital Europe, for the years 2021 to 2027.

Today, the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee confirmed the common understanding reached by the presidency and the European Parliament on the Digital Programme proposal. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society. Digital Europe will help European businesses, especially smaller ones, benefit from the vast opportunities of digital transformation, scale up and gain a competitive edge. It will also support advanced digital skills training for the workforce, students and administrations. 

Budget-related and horizontal issues are being discussed as part of the negotiations on the EU’s next multiannual financial framework (MFF) covering the period 2021 to 2027. Digital Europe will be complementary to a number of other programmes supporting digital transformation, such as Horizon Europe and the digital aspects of the Connecting Europe Facility.